RACISM
How Racial Stereotypes Dehumanize Black Victims Like Jordan Neely
Calling a non-violent homicide victim "aggressive" is racist
Homelessness shouldn't be a death sentence in America. Yet, when Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old homeless Black man known throughout the community as a talented Michael Jackson impersonator, shouted about his discomfort, being hungry, thirsty, and "fed up," throwing his jacket in a New York subway, a White Marine responded by pinning Neely in a chokehold for fifteen minutes, a move that left him unconscious according to the now-viral video of the incident. Paramedics could not revive him. Now the Black community is mourning, having lost another Black man to senseless brutality. Alvin Bragg, New York's district attorney, has not filed charges against the unnamed White man so far.
In the aftermath, several outlets have described Neely as "aggressive," even though he did not harm any passengers. For example, the Independent described Neely as "aggressive" in the title of their article. Likewise, Juan Alberto Vazquez, a witness, described Neely as "screaming in an aggressive manner." Yahoo News opted to put the term "aggressive" in quotes but nevertheless included the racially charged adjective. So, in real time, we saw how deadly racial stereotypes can be. Assuming Neely, a Black…
