Comedian, Amanda Seales says she “cannot understand” why no one stepped in to help after the death of a homeless Black man on a New York subway this week. Seales says Black people who were present during the ordeal should have done something to stop it.
Seales, 41, took to her Instagram Live to speak out about the death of Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old homeless man who was choked to death by a white subway passenger in New York. She says in the video, “I’m trying to figure out why people think this is all regular, or this is okay.” She continues, “I’m trying to understand how a Black man can be murdered again in front of your face and [you can] be like ‘I mean it’s crazy on the train in New York.’” She stressed again, “I cannot understand that…If I’m being honest, we’re not doing enough.” One user commented under Seales’ live video, “You right.” Another said, “A man died on national tv again.”
Neely, known as a Michael Jackson impersonator, died on Monday after being placed in a chokehold by an unnamed 24-year-old U.S. Marine Corps veteran minutes according to police reports. A passenger on the train, Juan Alberto Vazquez, said Neely complained about being “fed up and hungry,” according to CNN. Neely also said he was “tired of having nothing.” He also said “I don’t care if I die. I don’t care if I go to jail. I don’t have any food … I’m done,” according to Vazquez. Despite his statements, the witness recalled that none of the passengers were attacked by Neely before he was restrained and put in a deadly chokehold, according to NPR.
Rolling Stone reported that New York Mayor Eric Adams said on CNN, “We have so many cases where passengers assist other riders. We don’t know exactly what happened here until the investigation is thorough. … We cannot just blanketly say what a passenger should or should not do in a situation like that,” when asked about passengers intervening in matters such as this on their own accord. The video of Neely being restrained has struck a nerve in the Black community including Seales, as the death of another Black man is televised. Activists proclaiming that Black Lives Matter took to the streets to protest reminiscent of the George Floyd murder.
Concerns about how homeless people and people with mental illnesses are treated also surfaced. Vocal-NY echoed Seales’ concerns in a statement, “The murder of Jordan Neely is a direct result of the sustained political, systemic abandonment and dehumanization of people experiencing homelessness and mental health complexities.” “Neely’s blood is on their hands, and any semblance of justice here requires accountability and a reversal of Adams’ austerity budget and Hochul to stop blocking progressive policy in Albany.”
No one has been arrested for Neely’s death and Amanda Seales continues to fight for justice.