Harlem celebrated the life of Jordan Neely—the unhoused Black New Yorker killed on the subway by white passenger Daniel Penny—in a homecoming service last Friday, May 19, at Mt. Neboh Baptist Church. He was laid to rest in a pearl-white coffin while family and friends remembered him as a promising basketball player and joyful street performer.
Rev. Al Sharpton eulogized Neely, lambasting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for calling Penny a “good Samaritan” in his remarks. Sharpton pointed toward the actual biblical passage where an outsider assisted a starving man, but when Neely yelled that he was hungry while on the uptown F train, Penny didn’t feed him. Penny choked him. Sharpton also blamed the city for failing Neely.
“He’d been choked much of his life,” said Sharpton. “The agencies that failed to keep him and give him mental health choked Jordan. Those that let him go even though they had his record of needing help—they choked Jordan. The city agencies choked Jordan. He’d been choked most of his adult life. He’s an example of how you’re choking the homeless [and] the mentally ill.”
Neely was reportedly registered on a “top 50” list of unhoused New Yorkers most in need of services. In typical Sharpton fashion, the reverend stirred the church into a “No justice, no peace” chant that went on for almost a minute and was loud enough to shake the nave’s foundations. Poetically, his words also brought mourners to their feet almost 14 years ago at the memorial service of Michael Jackson, who Neely idolized since age 7 and made a living impersonating.
Neely’s mom Christy was memorialized at the same church. The two shared an unbreakable bond, according to his great-aunt Mildred Mahazu. Neely’s mental health decline is attributed to the murder of his mother when he was just age 13. On the uptown F train passing through lower Manhattan, it cost him his life.
Penny was charged with manslaughter more than a week after killing Neely with a chokehold on May 1. He was initially released by police after the incident. The next court date is July 17.
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez—the first public official to call the death a murder—told the Amsterdam News there was a notable difference between Penny’s manslaughter charge and the terrorism charges for protesters against the killing, but also pointed out the outpouring community support for Neely at the service.
“Today shows that Jordan was loved, [he] was cared for, [he] was seen, [and he] contributed to his community,” said Ocasio Cortez after the funeral. “[His] family and the community around here rallied to recognize [and] cherish his life and make sure it’s honored and respected, both in public and [in] the processes.”
A fellow Michael Jackson impersonator named Rocco credited Neely for inspiring his own performances. He added that Neely was a legend in the local world of “King of Pop” imitation and known for his showmanship.
Neely’s family lawyer Lennon Edwards called the service an opportunity to celebrate his life publicly and push for policy preventing homelessness.
“It was an incredible turnout by our elected officials, who recognized that Jordan’s life mattered and it will continue to matter and have meaning—to use this time of celebration as a springboard to actions that need to take place next,” said Edwards. “It’s one thing to talk about change, it’s another to affect change.”
Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member and writes about public safety for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.