On Wednesday, after a week of demonstrations, New York City mayor Eric Adams made some of his most forceful comments about the death of Jordan Neely – a homeless Black man who died on a subway train last week when another passenger – Daniel Penny, who’s white – held him in a chokehold.
While Mayor Adams said that Neely should not have died, he did not call for Penny to be arrested and charged with Neely’s death.
Jordan Neely’s death raises difficult questions – about race, class, justice, and society’s responsibility to care for those in need.
NPR’s Ailsa Chang speaks with Milton Perez, head of the Homelessness Union of VOCAL-New York, on how New York is succeeding and failing at providing services for people who are living on the streets.