Hawk Newsome facts for kids

Walter "Hawk" Newsome is an American who studied law. He is known for helping to start a group called Black Lives Matter of Greater New York. He began this group with his sister, Chivona Newsome.

About Hawk Newsome

Newsome once worked helping lawyers at the Bronx District Attorney's Office. He also managed projects at a law firm called Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker. He tried to become a member of the New York City Council, which helps govern the city. He ran for a seat in The Bronx but did not win. After that, he co-founded Black Lives Matter of Greater New York. His sister, Chivona, later left the group. She ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, which is part of the national government.

In 2017, Newsome went to a large gathering in Washington, D.C. He was asked to speak on stage for a short time. He told the crowd, "I am the president of Black Lives Matter New York. I am an American." He also said, "The beauty of America is that when you see something broken in your country, you can mobilize to fix it." The people there clapped for him. After this, Newsome decided his goal was to help people understand each other. He wanted to bring people together for progress.

Connection to Black Lives Matter

In June 2020, then-U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned Newsome as a "Black Lives Matter leader." This led to a statement from the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation. A leader from that group, Kailee Scales, clarified things. She said that Hawk Newsome "has no relation" to their main organization. She also stated that he is "not the 'president' of BLM or any of its chapters." His group, Black Lives Matter of Greater New York, is not an official chapter. The only official chapter in New York is Black Lives Matter NYC.

His Life

Hawk Newsome lives in The Bronx, a part of New York City. He often goes to Baptist church services. For his safety, Newsome sometimes wears a bulletproof vest. He also drives different rented cars for security reasons.