Hawk Newsome facts for kids
Walter "Hawk" Newsome is an American who studied law. He is known for helping start Black Lives Matter of Greater New York with his sister, Chivona Newsome. This group works to support and advocate for Black communities in the New York area.
About Hawk Newsome
Hawk Newsome used to work in law offices. He was a paralegal for the Bronx District Attorney's Office. This means he helped lawyers prepare for court cases. He also managed projects at a law firm called Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker.
Newsome once tried to become a member of the New York City Council. This is a group of people who make laws for New York City. He ran for a seat in The Bronx but did not win. He said his ideas were "too radical" for that election. After this, he and his sister started Black Lives Matter of Greater New York. Later, his sister Chivona left the group. She decided to run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. This is part of the national government in Washington, D.C.
Speaking Out for Change
In 2017, Newsome spoke at a large gathering in Washington, D.C. He was invited to share his thoughts for a few minutes. He told the crowd, "I am the president of Black Lives Matter New York. I am an American." He explained that in America, people can work together to fix problems they see. The crowd cheered for him. After this, Newsome decided his goal was to help people understand each other. He wanted to bring people together for progress.
Newsome has strong opinions on important issues. In September 2021, he spoke about rules for COVID-19 vaccines. He called these rules "racist" and a form of "discrimination."
In November 2021, Newsome warned about strong reactions if New York City's mayor-elect, Eric Adams, brought back certain police units. These units were controversial. Newsome said he would not condemn or condone any strong public responses to police actions he disagreed with.
Newsome has also filed two lawsuits against the New York City Police Department (NYPD). He claims that police officers hurt him and arrested him unfairly. This happened during two different protests in 2017 and 2018. A video from the New York Daily News showed an officer hitting Newsome. Then, several officers tackled him to the ground. At the time, Newsome was holding a sign that said "Blue Klux Klan."
In a courtroom in 2024, Newsome was present during a trial. As people were leaving, he spoke to Daniel Penny, who was involved in the death of Jordan Neely. Newsome said to Mr. Penny, "It's a small world, buddy." This caused some people to gasp. Later, Newsome spoke to a crowd. He called for Black communities to take action to protect themselves.
Black Lives Matter Connection
In June 2020, then-U.S. President Donald Trump called Newsome a "Black Lives Matter leader." However, the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation responded to this. Kailee Scales, a managing director, said that Newsome's group is not part of their official network. She stated that Newsome is not the "president" of their main organization or any of its official chapters. She added that the only official Black Lives Matter chapter in New York is Black Lives Matter NYC.
Personal Life
Hawk Newsome lives in The Bronx, New York City. He goes to Baptist church services regularly. He also enjoys smoking cigars. For his safety, Newsome often wears a bulletproof vest. He also drives different rented cars for security reasons.
