JetBlue's Black History Display Showcased A Convicted Cop Killer
JetBlue has taken down a poster of a convicted murderer that it had included as part of a Black History Month tribute at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
The airline said Saturday it removed the poster paying tribute to Assata Shakur last month after being alerted via Twitter that Shakur is “a convicted cop killer.”
@JetBlue Rumor has it that you are celebrating Black History month at LGA by celebrating Assata Shakur? She is a convicted cop killer. Please tell me this is not true. pic.twitter.com/McD9zUbFZl
— Jen Muzio (@Jennymz76Jenny) February 24, 2019
“The intention was always to unite our crewmembers and customers around the importance of Black History Month, and we apologize for any offense the poster may have caused,” a JetBlue spokesman said in a statement.
Shakur, also known as Joanne Chesimard, is a former member of the Black Liberation Army who was convicted for her role in a 1973 shootout that resulted in the death of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster.
She escaped from prison in 1979 and is living in Cuba, where she was granted asylum.
President Donald Trump demanded that Cuba return “the cop-killer Joanne Chesimard” in 2017, when he announced plans to reverse Obama-era policies.
The poster paying tribute to the 71-year-old Shakur at the JetBlue terminal was first reported in the New York Post, which noted that one of Shakur’s accomplishments stated, “Became the first woman to be placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted list after escaping to Cuba from prison, where she was serving a life sentence for the 1973 murder of a police officer.”
The poster also read, “Many people believe Shakur to be a political champion who is innocent of the criminal accusation against her.”
JetBlue said in its statement that the poster was part of a “ready-made batch of posters” that the airline bought from a third party.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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