Franci Neely: Intensive hate, Rage towards black family

Franci Neely is a former Houston Parks Board member and a prominent city philanthropist. 

Although the US is home to different races, religions, and cultures, the oppression by the privileged is still evident. One such incident that captured a lot of eyeballs happened in Houston between Franci Neely and a black family. 

In the viral video(now deleted), Neely can be seen yelling at a family taking birthday pictures in a public space that went viral on social media.

The family was carrying out a photoshoot of their baby’s 1st birthday. After this video went viral, Neely was surrounded by many controversies. 

As per the reports, Neely demanded that the black family stop taking pictures and leave. She even threatened to call the police. Later, many questions were raised on privileges that a few people enjoy within society. 

It was a sunny afternoon in Houston’s Broadacres neighborhood. A black family was taking pictures to celebrate their daughter’s birthday. Suddenly, they saw a woman approaching them. She right away asked the family to leave the area. 

The woman was later identified as Franci Neely, a former Houston Parks Board member, and a prominent city philanthropist. 

Neely was with an unleashed dog walking barefoot toward Alyssa’s family and yelling. According to Alyssa, while trying to scare away the family, Neely let her dog down. The dog tried to approach her daughter when Alyssa had to step in. That is when Alyssa asked Neely to restrain her pet. 

This was the beginning of the confrontation that did not end well. After this, Neely tried to strike Alyssa’s husband, who was holding the phone. She even dismantled the balloons and the other props the family had brought for the photoshoot.

Not just that, Alyssa even explained how Neely passed several other groups taking pictures without any problem. And they finally approached her to harass her. The family, after undergoing such harassment, talked to the police.

The police confirmed that they weren’t doing anything wrong and that clicking pictures was not an offense.  Although the police report was filed, no charges were pressed. 

The video did not take much time to go viral, sparking outrage and condemnation from people nationwide.

Many were shocked by Neely’s behavior and how she used her social status to intimidate the family. Some argued that Neely’s actions indicated a broader problem of privilege and inequality in American society.

Who is Franci Neely?

Franci Neely is a well-known figure in Houston’s social and philanthropic circles. She is the ex-wife of Jim Crane, the Houston Astros owner. She has been involved in numerous charitable organizations and causes, including animal welfare and environmental issues.

She has also served as a member of the Houston Parks Board for several years before stepping down in 2019. She has also been involved in local politics and was a vocal advocate for constructing a new animal shelter in the city.

After this incident, however, people are demanding she steps down from her philanthropic roles. Many argued that Neely’s behavior was unacceptable and that she should face the consequences. 

Between all the outrage, Franci Neely issued a public apology for her behavior. In the apology, Neely acknowledged that her behavior was unacceptable and that she should have handled the situation differently. 

Although the apology relieved the tension, many still argued that it lacked sincerity and that Neely should take concrete steps to make amends for her behavior.

Neely’s Statement After the Incident

Neely started her statement by referring to the huge amount of money Broadacres Homeowners Association invests in maintaining the greenery around the neighborhood. She also mentioned how commercial photographers are intruding and damaging the property.

These people also interfere with dog walkers and passersby by obstructing the area and the walkways. We have asked these photographers to stop.

Neely further went ahead and explained how sorry she was about the way she behaved. But she also said that her reaction was complete because of how the couple handled the situation. According to her, there were three commercial photographers, all working in one block. That, too, at the same time. 

She said that these are not unusual. Hence, she tried to explain the situation. The two groups were supportive and obliged. However, the couple was disrespectful. This led her to come back a little aggressive towards the family. 

The incident involving Franci Neely raised important questions about rich white people using their privileges to insult other races.

Many argued that Neely’s behavior indicated a broader problem within American society: some people can use their social status to assert dominance over others. 

Ongoing Dispute For the Houston Property

After the video went viral, the concerns related to the use of public spaces rose. However, North Boulevard in the Broadacres community is another concern. 

This area has been under dispute for long years. The neighbors from the region have posted signs restricting photo shoots throughout the community.

However, the City of Houston has confirmed that the esplanade and streets aren’t private properties. Instead, these are in the public right-of-way.

To fight the rights over the property, the homeowners association is ready to take the stand. According to the association, the group deeded the property in the 1920s. 

Lawsuits Against Franci Neely

Franci Neely will not face charges for an altercation in mid-February on a Houston sidewalk where a family had a baby’s photo shoot, according to the abc13 news network.

Neely approached the family and a photographer, an argument ensued, and Neely swiped at Isaiah Allen twice, striking his phone. Although Allens contacted the police, the county dropped the case for class A assault in March.

A city of Houston spokesperson recently announced that they wouldn’t pursue a lesser class C assault due to a lack of evidence. The Allens have filed a lawsuit, and Neely has responded that she will not be terrorized or harassed.

TL;DR

While there are two sides to a coin, no one likes to ruin a toddler’s birthday party. Neely’s reaction to the entire situation wasn’t justified. Besides being insensitive to the couple celebrating their baby’s first birthday, she even carried her unleashed dog around a toddler. 

This was irresponsible and very upsetting. We often see hatred for black people displayed in different forms. And this was no different.