BLM demands 'accountability' from Netflix over Tony Hinchcliffe's George Floyd joke on Kevin Hart roast

Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe has come under fire for making a joke about George Floyd during the Netflix roast of Kevin Hart, saying that the man whose death sparked the 2020 Black Lives Matter riots across the country was "laughing so hard that he can’t breathe."

"You’ve done good though, Kevin. The black community is so proud of you. Right now, George Floyd is looking up at us all, laughing so hard that he can’t breathe," Hinchcliffe said.

Nekima Levy Armstrong, the former head of the NAACP’s Minneapolis chapter who was arrested in January for storming a church alongside other anti-ICE agitators, said the joke was "not a laughing matter." The phrase "I can't breathe" was frequently featured at Black Lives Matter events, referencing words uttered by Floyd as police were attempting to take him into custody.

"Again, it is not a laughing matter. We are here today to call to your attention to the fact that an egregious, disgusting joke was made about George Floyd. Here we are, about to memorialize George Floyd for year 6 after his brutal murder at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department. Our community is still experiencing grief and trauma," she said, later adding, "instead of allowing our community to grieve in peace, to celebrate George Floyd in peace, we have Netflix comedians making light of the brutal killing of George Floyd. It is unacceptable, and it is unconscionable."

Tony Hinchcliff made a grotesque joke," she said, adding, "when I saw the clip online, it made me sick to my stomach." She said that the group is calling for accountability from Netflix for the joke.

Black Lives Matter Minnesota Monique Cullars-Doty, Black Lives Matter Minnesota co-founder Trahern Crews, and Armstrong are calling for Hinchcliffe to apologize directly to the family of George Floyd, "a public statement and accountability measures from Netflix," a public statement from Hart condemning the joke, and "the removal or editing of the segment from future broadcasts and streaming distribution."