The headlines have been everywhere.. bloody tampons, moldy clam dip, licking utensils, and rubbing Rowe's toothbrush in her anus. Yes, those are just some the acts of race related biological terrorism that Brianna Brochu committed against her roommate, Chennel "Jazzy" Rowe. In social media posts, Brochu referred to Rowe by the race/ethnicity related epithet "Jamaican Barbie."
As a West Indian woman who was consistently bullied when I first started at my current workplace in California, the story hit very close to home. Nothing I experienced was nearly as bad as the terrorism Brianna Brochu enacted upon Rowe, however. And yes, before you people of no color start saying it wasn't terrorism, it was. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines terrorism as "the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion." Brochu terrorized Rowe making her consistently ill by introducing various forms of bacteria into her system by way of her toothbrush, utensils, skin lotion, and even her backpack, in an attempt to coerce her to move out. She also allegedly acted aggressively towards her in small, but consistent ways, such as turning off the lights while her roommate was in the room studying. The first part was terrorism and definitely a crime, and the second part (switching the lights off) was just petty.
Anyway, Petty Bri-Bri admitted to the crimes, and their intent in a highly circulated Instagram post. But what does this one incident expose about the highly ignored brutality black women face at the hands of non black women in the workplace and schools? Well, a lot:
1) When we take our complaints to management, there is usually an attempt to downplay what is being done to us and shut us up. Rowe alleged she was told to be quiet about the incident or the housing administration at the school would not allow her to use school housing anymore. Intimidation much?
2) The person who attacked us is always initially meted out with the smallest punishment possible. Brochu was initially charged with two misdemeanors. So, you make someone so sick with bacteria that they could not talk, eat, or sleep, and had to consistently be prescribed antibiotics and that's considered "mischief"? Mind you, she also addressed the victim using racial epithets. So someone can attempt to poison another human being, on more than one occasion, and it's a misdemeanor? Really though, American justice system? After social media pressure and scrutiny, and Rowe's refusal to be silenced, the charges were upgraded, and the case moved from community court to the Hartford Superior Court. But reality is, black women always have to fight to prove that we were wronged. Even when there is glaring evidence. Even when the perpetrator admits to it in a public forum, like Brochu did on Instagram.
3) As a black woman, you cannot respond as a human being who is angry about what was done to you. You always have to treat the person who harmed you with respect, just as Rowe did while the school dragged their feet, for fear of being labeled the all too common "angry black woman." But question is, do you think black female babies are just born angry? Nope. It is consistent B.S. and comments about our skin, our relationships, our hair, our culture, our men, the way we are raising our children, criticisms of wigs, weaves, 'fros, our asses, our BMI's, every and anything we indulge in which exhaust us and wear us down and make us defensive. We are always too light for a black woman, too dark for a black woman. I once overheard a Caucasian female coworker critiquing me saying "Yeah she's cute, but her knees are too black", to which a male Caucasian coworker responded, "That's O.K., I like my meat burnt." Yeah, let that settle in. To top everything off, now we have crazy Bri-Bri spitting in our coconut oil.
I've had coworkers give me unsolicited opinions about wearing my hair in its non chemically treated state. I've had groups of non black women gang up on me and start a rumor that I got married for a green card simply because I am new to America and have a thick island girl accent. I've been called the n-word in Mandarin and Cantonese at my job on so many occasions now, it's too hard to count. I've been cut off in traffic and had racial slurs hurled at me. All this and I live in liberal California. I can only imagine what women in the "we still believe the Civil War was not about slavery" south face every day. Le sigh.
4) Your opinion on how you should be treated as a human being holds little to no weight. It was not until social media got behind Rowe did the school expel Brochu and issue an official statement. This was allegedly weeks after Rowe took Brochu's Instagram confession to them. Apparently Rowe's own feelings were negligible. But a good old public shaming where some supportive non black people lend their voice to the cause...well that always does the trick.
5) And finally: compensation is always slow to come, if it ever comes at all. 40 acres and a mule anyone?
