"I don't know any other demographic, apart from black women and men, whose brutalisation is posted and shared online as frequently. Imagine going on social media just to have a look, and then seeing a body — someone who looks like you — being attacked. These things are posted online so casually. Of course, it's often done to raise awareness. Nevertheless, it's constant.
I felt a deep sense of heartbreak when I saw the video of a woman being assaulted in a beauty shop last week in Peckham. My understanding is that this woman wanted to challenge the returns policy. For those who aren't part of the culture, these shops are really reluctant to take any product like hair extensions back once you leave the store, because there are so many counterfeits around they can't prove that what you're bringing is what they actually sold you. Their stance is usually that if you leave with it, that's it – no returns.
From what I have learned it’s likely she asserted herself, tried to return the initial item, took what she actually wanted and that's how it all started. The video then shows the shopkeeper holding her by the neck, essentially strangling her. To see someone treated like that is really abhorrent, and triggering.
I understand first-hand how terrifying experiences like this can be. We often hear talk of ‘shopping while black’, which is the experience of being under constant surveillance and treated in disgusting ways while going about the most banal of routines. As a result of this, I now perform ‘not shoplifting’: I make sure to stand a particular distance away from the aisle so as not to raise suspicion.
I remember being pregnant with my son in 2018. I felt nauseous and went to a shop in Peckham to buy vitamins. I crouched down to look on a lower shelf, only to find the security guard appearing next to me. I asked why he was following me. And he immediately started screaming at me, saying he was just doing his job.
I went to the store manager and asked to see the CCTV, to see who gets followed by security. She was dismissive, and the guard continued to shout. I knew I had to be careful as I could end up in a similar situation where I was being dragged about. So, I left without my folic acid.
As somebody that's grown up in Peckham, I have been to the store from the video regularly. I understand they have a no refund policy. She wasn't stealing, she wasn't trying to do anything dishonest, she was simply trying to exchange a product. People have used her behaviour to try and make sense of what happened. But even if she had been stealing, nothing should ever justify a woman being held by the neck in that way. The angry black woman trope plays into it — the stereotype justifies violence in people's minds because they are led to believe that black women are all violent and aggressive.
In this case, the man’s violence is overt. It's misogynoir in action. I believe that people have become so desensitised to seeing black people and their bodies attacked and harmed, that instead of feeling anything, they try to find logic around it.
It feels relentless for black women. We saw how much Megan Thee Stallion had to fight for people to take Tory Lanez shooting her seriously. There are so many instances where we see violence against Black women made public and then swept aside: in the US, Breonna Taylor was killed by Kentucky State Police in 2020, justice still isn't complete. History is filled with examples of violence against black women. All too often this is accompanied by arguments and justifications for why it's okay.
I went to the protest on Peckham High Street last Tuesday, organised by the community group Forever Family and UK domestic abuse charity Sistah Space to speak out against the attack. I was honoured when I was asked to address the crowd. It felt important to do because this energy of mobilising in the community cannot be allowed to wither.
The protests felt progressive, the atmosphere was electric. It meant so much to see people show up in solidarity with a Black woman they did not know. Caring for each other and truly seeing each other is how we build community. It was beautiful.
I hope that the protest will encourage a change in how the shops in Peckham especially but not exclusively, treat Black people. Enough of the disrespect and following us around in the stores. It’s the bare minimum to ask to be treated with respect by stores that primarily rely on our patronage. I hope the woman who experienced the incident heals and knows she is supported.
There's so many things in society right now that can make so many of us feel hopeless, but knowing that such a devastating video clip led to us gathering, together, in a peaceful way fills me with some hope."
