In Wisconsin today, a black woman was set on fire by four white men while she was driving in her car.
She was at a stoplight when they threw lighter fluid and a lighter on her. The 18-year-old EMT Althea Bernstein said to local news outlet Madison 365:
“I was listening to some music at a stoplight and then all of a sudden I heard someone yell the N-word really loud. I turned my head to look and somebody’s throwing lighter fluid on me. And then they threw a lighter at me, and my neck caught on fire and I tried to put it out, but I brushed it up onto my face. I got it out and then I just blasted through the red light… I just felt like I needed to get away. So I drove through the red light and just kept driving until I got to my brother’s [home].”
Image via The Joy Trip Project/James Edward Mills.
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway (D) said in a Wednesday statement that:
“This is a horrifying and absolutely unacceptable crime that I will not tolerate in Madison. While we are still learning more about the details, current information suggests this may have been a premeditated crime targeted toward people of color, which makes the incident even more disturbing.”
Bernstein talked about growing up in Madison and having fond childhood memories of the place. She said these hateful idiots ruined those memories for her.
Image via Althea Bernstein, supplied.
This should be getting more press than it is. Madison, among many other cities and towns, has been the site of escalating protests this week. A statue of a slavery owner was toppled from its base in the Wisconsin capitol city just last week. The National Guard was deployed, and a state Senator was assaulted by protestors.
Featured image via Althea Bernstein, supplied.
