Tiarah Poyau’s tragic death shows how far down the social ladder Black women are
She was tragically killed at J’Ouvert Festival last week
Last week, Tiarah Poyau, 22, a graduate student at St. John’s, tragically died while attending Brooklyn’s West Indian J’Ouvert Festival.
To her friends and peers, she was known as an avid traveler and aspiring accountant.
Her aunt Tara described her as a “studious and determined young woman.”
Reginald Moise, 20, from New York, has been charged with her murder. He is alleged to have begun grinding on her without her consent – she said: “Get off me.” He is then accused of shooting her in the face.
Later, he told the New York Daily News that he was so drunk, he didn’t remember what happened that night. To a friend, he said that he didn’t know the gun was loaded.
In the coming investigation, more information will surface. Yet, at present, there is much to be addressed here.
Black women already have it bad
Being a Black woman in America is as far down the social totem pole that a group of people can be. Between the historical oppression they have received from outside and from within our own community, it is truly a testament to these women that they continue to keep achieving things.
As a Black, cis, straight male, I can attest to the misogyny within our community. I’m also guilty of at one time ascribing to the idea that I was in some way entitled to behave in an inappropriate way toward Black women and women in general. This issue should be especially important to the Black community. While this is an issue for all women, Black women oftentimes are denied the privilege and agency that white women have.
Black victims don’t get as much coverage
Generally in our society when Black people are victims of assaults, sexual or otherwise they are taken much less seriously and are markedly less newsworthy. Think about the last time you heard about a missing Black girl being national news. Whereas a pretty, blonde, white girl who is missing will make the evening news 100 percent of the time.
Closing J’Ouvert has motivated this coverage
After the tragic event of last week, City Councilman Brad Lander was quoted saying: “It seems, sadly, pretty clear that big changes are needed… I’m open to canceling it next year.” Many other locals also voiced their opinion to the New York Post about the desire to close the festival. This story about Tiarah is getting attention because it was especially heinous and also for the more underhanded reason of people wanting to get rid of the festival.
How we should address Tiarah Poyau’s death
There are many complicated issues at play here. The way these issues are discussed and handled are very important. Within the Black community we need to deal with the issues that lie within Black masculinity and adjust the way our young Black men are socialized to interact with their female peers.
Black men are already portrayed in our society as overly aggressive, predatory, criminal-minded derelicts. Besides, the issues within Black masculinity are basically identical to the issues within white masculinity. Yet, again, Black men are denied the privilege and agency to not be broadly seen as sexual predators, thugs, and criminals.
On a macro societal level it is important to focus on this being part of a larger societal epidemic of overall male violence towards females.
Even though what this young man stands accused of doing was especially heinous and despicable, the crime will be used to reinforce the existing preconceived notions about Black men. I hate to take away from the issue of masculinity and how it is applied toward women.
Women and what happened to this young woman should be the focus of this tragedy. I do, however, also believe that we should discuss it in a way does not make it worse for Black men on a macro societal level. But there is no doubt that Black masculinity is informed by and endemic of the overall issues of masculinity within our American society.
If you would like to contribute to the family of Tariah Poyau’s GoFund me page to raise money for funerary services click here.