Poet Siana Bangura was minding her own business last Friday when she became the victim of a racist attack.
While riding on the London Midlands train to Liverpool for a performance, Bangura says an intoxicated man began harassing her, calling her names like “monkey” and “Black n-gger bitch.”
After the incident, Bangura detailed it all on Twitter.
There was a drunk fat white man pacing up and down the train for a while and then he decided to land right next to me. Sat on all my stuff.
— FKA Bangz. (@Sianaarrgh) October 16, 2015
I asked him to get up off my scarf – looked like (and was later confirmed) he wet himself. Disgusting.
— FKA Bangz. (@Sianaarrgh) October 16, 2015
After turning his attention to another passenger, Bangura says the intoxicated man left her alone until the man he was talking to got off the train. Then, the harassment began.
He is sitting right next me trying to intimidate me at this point. He gets in my face and says ‘where are you from?’. Demands rather. — FKA Bangz. (@Sianaarrgh) October 16, 2015
I don’t answer. Then he says ‘I have mates from Nigeria and Ethiopia you black bitch. Don’t give me that attitude.’ I tell him to shutup.
— FKA Bangz. (@Sianaarrgh) October 16, 2015
I tell him to stop right there and leave me alone and get out of my face and personal space. He then says ‘GO HOME’. — FKA Bangz. (@Sianaarrgh) October 16, 2015
While many believe the UK is a multicultural haven, the country has been experiencing a rise in right-wing, anti-immigrant sentiment lately. This affects many people of color, even those who were born in the country.
Unfortunately, Bangura’s interaction with the intoxicated man went from bad to worse as his abuse escalated. Even more troubling? No one came to her aid when she needed help.
He lowered his voice so few could hear so I repeated out loud and said ‘did you just tell me to go home?’He then said no and says I’m crazy.
— FKA Bangz. (@Sianaarrgh) October 16, 2015
He says I’m bitter and he is ‘sorry for whatever happened in my life to make so fucking angry and bitter’. Then he moves opposite.
— FKA Bangz. (@Sianaarrgh) October 16, 2015
I get up to throw away my gum and get a moment away from him cuz I’m starting to shake with anger. Some ppl are asking ‘are you okay’.
— FKA Bangz. (@Sianaarrgh) October 16, 2015
I don’t answer them and go back to my seat. A few mom ents later fat guy leans in to my face and calls me a ‘fucking black cunt’
— FKA Bangz. (@Sianaarrgh) October 16, 2015
And starts calling me a fucking black bastard, a fucking black nigger bitch, a fucking black monkey.
— FKA Bangz. (@Sianaarrgh) October 16, 2015
He says ‘how do you like that you fucking nigger bitch’. So I start to raise my voice and say ‘who the fuck do you think you’re talking to’
— FKA Bangz. (@Sianaarrgh) October 16, 2015
He says ‘you you fucking black cunt. My grandad fought for this country and you fucking Africans are coming spreading diseases’
— FKA Bangz. (@Sianaarrgh) October 16, 2015
This is a man who stank, was clearly an alcoholic, a beast and he was calling me an animal.
— FKA Bangz. (@Sianaarrgh) October 16, 2015
And still at this NOBODY on that PACKED train said anything. There was another black woman right behind us and she stayed PIM.
— FKA Bangz. (@Sianaarrgh) October 16, 2015
I called everyone on that train a coward for stitting silently while this man was abusing me. Then he HIT ME!
— FKA Bangz. (@Sianaarrgh) October 16, 2015
This OVERWEIGHT 6 ft man HIT ME on a train full of people. He tried to slap me across the face but missed and slapped my left shoulder hard.
— FKA Bangz. (@Sianaarrgh) October 16, 2015
Even after the man struck Bangura, no one stepped in to help her, so she took matters into her own hands.
So BELIEVE I SLAPPED him across the face and he threw a bottle at me and then someone finally stepped in. An Asian man.
— FKA Bangz. (@Sianaarrgh) October 16, 2015
Then I start screaming and saying everyone is trying to make me look like I’m the crazy angry black woman you find on Youtube.
— FKA Bangz. (@Sianaarrgh) October 16, 2015
I was screaming and shouting and these white people were telling me to ‘calm down’ cuz I AM MAKING A SCENE!
— FKA Bangz. (@Sianaarrgh) October 16, 2015
A few passengers eventually stepped up to help Bangura, stopping the train and calling police who arrested the man. He was charged with “racially aggravated common assault,” and is on bail pending the next hearing in December.
Since sharing her story on Twitter, many have spoken out in support of Bangura. She’s been interviewed by several news outlets like Buzzfeed and the BBC, and vows to continue to share her story and turn it into something positive.
I know this isn't going to die down any time soon but I'm not going to let this incident define me. We'll turn this into something positive.
— FKA Bangz. (@Sianaarrgh) October 19, 2015
