In our first post of the semester, we will be taking a look at how anti Blackness played out in the case of Miya Ponsetto. Ms. Ponsetto falsely accused Keyon Harold Jr, a 14 year old black boy, of stealing her cell phone and proceeded to physically attack him over the false belief.
(Right) Keyon Harold with his son Keyon Harold Jr. (Left)
A screenshot from a television appearance by Ms. Ponsetto after the attack on Keyon
First, Matthew will give us some context surrounding the incident. Then, Obie will break down what’s wrong with this interaction and how anti-Blackness is at play. Finally, A.Y. will provide some insights into how this problem can be addressed.
Context:
As we have seen countless times throughout history a white adjacent woman has attacked a Black individual without cause. If we ask for other examples outside of this case to understand this situation through a historical context lens, we can go back to 1955 with the lynching of Emmett Till. A white woman went out of her way to lie on a young Black child and it led to him being brutally murdered. This example from 65 years ago shows that we are living within the same systems that perpetuate and allow Anti-Blackness to grow and thrive within our societal way of thinking. These systems are what reinforced the entitlement that we seen exhibited from Ponsetto. She attacked a Black child because the system in place told her that she could. This same reason is also why we see no remorse throughout her interviews. At the end of the day, Ponsetto believes that she reacted in a necessary fashion because the act of stealing is just another crime that a Black individual would commit. She created a narrative surrounding this child and the theft of her phone based on preconceived notions and stereotypes of Black individuals. Even once the child is cleared and her phone is found inside the hotel, she still believes that all of her actions are justified. The question is what can we do? How can we tear down the systems that perpetuate Anti-Blackness? Is empathy and progress a possibility or will these systems continue to allow white and white adjacent individuals to exercise authority over Black individuals?
The Problem:
The Problem is Ms. Ponsetta for the sake of justification has clearly placed herself in a marginalized Race category though few would believe that this is “actually” how she lives her day-to-day life. Ms. Ponetta has used her ethnic heritage at her convenience, though her own actions and persona clearly are characteristically, socialistically, and idealistically a white woman of privilege. She is trying to “have her cake and eat it too”…. Though many would call her a modern day “Karen.”
An additional problem is a lack of accountability due to historical trends of White people not being held accountable for actions of Anti-Blackness. In an interview with Gayle King on CBS This Morning; Miya stated “I’m Puerto Rican , Greek and Italian I cannot be racist.” Maya believes that there is an opportunity for shared responsibility though she engaged accused and tackled this 14 year old child; ironically the same age of Emmett Till when he was accused of whistling at a White woman. Ms. Ponsetta stated that the “father and I we immediately could have started just speaking at a lower tone and probably that would have handled the whole situation a lot better” … When Gail King questioned this; Ms. Ponsetta replied I’m saying that both of us, I said that both of us… Ms. Ponsetta’s attorney stated “Bottom line is; this issue is much bigger than I think Miya is appreciating and she sees it as a very simple thing.
Ms. Ponsetta does not get the “Black pass” though she so desires to. But she has not and does not associate herself as a minority in Race or Ethnicity. From the perspective of Race; Ms. Ponsetta’s Whiteness has been projected upon her by society and she has clearly accepted this projection and identifies herself as such; using it to her advantage up until this point. Ms. Ponsetta also does not classify as a minority “Ethnic” group; as there is a solidarity for the sake of survival, unity and commonality and she presented none of those characteristics. Also within the Ethnicity of the minority; there is a relative overall respect for your elders and unfortunately in 2 different situation Ms. Ponsetta broke that “code” by disrespecting: 1) The manner in which she spoke to the 14 year old’s Black father; and 2) When she while gesturing with her hand; told Gail King “ Alright Gail ….ENOUGH”, on CBS This Morning.
The solution:
The way that Ponsetto exercised white authority over Keyon Harrold Jr and Gayle King speaks volumes for itself. If she was serious about taking an introspective look at how she personally upholds racism, Ponsetto must first address why it is that she assumed that a Black teenager stole her phone. She must also address why she proceeded to falsely accuse him of theft. Ultimately, Ponsetto must address why she thinks Black people have to answer to her. Why is it that she chooses to exert power over Black people in the first place? As seen in the video footage from the December 26th incident, Ponsetto not only accused Harrold Jr of stealing her phone, but proceeded to put her hands on him. She physically restrained him and tried to involve hotel staff to help her. As a white woman, she utilized her dominance over a Black teenager and again when she silenced King, a Black CBS broadcast journalist, in mid interview. Miya Ponsetto is far from being the first white woman to weaponize her womanhood and most likely is not the last until non-Black people collectively make a commitment to become anti-racist. In order to change the reality that Black people face, white women must cease from exercising authority over them.