"Get off Me". Those were the last words Tiarah Poyau uttered before being brutally murdered the night of the Jouvert celebration of the annual West Indian Day Parade. Poyau, who was 22, was a student attending St. Johns University while also interning as an accountant at one of the top firms in New York. She was in the process of earning her Masters degree in accounting.
On Labor Day in 2016, Poyau was enjoying the festivities, the beauty of our Caribbean culture, with a few of her friends. She came across a gentleman who tried to sneak up and dance with her. She rejected his advances. Reginald Moise, a 20 year old Black man, shot and killed Tiarah just off the simple notion of "no". This story is just as important as any other case regarding the plight of a Black woman because no matter how you protect yourself and carry respect, you can still lose your life.
It is just as alarming when it is Black men killing our women. Reginald Moise was arrested and is still behind bars, but the point of the matter is that this was a tragedy that could've been avoided. This is another example of misogyny and how Black women are paying the price with their lives. Even at a festival that is supposed to celebrate our culture, Black women die because of rejected advances when we as men don't have the right to their bodies. Tiarah should always be remembered as a woman of promise that was cut down by misgynoir. We can't forget her name or her story. Her tragedy is one of the many nin regards to violence against Black women.
Male Entitlement gives me trust issues. (2016, September 21). UWIRE Text, p. 1. The Hilltop COLUMN: Chivalry is Dead and Our Women are Paying the Price. (2016, September 19). UWIRE Text, p. 1. This page was created by Brandon Daley.