Dear Editor,

On Tuesday, July 30, 2024, Jamaican 400m Olympian Junelle Bromfield posted on her
Instagram stories: “For all the [Jamaicans] in my inbox coming for my complexion…Calling me black is not [an] insult. This black is gold!!” Her words were written on a background featuring her beautiful, unblemished dark skin. The level of vitriol which has been meted out to this young woman, who has represented Jamaica in athletics since she was eight years old, is astounding and unfortunate.

Thousands of people on social media have turned against Bromfield over ‘pillow talk’ with her American partner, World Champion Noah Lyles. They have remained steadfast and relentless in pursuit of her head as they trail and troll her across platforms to punish her in a manner akin to that which was meted out in
The Scarlet Letter.

As I observe in awe, I can’t help but ask: Have Jamaicans forgot who Junelle Bromfield is?

In 2016, Bromfield, a former St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) student, completed an exceptional treble at the 106th staging of the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships at National Stadium in Kingston. The impressive athlete claimed gold in the 400m, 800m, and 1500m individual events, and returned to anchor the STETHS 4X400m relay team to gold. Her performance not only thrilled onlookers but is forever etched in history as one of our ‘Champs’ greats.

Like many others, the young dynamo has not maintained the same level of success in the sport as an adult. Notwithstanding, she recently ran a personal best 50.74 seconds at National Trials to earn a spot as an individual competitor at the Paris Olympics.

But some Jamaicans don’t believe this is good enough and have used what should be viewed as an achievement to bash her instead. Daring her to win a medal, predicting she will not make it out of round one, wishing that she loses, derogatory statements about her relationship, calling for her removal from the team are just some of the weapons of choice in this relentless social media war against Bromfield. Yet she continues to enjoy her time in Paris, something which has upset the mob, enough to send them to her inbox to tell her how black she is. For if nothing else will break her, surely that will.

And all of this because a young woman in a relationship did what normal people do and told her partner things that happen at the office. Incidentally, the top secrets she shared were public knowledge/gossip, and information that is of no use to the competition. In athletics, you either have it or you don’t.

Pillow talk about the office does not equate to high treason. It is time to give it a rest. Enough is enough!

Today, we celebrate Emancipation Day, the day when full freedom from slavery was achieved in 1838. The physical shackles no longer exist, but I am afraid many black people are mentally shackled. Bob Marley sang: “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds…”

The ancestors who fought so that we could enjoy the Olympics today looked like Bromfield, and many of us. They were beautiful, but others inflicted their standards of beauty on us, and this afflicts us to this day. Look no further than skin bleaching.

Bromfield is a stunning black beauty with immense talent. She exists not just for our entertainment but as a woman and athlete young Jamaican girls with quick feet can emulate. Our blackness is to be revered, not shamed. But some of us ought to be ashamed that in 2024 we are using blackness as a weapon to shame a fellow Jamaican who has done us proud.

As we get ready to watch the track and field segment of the Olympics, let us send love to all athletes. They need it. And who is better to give it than the ‘One Love’ country?

Suzette Campbell

www.iamsuzettecampbell.com