Bromfield embraces skin colour amid online abuse

AFTER REPRESENTING the Jamaican colours at the Paris Olympic Games, harsh comments about her skin colour is not something 400-metre runner Junelle Bromfield said she expected to face.

“I honestly thought we were past colourism in Jamaica, especially as a nation that is filled with black people. I have been getting cyber-bullied for weeks and when it gets talked about I’m a liar because no Jamaican was coming for my features,” she posted on her Instagram on Friday.

These attacks from her fellow countrymen started when her boyfriend, American sprinter, Noah Lyles, shared in a pre-Olympics interview in July that he has inside information regarding Jamaican athletes.

On her post on Friday, Bromfield shared slides of people making rude remarks about her black features.

“I grew up hearing ‘black is not beautiful.’ ‘Your hair is dry.’ ‘Your mouth is too big.’ ‘Your forehead too high.’ And when you throw all those insults behind you and start walking with confidence, the best compliment you get is you’re pretty for a black girl,” The 26-year-old said.

Bromfield helped the Jamaican team to fifth in the mixed 4x400-metre relay and made it to the semifinals for the women’s 400, but despite her commendable efforts, her social media comments section was littered with comments of a racist and colourist nature.

Comforted by many

Despite the negative comments, Bromfield was comforted by many including entertainer and fellow ‘black is beautiful’ campaigner Spice.

“Beautification, black creation, black perfection. They used to say ‘I’m black like tar’ but look at me now, I’m a shining star. You are a black hero, I’m so proud of you queen. Now let’s show them what black girls are made of,” Spice commented under Bromfield’s post.

Bromfield was further comforted by Lyles, the 100-metre Olympic champion and 200-metre bronze medallist, who commented “Baby you will always be an inspiration to little girls feeling this exact way. I can’t wait for the day you tell your story in full because every girl that has felt what you are going through will know how amazing they can be and go on to do amazing things!”

A number of other athletes also lent their support to Bromfield.

“Thank you for using your platform to share this. We know you are one of the lost beautiful ladies on the track, but what’s even more important is how much you shine as a person and how you light up a room. We love you,” American, 200-metre Olympic champion Gabby Thomas shared.

“This year’s journey has taught me that I’m mentally and physically stronger that I thought I was,” Bromfield posted during the Olympic Games earlier in August.

“She is clothed in strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come” quoting Proverbs 32:25 in the second slide of the same post.

“I could go off ranting but I’m just here to tell all the girls/women on my profile that you’re beautiful no matter your shade, shape or size and for the little black girls, don’t wait on anybody to tell you that you’re beautiful to believe it,” Bromfield, a 4x400 Olympic bronze medallist from the Tokyo Games in 2020, said.

Bromfield posted a video on Instagram yesterday captioned “My melanin glow” to the song Mirror by dancehall artiste, Spice. She was decked in her Jamaican athletic gear with a big smile throughout the video. The video has got many shares and reposts since, including on Spice’s Instagram page.