CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses self-harm and mental health issues.
Barkaa has spoken out after her young daughter was allegedly racially profiled by Chemist Warehouse.
The Malyangapa/Barkindji rapper was shopping with teen daughter Alinta-Jade Quaylee for makeup and hair products when the incident reportedly took place.
Barkaa, whose real name is Chloe Quaylee, is an outspoken advocate for First Nations issues and shared her side of the story on Instagram.
Along with some photos of the security guard on duty that night, she told followers how her 14-year-old daughter was stopped as they tried to leave the store. The musician went to the counter to have a receipt printed to prove they’d purchased the items, before confronting the security guard about another white customer who left without being stopped. When Barkaa started to record the security guard, things escalated.
“He pointed to my 14-year-old daughter and said, ‘She stole something, stop recording me I am calling the police’. Another white employee came and said, ‘Do you want to deal with this in the shop or outside? We are going to call the police’,” Barkaa claimed on Instagram.
She continued: “I proceeded to tell them, ‘I am recording because this is purely racism, you’re in the wrong and you’ve made my baby cry’. He then said to my daughter, ‘If you stole something, just give it back’. My baby was in hysterics, scared, crying and didn’t understand what was happening.”
Barkaa’s daughter reads emotional statement after alleged racial profiling
Later that evening, Barkaa and Alinta-Jade recorded a video to share their experience. In the video – which is hard to watch – the brave teen shared how she was feeling after the security guard reportedly accused her of stealing.
“This brought me into the spotlight and all eyes were on me. I tried looking for some empathy but it was all blank, I was just painted as a criminal. My life began to crumble in those moments as I hyperventilated,” she claimed.
“I felt boxed in when another white employee came up to me and kept insisting that I [give] back the stolen items, if I had stolen them. In desperation to prove my innocence I dropped my bag and my jacket on the floor as I sobbed. The sad thing about this is I truly believed that I’d done something wrong. I believed that maybe I had a gap in my memory and stole something by accident. Without my mother defending me, I probably would’ve let them pat me down in that store.”
Alinta-Jade went on to say she was left feeling devastated and felt her dignity and self-esteem were taken away.
“For the rest of the night I cried and sobbed. I even contemplated taking my own life because how could I bear to live in a world that hated me?” she asked, before breaking down.
“This has happened to my mother, my grandmother, and probably the whole family tree since colonisation. Nothing has changed.”
Aussie celebs rallied around Barkaa and her daughter, with many leaving comments of support on her Instagram post.
“So sorry. This is the second time you’ve had to school a retailer. Hope you’re okay,” Channel 10’s Narelda Jacobs wrote.
“This is disgusting sis. I’m so sorry you and your family had to deal with this,” added musician GLVES.
“@chemistwarehouseaus address it,” urged The Real Love Boat star Sari-Ella Thaiday.
Barkaa refuses to be silent
Barkaa said she deliberately tagged Chemist Warehouse in her post because she wants retailers to understand what real-world consequences can come from issues like these.
“This is what they cause by simply, ‘Oh, we just profiled them because they’re Blak’. This is what they’re doing to our Blak kids, this is how it’s making them feel. Our kids are great, our kids deserve to believe in their greatness and to be great. It’s absolutely appalling,” she said in the video.
The rapper added that hearing her daughter’s statement broke her heart, before sharing an emotionally-charged moment with her.
“You aren’t what they say you are, alright? You’re a little Blak Matriarch, alright? You’re the best parts of us all, you’re the best parts of me,” she said.
She finished by saying that kids are the future, so they must be protected and kept strong.
PEDESTRIAN.TV has reached out to Chemist Warehouse for comment.
If you need mental health support, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or chat online.
Under 25? You can reach Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800 or chat online.
You can also reach the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 or chat online.
If you require immediate assistance, please call 000.
