A nasty exchange last Saturday morning left a local woman reeling, after she was subjected to a racial slur.
Marama*, a Māori woman who has lived in Cambridge for the past four years, was shocked and deeply upset after being called a “black b****” by an elderly woman on Duke St. Marama had been waving to the woman to cross Duke St before she pulled out of her carpark in front of Kiwibank, allowing her to cross the busy stretch of road. The woman took offence, and proceeded to use the racial slur against Marama, adding that at least she can wake up each morning and be proud to be white.
The woman told Marama that she had been born in Cambridge and lived here for her whole life, and that Marama should ‘go back to where she came from’. Which is ironic, given that Marama is of Tainui descent. “It’s just appalling to know that we’ve got these people here in Cambridge,” Marama said. Describing the woman as aged between 65 and 75, Marama said she appeared to have her faculties about her and was well-groomed.
An altercation ensued, during which Marama admits she verbally unleashed on the woman, calling her “every name under the sun” and giving her the finger. “I got tooted at by the car behind me, which was fair enough,” Marama said, adding that she may have looked like the aggressor. Afterwards, Marama went to the police station to report the incident, but it was closed so she drove home and sat in her driveway in tears.
“I felt violated and not part of this community,” a shaken Marama explained.
*Marama’s name has been changed, to protect her identity.
