‘Sick and tired’: Rapper Barkaa details alleged racial profiling at Kmart

An Australian mum has spoken out after an alleged incident at Kmart that left her feeling “humiliated and ashamed” – sparking anger online.

Australian rapper Barkaa was left feeling “humiliated and ashamed” after she was allegedly racially profiled at her local Kmart on Wednesday night.

The Malyangapa and Barkindji woman, born Chloe Quayle, detailed the incident in an Instagram post to her 59.7k followers, urging the budget retailer and Stockland Merrylands (the centre where the store is located) to “please do better”.

The retailer has since responded, contacting Barkaa directly and telling news.com.au that while Kmart aims for “all customers to have a great experience” it admitted “we have not delivered on this experience this time around”.

Barkaa said that she and her family were followed through Kmart by three people – two of whom were in Kmart uniforms – watched, and, after checking out, was told my multiple staff that they needed to check her bags, at the same time allowing other customers to leave the store.

“Last night at 8pm on the 8th of June I walked into Kmart with my family and was spotted by one of the women who worked there, who continued staring at us,” Barkaa, a mother-of-three, wrote.

“She then grabs two young men (one that was in uniform and one that wasn’t) and all three followed me through the toy section with my young kids, snickering things under their breath and laughing.”

Rapper and Malyangapa and Barkindji woman Barkaa. Picture: Instagram

Barkaa said that she and her family were followed through the Merrylands store by three people – two in Kmart uniforms. Picture: Instagram

After asking the woman “if she was OK” – to which she responded “yes, just looking at this” – Barkaa said that she “then said to her ‘I know you are following me, can you please stop, it’s rude’”.

“I called out to my kids and said ‘c’mon babies let’s go’, as we were leaving the two young men followed us so I decided to start video recording as it was distressing and humiliating for me … they then turned down another aisle,” she said.

“Once we got to the check out and checked all of our items through and proceeded to walk out, we were then stopped by a young woman who said ‘I have to check your bag’.

“Three workers then came over and proceeded to pull the items I just bought out of the bag in front of others at the store, and didn’t check anybody else’s bag who were leaving the store. I said to them ‘I have no need to steal, I’m in here with my kids. I have more than enough to pay for these items’, they then said it’s just what they had to do because it was their job.”

The artist acknowledged that she felt she had “to speak up about racism and discrimination because I have the platform to do so”.

“And I wish this wasn’t my job, but so many of us are still being discriminated against and racially profiled, followed around in stores and targeted just for being who we are,” Barkaa added.

“Tonight I felt humiliated and ashamed, I had people looking at me and my young kids like we had done something wrong … I felt like crying when I got out of the shop but instead I had to walk off and explain to my kids what just happened and comfort my eldest daughter when she said to me ‘we just wanted to go shopping, we always go there’.

“I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.”

She urged the retailer to ‘educate your staff’, who were ‘snickering things under their breath’ as she shopped. Picture: Instagram

Barkaa filmed the staff members combing through her shopping bag after she’d checked out. Picture: Instagram

Barkaa’s post attracted dozens of comments, with people calling on Kmart to “get your sh*t together” and questioning “why is this still happening?”.

A Kmart spokeswoman told news.com.au that the retailer was “aware of Barkaa’s experience in our store and we are investigating internally and taking it extremely seriously”.

“We have been in contact with Barkaa and are speaking with her to understand more about her experience,” the spokeswoman added.

“We want all our customers to have a great experience every time they are in one of our stores and we understand we have not delivered on this experience this time around.”

Multiple studies conducted over the last 12 months, however, prove that experiences like Barkaa’s are still far too common – researchers at Monash University, on behalf of Inclusive Australia, last May found that major discrimination against First Nations people remains at elevated levels.

The survey, conducted over several years on a number of measures including people’s experiences of discrimination, feelings of belonging and wellbeing, and prejudices towards minority groups, found the percentage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who reported experiencing at least one form of major discrimination remained at 49.7 per cent.

Young people and Indigenous people were the groups that reported experiencing the most discrimination.

The survey also looked at “everyday” discrimination, defined as “more chronic, routine, and relatively minor experiences of unfair treatment”, like “being treated with less respect and courtesy, receiving poorer service than others at restaurants or stores, or being called names”.

Everyday discrimination was highest for Indigenous people among the groups surveyed, having risen dramatically since December 2018.

“The rise in direct discrimination at the personal level – that’s the really worrying one,” Inclusive Australia board member and Yorta Yorta man Ian Hamm said at the time.

“That fundamentally says there are people who have taken it upon themselves to be obnoxious to another person, for no other reason than they feel entitled to.”

Barkaa shared a screenshot of a message from the retailer to her apologising for the incident. Picture: Instagram

Barkaa later shared on her Instagram Stories a screenshot of a direct message from the retailer, declaring they were “very sorry” to hear of her experience and “would really value the opportunity to talk with you on this”.

“Hello, will be in touch myself and my management to discuss a solution and to have a conversation around this,” she responded.

“Still very upset about the whole situation that happened last night with me and family. Will send you a number over shortly.”

News.com.au has reached out to Barkaa for comment.