Althea Bernstein, an 18-year-old biracial Black woman, was set on fire as part of a racist attack in Madison, Wisconsin late Wednesday night. Bernstein, who is an EMT, suffered from second and third-degree burns.
In an interview, Bernstein said she was driving and listening to music at a stoplight in downtown Madison when someone yelled the n-word at her. When she turned around, someone threw lighter fluid at her and a flaming lighter through her window and her neck caught on fire.
“I tried to put it out, but I brushed it up onto my face,” she said. “I got it out and then i just blasted through the red light.”
Wisconsin
An 18 y/o black woman was SET ON FIRE yesterday by 4 WHITE MEN who approached her car at a stoplight screaming racial slurs at her before throwing lighter fluid and a match in her face.
She suffers from THIRD DEGREE BURNS to her body.
SAY HER NAME: ALTHEA BERNSTEIN pic.twitter.com/b44LReZ7cx
— StanceGrounded (@_SJPeace_) June 25, 2020
According to Bernstein, the four men who attacked her appeared to be drunk. All the men were white and two were wearing floral shirts while two others wore all black. When Bernstein drove to the hospital, medics confirmed that she was doused in some sort of lighter fluid.
“Burn pain is something I can’t describe,” she said. “It was horrible.”
Racial tensions in Wisconsin have increased in recent weeks as a result of Black Lives Matter protests and some counter-protestors have been wearing Hawaiian shirts, according to BET.
Madison Police are investigating the case as a possible hate crime but have not yet made any charges or arrests.
Bernstein is biracial and is currently studying to become a paramedic and firefighter.
#AltheaBernstein: “I was listening to some music at a stoplight and then all of a sudden I heard someone yell the N-word really loud. I turned my head to look and somebody’s throwing lighter fluid on me. And then they threw a lighter at me, and my neck caught on fire…” pic.twitter.com/lfPQefw7oU
— Jermaine Watkins ✍ (@JermaineWatkins) June 26, 2020