Azealia Banks’ assault by Russell Crowe was an attack on Black womanhood, period

In October 2016, Azealia Banks made headlines after revealing Russell Crowe screamed and spit at her during a party in his hotel suite.

After being branded a liar for the entire year following the assault, Banks was finally vindicated this week when fellow party attendee RZA finally admitted that Banks was not making the story up.

Here's the breakdown of what happened according to guests: Banks and Crowe got into it after she commented on the music being played, calling Crowe and company "boring white men."

She was then allegedly (in so many words) told to chill by another guest, and that's when things began to escalate. A guest reported Azealia said “You would love it if I broke my glass, stabbed you guys in the throat, and blood would squirt everywhere like some real Tarantino shit.”

She then picked up a glass — and that's when Crowe attacked her. After the altercation, Banks' account of the assault was roundly dismissed as cry-for-attention lie.

But it wasn't a publicity stunt, it wasn't a misunderstanding. It was an attack on the Black femme existence and deserved more attention.

RZA watched what happened and didn't defend her during or after the fact. He released a statement soon after that defended Crowe, even saying Crowe "behaved like a hero." Now, finally, he admits the truth.

This is especially messy because RZA and Azealia have a film, Love Beats Rhymes, dropping in December — and because it's been revealed that Crowe helped bury a telling story on Harvey Weinstein in 2004. *screams*

Now, as stated, the masses are doubling back and realizing Banks was telling the truth. She was unjustly made to feel like she was in the wrong for not kissing the ass of "the brotherhood" –- AKA the accountability-free men who defend themselves (and each other) regardless of if they're right or wrong.

In an interview with Access Hollywood, Banks shared how she "was humiliated" and basically expressed that this wasn't the type of attention she wanted.

People are being forced to stop demonizing Banks, even if only for a moment, and view her for what she is – a Black, femme human being.

Civil rights activist Malcolm X once said the Black woman is "the most disrespected..unprotected…and neglected" person in America.

Sadly, not much has changed since he spoke those words in 1962.

Black women are still not shown the proper amount of love, with instances of brutality and disrespect, coupled with the downplaying of our experiences, coming to light.

It feels like people don't give enough of a fuck to flip the script. The case of Kenneka Jenkins (and how it was handled by police), the number of Black trans women who have been killed by civilians this year alone, and this occurrence, are just a few examples of how Black women in America are thought of and treated by the general public. It hurts.

@brooklynrwhite