State Senate candidate says she was subjected to racist attacks

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Jennifer Rourke, running as a Democrat for District 29 in the State Senate, was participating in a virtual town hall Wednesday when she says she became a target.

She says about five people, using fake names, flooded the comments section with derogatory language directed at her.

It included calling her the N-word, and even telling her to get lynched.

“I’ve been called nasty names before,” said Rourke, of Warwick. “But I’ve never had anyone say that to me, ever. I didn’t think it was going to go to that level. But it did.”

Rourke managed to carry on through the rest of the town hall, and says she’s spoken with the police about the incident.

But she says Rhode Islanders shouldn’t be shocked.

“Don’t think it’s not happening in your own backyard,” Rourke said. “It’s just not being recorded.”

Community members are condemning the incident, but also hoping to turn those words into action.

“It’s not enough to say, ‘this is wrong,’ anymore,” said Liz Gledhill of the Rhode Island Democratic Women’s Caucus. “We need to break down what’s happening, and ask ourselves, ‘What are we doing that’s stopping this from happening? Are we part of the solution?’”

And Rourke says that solution starts with a conversation.

“Have the uncomfortable conversation to educate yourself in what people like me deal with on a daily basis,” she said. “I hate when people say, ‘I don’t see color.’ I need you to see my color, I need you to understand that I don’t have the privilege that you have.”