#FreeBrittanique 

The truth is, I shouldn’t be alive

I have been abused and traumatized. I have endured insufferable pain, abuse, sabotage, and repeated trauma that has drastically affected my mental health, and like so many other young black women, our stories and suffering get buried with us. I have never believed in having a victim mindset but not identifying the ways in which I have been victimized has been detrimental to my mental health, well-being, and growth. 

I have been homeless twice in the last three years at the hands of my abusive parents over disagreements.  Once, during the global pandemic, and the other through global inflation without any financial preparation. This worsened my insomnia, anxiety, and depression causing chronic stress and feelings of isolation and self-harm. After feeling rejected and publicly humiliated, I fell into a major depression that I didn’t see myself recovering from. I was treated as disposable and as though my life was worth nothing. After having no contact for several months, my mother then reported me as a missing person as a further means to harass me and regain control.

Violence Against Black Women is an Unspoken Epidemic

In an article written on December 6, 2022, by Melissa Noel, she highlights the heartbreaking statistics about black femicide and violence against women . Due to systemic and interpersonal marginalization, Black women, in particular, are disproportionately impacted by violence, “as homicides increased nearly 30% nationwide [in 2020], the rate for Black women and girls rose 33%, a sharper increase than for every demographic except Black men, and more than double that of white women”. Even the story of Shanquella Robinson highlights the heartbreaking reality that oftentimes violence is not limited to attacks from strangers it can be those closest to you. Another article by the Guardian cites that nearly 1/3 Black women and girls in 2020 were known to be killed by an intimate partner or a family member, according to law enforcement homicide data reported to the FBI, and another 16% were killed by a friend, neighbor, or acquaintance. These issues are not just statistics for me, but it represents the risks I have been facing in my own life.

Increased Exposure 

It's been a very heavy road for me, as a result of my personal trauma I have experienced increased exposure to violence, depression, suicidal ideations, self-esteem issues, self-isolation, increased hypervigilance (being in a constant state of fight or flight) hormonal issues, sleeping and eating disorders. There are some nights that I get terrible flashbacks, I wake up drenched in sweat. I have been in survival mode and unable to put in the time or finances in growing my music and online presence. During one of our last exchanges in 2022, I was told by my mother that I would never become successful with my music unless I slept with a producer or stripped. Since I believe in having integrity and paving my own path to success without compromise, I defiantly let her know that her words would neither define nor break me. After all, I make music for women who know their value and their worth.

Framing Britney Spears 

Ironically, when I was born, my grandparents named me after Britney Spears since she was the most famous pop star of the time. After watching the ‘Framing Britney Spears ’ documentary in 2021, I realized the eerie similarities between her story and mine. The level of control, exploitation, and abuse she suffered at the hands of her family made it click in my head that just because you consider someone family doesn't mean they have your best interest at heart and will seize the opportunity to exploit your vulnerable moments and use them against you for their benefit if given an opportunity. 

Spiritual Gift

I believe God gave me the spiritual gift of singing and songwriting so that it would pull me out of my darkest moments and help save my life and others. Music has been my escape, therapy, source of income and a channel to share parts of my life so I could inspire and motivate others to overcome what seems like unbeatable odds. My hopes are that the tears I’ve cried over the course of these experiences will sow the seeds that germinate my growth and success as an individual and an artist for 2023 and beyond.

Despite being told I  should not pursue a career in music, I knew to follow my intuition in going after a vision only I  could see and hope to encourage others to have faith in themselves even when all odds are against them. The purpose of my campaign is to raise a total capital of $15,000 to cover music-related expenses, mentorship/coaching/therapy fees as well as to share my story and bring awareness to similar intersectional/layered challenges.

As a young black woman in this business, I understand how imperative it is to create and seek opportunities as opposed to waiting for things to be handed to me. For this reason, I need support from my community to transform my pain into power and turn my passions into profit. As a part of my short-term goals for this year. I have recently dropped my new single 'Pressure', it's now available on all streaming platforms.

After watching and listening to Aoki Simmon's heartbreaking testimony, I feel inspired to provide even more evidence of the fact that sometimes as black women, we have to go through hell to prove claims of violence, abuse, narcissistic rage, and manipulation. Please reference this screen recording of an email that was sent from my Step-dad Volence Drummond back in 2021 as a plea for me to re-unite after living on my own without them for some time. It's truly sad that we continue to praise abusers and attempt to silence victims and those who stand and speak up for TRUTH and justice. #MeToo #SayHerName.

With your donation, you will become a key part of my story’s success as an artist so I can continue making music that moves. I am not short of willpower but without the chance to execute my plans, I won’t be able to crystalize my goals and dreams to turn them into reality. Thank you for your time!

https://open.spotify.com/track/2ZNgV5XLzGldgPPoeYPumi?si=425628089cf54576