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Who is Alewia Tola Roba? Outrage erupts after video shows woman accusing Indonesian business of 'stealing Black culture'

The woman was seen going on a racist rant against the staffers of a cafe called Trap Tea in Aurora, Colorado

AURORA, COLORADO: A woman has been branded "Black Karen" after a video showed her accusing an Indonesian business of cultural appropriation and "stealing Black culture."

The now-viral video reportedly took place in 2020 incident where the African-American woman allegedly erupted into a racist rant against the owner and staffers of a Tea business named Trap Tea, which is located in Aurora, Colorado, according to the Daily Dot.

Who is 'Black Karen'?

The woman has been identified as a 23-year-old Denver native named Alewia Tola Roba, according to Next Shark.

Several media reports claimed that Roba initially posted the video on X, expressing her anger over “Asians stealing Black culture to profit off it.” However, the post was deleted after she received backlash for her remarks.

The video in question, which lasts for nearly two minutes, starts with the woman asking at the entrance of the cafe if the place was Black-owned and someone replies, "No."

“OK interesting,” she says as she walks in past a line. She then greets the server behind the counter and again asks if the cafe is run by Black people.

“We’re not,” the server can be heard saying before adding, “We’re all Indonesian.” “OK, you think using this. You guys are not using Black culture to get attention… gain customers?” she says pointing to something not visible in the video.

“Not at all,” the server comments to which the woman replies, “Is this Asian culture?” “The [inaudible] is Asian culture,” he responds.

'Black Karen' accuses cafe of stealing Black culture

“Trap tea, trap tea, trap tea. The boba plug? You’re using Black culture to gain customers,” the woman yells. As another server from the back tries to speak to her, the woman tells other customers, “This establishment is not Black-owned.”

The woman then turns back to the employees and starts yelling, “You’re stealing—you’re using Black culture. Is this not Black culture: Trap Tea, ‘the boba plug’?” “No ma’am that’s not…,” another employee says to try and calm the woman down.

“No, you’re thieves! Asian people stealing Black culture once again, once again,” she yells, saying, “It’s OK, you’ll be exposed though you’re not Black-owned… Stealing Black culture."

A customer, who appeared to be of African-American descent, then tries to get the situation under control, but Roba slams him saying, “You’re a coon, don’t talk!”

Black Karen slammed for her remarks

The video has garnered immense social media attention with many users slamming the woman for her remarks

"Black Karen screams at Asian workers because their boba bar is not 'Black Owned,'" one user said, while another wrote, “Did she just say the trap house is her culture????”

“She knew that it wasn’t black-owned when she walked through the door and went in anyway to make a scene. So rude - and racist, in fact - towards the staff and other customers. Some people seek out conflict,” a third fumed.

“She immediately calls a black man a highly racist term,” a fourth user said, with another quipped, “Black Karen, Indonesians just trying to serve some bubble tea."