Nikki Adebiyi, Founder of Bounce Black

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Four words I cannot forget.

Four words on the tote bag on the arm of a Black woman who was ostensibly taking selfies while I was waiting at a bus stop late one night.

Four words that were visible to me from her left arm when she had walked past me initially.

Four words that faced me again when she switched the bag to the other arm after I had moved to another part of the bus stop to see if my bus was near.

Hidden in plain sight.

My workplace retaliation experience

This took place not long after I had resigned from the dream job-turned-nightmare I described in my That Could Have Been Me post, in which I gave a public account of the traumatic workplace experience that could have resulted in the same outcome as the late Dr. Candia-Bailey, who we lost a year ago yesterday. As I mentioned there:

I became the subject of an excessive monitoring campaign, to the extent that people were peeking over their monitors to watch me, while others followed me around the office, even into restrooms.

A week later, when I quit, to my horror I became the victim of continued harassment outside the office as well as ongoing covert surveillance and smear campaigns as HR and company representatives repeatedly expressed concerns for their reputation. Worst of all, only a handful of conscientious former colleagues have contacted me since.

More than two years later, nothing has changed. In fact, things have become worse.

Since my resignation in November 2022, I have been on the receiving end of a relentless campaign of terror not unlike the one faced by the Steiners in the eBay stalking scandal. A key difference between their experience and mine is that my former employers seem to have made a bogus referral for me to be included on some sort of watchlist because the kinds of people I have encountered who have harassed me range from neighbours, strangers and homeless people to the police! All ethnicities, all ages, all walks of life.

I have experienced everything from stalking, sabotage, slander and cyberattacks to attempted poisoning and strange, sharp objects in UberEats meals (which I don’t order anymore). I am constantly being followed by individuals and vehicles, some of whom I have seen in different locations on multiple occasions. License plates are a typical means of secret communication, through which I have received veiled death threats and taunts about deceased loved ones. It’s every bit the psychological thriller and COINTELPRO 2.0 that it sounds like.

I also suspect that spyware like Pegasus is being used to violate my privacy as confirmed by the repeated remote access to my devices, manipulation of my mobile network on two separate lines, and by the strangers and neighbours who make reference to personal conversations or private circumstances of mine aloud and in my hearing. Of course, this is one of their myriad of ways to let me know that I am being watched. The ‘hidden in plain sight’ tote bag after which this article is named was but a drop in the ocean of innumerable, bizarre encounters I’ve had ever since, though they continue to use clothing and accessories to taunt and intimidate.

Their favourite tactic, though, is photography and video recording, with me in the frame, or in such a way as to catch my attention. For instance, I have had numerous experiences of people watching me through zoomed in selfie cameras – this has happened on buses, trains, at the airport and even at church!

It’s truly astounding and absolutely horrendous. And it follows me everywhere. And I mean everywhere: across the UK, across Europe, and across the US.

The worst part is existing in a world like that of Franz Kafka’s The Trial, wondering what I have been accused of, and to whom has my name been tarnished on account of my former boss’/employer’s vendetta against me. God knows the number of opportunities I have been denied because they seek to smear my reputation in order to protect theirs. Nevertheless, I have fought to stand on my character thus far and I will continue to do so, come what may. The costs to my relationships, health and career have been great, but my sense of purpose is greater.

Wrong is wrong, and I will not be silent about it.

Shining a light on organised harassment

I have since discovered that this is an intimidation tactic, known as organised or coordinated harassment (or gangstalking), that affects thousands of people around the world. Many of those people being targeted are activists, journalists or whistleblowers. Even more so, many of them are Black and especially Black women. Two women I have found to be most outspoken are Ella and Michelle, whose stories I include here:

Both Ella and Michelle’s stories bear strong resemblance to mine, so I inferred that we must all be on the same type of list. Since speaking publicly about my experiences, others have come forward about their experiences, including Black women in the UK.

To date, the Surviving Organised Harassment guide I created is the most visited webpage on this website, and I receive emails and messages on social media from victims of this coordinated cruelty on a regular and ongoing basis.

Making sense of organised harassment

I hear the many questions in your head, dear Reader. Have I reported this to the police? What are the police doing about it? The answers to which are yes and nothing. I have made several reports to the police and other authorities/bodies about my experiences, but due to how insidious and calculated it is, it’s incredibly difficult to prove. And therefore, they say, there’s nothing they can do about it. Crazy, right?

There is also the fact that some (not all) police themselves are involved in the harassment. I knew this from the first day I tried to report my experiences at my local police station, only to be laughed at by the officers as I was in the middle of a psychological breakdown after having come straight from my office after resigning.

A couple years later, I find myself being followed by police on foot and in cars, even though I have not committed any crimes, nor do I intend to. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say the only crime I have committed is sticking up for myself and standing up to corporate white supremacy and institutional racism.

Nevertheless, I’m a tough cookie cut from dough just as stubborn, so I’m doing what I can to speak out and fight back. My Dad would have wanted me to. And although I believe in ultimate justice and divine retribution, I still feel a duty and obligation to do what I can to bring about change in this life. And that’s exactly what I’ve been doing!

Speaking truth to power in places of power

In December, I was invited by the CEO of Equal Justice Solicitors, Lawrence Davies, a known lifeline for whistleblowers in the UK, to attend a private event in the Houses of Parliament on the matter of Race and Policing. The panel was star studded, and Davies was joined by:

• Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP
• Andrew George, President of National Black Police Association
• Nicholas Sensley, Former US Chief of Police & CEO of Institute for American Policing Reform
• Former Superintendents Nusrit Mehtab and Coretta Hine

It was an insightful and infuriating yet encouraging discussion. I appreciated the frankness with which the panel spoke about the ongoing issues with policing as experienced by communities of colour.

More importantly, I was grateful for the opportunity to share my experiences of covert harassment and speak on behalf of those wrongfully and maliciously placed on watchlists because we dare to stand up for ourselves and against indignities. It would be contrary to my conscience and nature to do anything but.

Check out my challenge to the panel below, and the full Q&A session can be viewed here (other clips from the event can be found on the Equal Justice Solicitors channel on YouTube).

What happens now?

Where does all of this leave victims of this heinous global, public secret? Well, it leaves us pretty much in the same position: struggling to survive, heal and advocate amidst the persecution and corruption.

Yet those of us who are going through it know how destructive it is and must continue speaking out and doing our part to bring it to an end. But we cannot do it alone! We need others to believe us and come alongside as allies to bring mass attention to this illegal practice because anyone can become a victim at any time. The threshold for shortlisting for this persecution seems to be getting on the nerves of someone with power and wealth.

No one should have to go through this.

So, I urge you to write to your local representative or member of Parliament, drawing their attention to this phenomenon of organised harassment (or gangstalking). Ask them to escalate the matter to the relevant body for investigation as soon as possible. Use information from the resources mentioned in this article, if it’s helpful. You can also use this template letter here.

If you are a victim-survivor of retaliation like this, share your story anonymously as part of the Project ZER0 campaign. Let’s highlight the evils that need to be weeded out from the workplace, and work towards demanding the protections for the people that strive to keep workplaces honest.

Above all, just do something. History has shown that scandals like these often break years down the line, long after the damage has been done. Just as we look back and wonder why people did not act and do what’s right, so too will we be judged by future generations because of the stance we take here.

Silence is not an option when people’s lives are at stake. If it can happen to me, Ella and Michelle, it can happen to anyone. On what side of history will you stand in the face of this modern lynching that is claiming the lives and livelihoods of Black professionals everywhere?

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There comes a time when silence is betrayal.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.

Martin Luther King Jr.

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Other related content:

• Blog: Suicide Prevention Month: Let’s Talk About Organized Harassment
• Blog: That Could Have Been Me: Surviving workplace bullying and victimisation
• Blog: Their Word Against Mine: How investigators fail workplace bullying victims
• Blog: Enough Is Enough: Standing up to workplace bullying
• Blog: This Can Happen Global 2023 – Part two: Conversations about workplace wellbeing
• Blog: Diversity, inclusion and mental wellbeing at work
• Blog: What the Workplace Bullying Bill could mean for Black professionals
• Resources: Surviving Organised Harassment guide
• Resources: Links to other support