White midwife in Bed-Stuy faces online backlash over Bunco Club post in Brooklyn

A white midwife in Brooklyn faced a swift wave of online backlash after posting on Facebook about forming a Bunco Club in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Ellen Christy, 30, said she hoped to “connect with other women” in the neighborhood and described Bunco as a dice game similar to Yahtzee, with no special skills required.

Her post quickly drew accusations online that she was attempting “colonialism” and “violence” by entering a historically Black neighborhood with a whites-only social group. In her original post, Christy wrote, “Hi all – seeking women living in Bedford-Stuyvesant to join a Bunco Club!” and included a selfie of six white women smiling as they played the game. The post incited a flood of comments alleging nefarious motives and cultural insensitivity. One commenter wrote, “Colonizers be colonizing,” while another added, “Don’t bring your whiteness in the space. That’s racist. The dice game is literally genocide.”

Christy deleted the post after the backlash, but a screenshot captured by local resident Janessa Wilson and re-shared to the Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn Community page reignited the controversy. Wilson argued that deleting the post and the labor of educating the community constituted ongoing harm, writing, “Deleting your post, and all of the labor that we did to educate, is colonial violence.” The exchange drew renewed attention to questions about who gets to host social gatherings in gentrifying neighborhoods and how online forums shape those conversations.

Most of the commenters who weighed in did so anonymously, with profile pictures featuring symbols or figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Palestine banners, or other images not physically tied to the participants. The tone of the online dialogue reflected a broader, sometimes toxic, discourse about race, space, and belonging in New York City’s neighborhoods.

Christy, identified in the reporting as a midwife at a medical center serving the traditionally Black neighborhood of Jamaica, Queens, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Daily Mail, which circulated the piece, reached out for comment but did not publish a response at the time of reporting.

The Bunco reference in the post traces a long history. Bunco began in working-class England in the 19th century, where it was known as “eight dice cloth,” according to the World Bunco Association. The game traveled to the United States after the Civil War and is now described by the association as a traditional family or parlor game that promotes social interaction. The notes accompanying the coverage indicate that the post did not specify racial requirements to join the club and linked to an online form with questions such as “Do you live in Bed Stuy?” and “Why do you want to join this club?” The form also requested social media links but included the caveat, “Only if you’re comfortable.”

The episode underscores how neighborhood change and online discourse intersect in ways that can inflame tensions around identity, belonging, and community projects. Observers point to Bed-Stuy’s long-standing status as a majority Black neighborhood and to the broader cultural conversation about who has the right to organize social spaces there. While Bunco is widely described as a casual, family-friendly game, the reactions in this case illustrate how even innocuous cultural activities can become flashpoints in conversations about gentrification and power.

As tensions and debates continue to unfold online, community leaders and residents may seek ways to foster inclusive activities that acknowledge history while encouraging participation from diverse neighbors. Whether Christy’s Bunco idea will re-emerge in some form remains unclear, but the episode has already added to the ongoing conversation about culture, change, and the responsibilities of hosting social spaces in rapidly evolving urban neighborhoods.