Simply by the subject of this piece, surely most of you know what I am about to touch on, stemming from that recent viral video coming out of Alabama in the United States with that black versus white riverboat brawl (Saturday 5th August 2023) which involved the famous folding chair. Now, the internet has such an interesting racial comical take on how the events unfolded from different angles captured via cellphone footage, parody scenarios and jokey memes about the folding chairs and so much more including spotlight placed on the swimmer who made his way in seeking to help out in the situation, apparently between boating groups.
The topic of race specifically the historical struggles of oppression meted out against blacks by the whites in America over the years even after the abolition of slavery continues to be an ongoing topic and debate even in these modern times. We have heard about racial profiling and other instances of prejudice which many black people still encounter in the US with the state of Alabama having a tense, controversial history.
The riverboat incident is quite a thought-provoking one. A brawl, allegedly started by a white man, who got into an altercation with a black man, saw an escalating scenario of various instances of physical fights of black versus white going in favour of the black people being victorious, as applauded by the flood of internet users on a global scale including in the Caribbean region.
And yes of course, we here in St. Kitts and Nevis got in on the commenting, sharing and reaction part of the action. Although it is not quite clear how the incident started in the first place, the togetherness of the black peoplewho appear to be strangers for the most partin coming together in defense mode has sent the internet wild with excitement as if having a score board type of celebration.
Even the light-hearted fight sport type commentary from the
female recorder of what appears to be the first video footage has attracted comical reactions which seemed to have set the tone for others who followed in making the video and overall incident go viral. A CNN 8th August news article reported: “The fight stemmed from a dispute over a dockside parking spot at Riverfront Park between the crew of a large riverboat and the owners of a small private boat, Montgomery Police Chief Darryl J.
Albert said Tuesday at a press conference.” That media house also indicated that: “The fight largely broke down along racial lines in a city with a fraught history of racial violence. Investigators looked into whether there was enough evidence to charge for a hate crime or inciting a riot, but the actions did not meet the criteria, Albert said.” According to social media internet ratings, the black man labelled as ‘Chairman of the Year’ is star of the brawl having used a folding chair as a weapon.
Internet memes claimed that ‘Our ancestors approve of such’ fighting weapon choice with edited images of black freedom fighters either handing over or holding a folding chair to support their opinion on the topic. Although lightheartedness has been used in this scenario, clearly racial tension is still a topic in the hearts and minds of black people all over the world.
The cheering on of what took place in which black people won against the white ones shows that the difficulties between black and white people remains at the forefront of the minds of many black people, and so any opportunity for payback is taken. There are many black people who want justice for the tribulation of our people over the years in a white system.
Here in the Caribbean region, many islands were recently linked by the observation of Emancipation Day holiday period (observed on the first Monday in August) which marked the end of slavery oppression with the abolition of slavery in 1838. Many of us up to day continue to talk about financial reparations for the wrongdoings against our black people.
It is amazing how we can come together as a people when the topic of injustice surfaces, and that is something not only worth cheering on but rather we need to build each other up at all times to empower our people for generations to come.
