riverboat brawl memes

Best Memes, Reactions to the Montgomery Riverboat Brawl

• Entertainment
• The Culture
• Beauty + Style

Black people are having a ridiculous amount of fun celebrating the ‘heroes’ of the Montgomery brawl.

Black people know we have to revel in the small victories because they don’t come along often. One of these unforgettable moments happened on Saturday, when an all-out brawl in Montgomery, Ala . led to one of the most viral incidents in the history of Black Twitter (yes, we’re still calling it that). While the mayor is busy talking about how “ Justice will be served ,” the rest of us are getting jokes off. From the folding chair, to fight play-by-play, to the awesome names for our favorite new superhero, these are the best memes and reactions to the Montgomery riverboat brawl.

Wakanda Forever

Come on, you know it took no time at all for someone to blend this brawl with the Blackest superhero movie ever.

Riverfront WrestleMania

Seriously, this commentary is better than anything WWE is currently offering.

A New Holiday

We just got Juneteenth and we’re already starting the campaign for a new Black national holiday.

The Hat Signal

Based on the footage of the brawl, Black folks don’t need a signal—we know exactly when it’s time to show up.

Shoutout to Jason Aldean

Guess this isn’t what the country singer had in mind when he released his controversial single, “Try That in a Small Town.”

Try What in a Small Town?

Jason Aldean is not ready for all the smoke he’s getting right now.

Black Aquaman

The internet has come up with a plethora of names for the young man who swam across the river to get some.

The Reenactment

Hollywood may be on strike, but that doesn’t mean great cinema can’t be found.

Seadris Elba

The names for a young aqua-based hero have been the best part of this whole situation. They’re all spectacular, but “Swimzel Washington” might be the best.

The Heroes We Deserve

Sometimes life gives us the heroes we need and the ones we deserve.

The Chair Speaks

When something like this happens, everyone has something to say...even the folding chair.

History Was Made

We will now celebrate the “Alabama Sweet Tea Party” with the same energy as the Boston Tea Party.

There’s Already a Soundtrack

It only took one day to get a tribute track on the internet.

Shaquille O’Gills

The names just keep getting better.

How A Folding Chair Won The Montgomery Brawl — and The Internet

• By CT Jones

When the historic riverboat Harriott II attempted to dock in its usual spot on the Alabama river on Saturday, the resulting argument between its co-captain and the boating group blocking the way turned into an instantly viral brawl — one that ended with at least three people with criminal charges , dozens of clips posted to social media, and an instant deluge of memes .

But the real winner of this whole thing, at least in the eyes of social media users, is a single plastic folding chair. 

According to police and multiple videos of the incident (which are shot from almost every conceivable angle), the fight that is now being referred to as the “ Montgomery Brawl ,” began with a simple request that the riverboat captain, Damien Pickett, move the boat. The Harriott II was attempting to dock in its usual spot along the city’s Riverfront Park, but was blocked by a pontoon filled with boaters.

But while Pickett, who is Black, began the fight outnumbered by the boaters, who are largely white, several Black bystanders came to his defense, eventually turning the fight into an all-out battle. Footage captured by bystanders shows a Harriot II employee jumping in the river and swimming to Pickett’s aid, a group of three men cantering up to join the fight, and even a pair of white Crocs being turned into anklets by the sheer force of body slams. But the clip that seems to have resonated with people the most is footage of an older Black man indiscriminately hitting the white assailants over the head with a simple white folding chair, WWE-style. 

Homie went WWE on them wit that chair 😂 #montgomery #alabama #brawl pic.twitter.com/J6T1WFzQTn — Peleoneros (@Peleoneros_) August 9, 2023

Editor’s picks

Every awful thing trump has promised to do in a second term, the 250 greatest guitarists of all time, the 500 greatest albums of all time, the 50 worst decisions in movie history.

In the past five days, the chair has gone from a one-off prop to the hero of the whole fight. One day after the fight, several Montgomery residents posted photos of themselves at the dock, holding up what appears to be the same chair in the video. At least two TikTok users have even claimed that the chair has gotten so popular that stock is low at Montgomery’s Walmarts and Targets. Singer Joy Oladokun even got the folding chair tattooed on her arm.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Joy Oladokun (@joyoladokun)

@evadaniel12 Got to teach the young. Preparing them for the next battle of Montgomery. If your seeing this then your kids are late training started at 9am #montgomery #brawl #training #montgomeryalabama #forthepeople #fypシ #blackpanther ♬ original sound – Kwani

@razzi_boo Stay ready you dont gotta get ready 😂😂 #montgomeryalabama #foldingchair ♬ Montgomery Brawl – Gmac cash

@sa.tomaa Replying to @Merci😎 since yall asked 😭😭 #fyp #montgomeryalabama #alabamaboatbrawl ♬ Montgomery Brawl – Gmac cash

@cheddarebiscuit You never know #montgomerybrawl #alabamaboatbrawl #minecraft #blockbench #3dmodeling ♬ Montgomery Brawl – Gmac cash

What Is 'Moon Face'?: New TikTok Tutorials Offer Dubious Solutions

These olympians are moonlighting as influencers to pay the bills, what would a ban on tiktok mean for hip-hop.

A folding chair? There was a folding chair? Y’all seen a folding chair? I ain’t seen a folding chair. https://t.co/idLNHCvxzf — Caroline “WGA Captain on Strike” Renard (@carolinerenard_) August 9, 2023

Wow, that was fast! The National Museum of African American History already got the "Battle of Montgomery" chair on display. pic.twitter.com/RxlmlYW33q — Karen Thee Russell (@Karen_Russell) August 7, 2023

Not them posing with the chair lol #Montgomery #Alabama pic.twitter.com/UuNbYdSE93 — 🅚🅔🅝🅨🅐 🅜🅞🅞🅡🅔 🅢🅣🅐🅝 (@GossipInformer) August 7, 2023

With meme production in full overload, it’s easy to dismiss the response to the fight as just online humor. But the real reason the videos hit so hard is because of the underlying desire for Black people to see their community fighting back. On an almost daily basis, it feels like there are viral videos of Black people in America being unable to defend themselves, being targeted, or being victims. But for many people online, the Montgomery brawl, as outrageous as it was, represented the opposite: Black people standing up for themselves.

Tenacious D's Kyle Gass Dropped by Agent After Controversial Trump Joke

Michael jackson estate wins tentative ruling to end $600 million catalog war with katherine jackson, trump site launches limited-edition assassination attempt sneakers, union twitter account goes rogue after president speaks at rnc.

Online, the general consensus seems to be that the fight wasn’t just a physical altercation. In a way, it was representative of a Black community willing to take wins as they come — even in the form of a white folding chair. 

“Comedy is basically one of them things that brings [the Black Community] closer,” Gmac Cash adds. “Laughing even through the hard times.”

Florida Ed. Commissioner Assigns 'Pride and Prejudice' for... American Pride Month

• Judged By Cover
• By Miles Klee

'Reylo' Romance Novels Were a Huge Hit. Is This Star Wars Fan Fic Next?

• Sith Surprise

Evan Wright: Celebrating the Rolling Stone Writer's Best Work

• In Memoriam
• By Charisma Madarang and Jon Blistein

What Is 'Moon Face'?: New TikTok Tutorials Offer Dubious Solutions

• By Elizabeth Yuko

Richard Simmons Said Loss 'Takes a Toll on Your Heart' in Final Interview Before Death

• Rest in Peace
• By Tomás Mier

Most Popular

Shannen doherty, 'beverly hills 90210' and 'charmed' star, dies at 53, shelley duvall, robert altman protege and tormented wife in 'the shining,' dies at 75, jennifer lopez reportedly realized her ben affleck marriage wasn't 'nearly as perfect' as portrayed, michael ealy hugging meagan good while seemingly ignoring jonathan majors has fans in a frenzy, you might also like, last chance to shop 40+ editor-approved prime day deals, from the apple watch to oura ring, sophie turner is ready for a rom-com comeback, the best yoga mats for any practice, according to instructors, why natasha lyonne embraced typecasting (again) as a stoner for oscar contender ‘his three daughters’, florida ag lands look at acc media rights contracts.

Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Rolling Stone, LLC. All rights reserved.

Here's what you need to know about the Montgomery, Alabama, riverfront brawl

• A fight broke out in Montgomery, Alabama, after a group of white people punched a Black dock worker.
• Montgomery police have charged three people with assaulting the dock worker and another employee.
• A video of the incident that was shared on social media went viral and sparked a boatload of memes.

The internet is ablaze after a Saturday brawl in Montgomery, Alabama, that began after an unnamed Black worker reportedly asked a group of white people to move their pontoon boat to make way for a large riverboat trying to dock.

Where did the incident occur?

The Montgomery Police Department told Insider that the incident occurred near Montgomery Riverfront Park on the 200 block of Coosa Street.

Who has been charged so far?

Darryl J. Albert, the chief of the Montgomery Police Department, said in a Tuesday press conference that three white men connected to the pontoon boat had been charged so far.

Richard Roberts, 48, was charged with two counts of third-degree assault. Allen Todd, 23, and Zachary Shipman, 25, were charged with one count of third-degree assault, he said.

Albert said that the men had been charged in connection to attacks against the dock worker, who was identified as a cocaptain of the Harriett II riverboat named Damien Pickett, and that Robert "struck" a white 16-year-old boy who worked for the riverboat.

Roberts turned himself in on Tuesday, Albert said, adding that others had been instructed to come forward.

More charges are likely, Albert said. One man, who was seen using a white folding chair against a few people during the brawl, is also being asked to contact the Montgomery Police Department for further interviews as part of the investigation.

Will there be hate-crime charges or charges for inciting a riot?

Albert said that the police department examined whether they could bring hate-crime charges or charges for inciting a riot but that the events didn't "fit the criteria" for such charges based on current evidence.

What is city leadership saying happened that day?

Albert said the incident began when the Harriet II, which was carrying 227 passengers on Saturday, attempted to dock in a space designated for the ship. However, the pontoon was parked in the space.

Related stories

The captain of the riverboat spent 40 to 45 minutes using a PA system to ask the owners to move their boat out of the way, Albert said. The cocaptain was picked up by a smaller boat and taken to the dock to speak with the pontoon-boat owners when they did not move. Albert said the boat owners "only responded to, what I've seen, gestures, curse words, and taunting."

"The co-captain approached the dock and attempted to peacefully move the boat over just enough so that the Harriett II could park," Albert said. "The owners of the boat confronted him in a very hostile manner. There were words exchanged and then it turned into a physical encounter that you've all seen. The co-captain was doing his job. He was simply trying to move the boat just enough to where the ship can park safely in its identified location."

A spokesperson for the Montgomery Police Department told Insider in a statement that officers responded to the incident at about 7 p.m. local time on Monday.

"At the scene, they located a large group of subjects engaged in a physical altercation. Several subjects have been detained and charges are pending," the spokesperson said.

Albert said officers detained 13 people for questioning on Saturday and later released them.

Steven Reed, the mayor of Montgomery, released a statement following the incident that said officers "acted swiftly to detain several reckless individuals for attacking a man who was doing his job."

—Mayor Steven L. Reed (@MayorofMgm) August 6, 2023

What do we know so far based on social-media videos?

Most information about the events leading up to the larger brawl, which included dozens of people, has been pieced together with bystander footage.

Online videos showed the Black worker speaking to the group , apparently asking them to move their boat per onlookers narrating the situation, before one of them ran toward him and swung. The initial swing makes contact, the video shows. The worker then threw his hat in the air before fighting back until more people arrived to aid the white man and began attacking, videos showed.

In the clips, onlookers could be heard shouting requests to help the dock worker before others began running toward the group of white people. One worker, a 16-year-old boy named Aaren who has been called a hero, even swam across the Alabama River to help the man.

The riverboat eventually docked, and additional fights erupted as a group rushed toward the pontoon. One person could be seen using a white folding chair as a weapon.

Police eventually made their way to the scene and began handcuffing individuals, the videos show.

What is the internet's reaction to this?

Although the brawl is over, it lives on as internet legend . Users, many on the side of the dock worker and those who came to defend him, are posting memes about the various characters in the videos, portraying them as superheroes and lionizing the star of the incident: a white folding chair.

—. (@sir_sarcasm) August 6, 2023

Some people have even posed to take photos with the chair and have requested that it be preserved in a museum.

—philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) August 7, 2023

Reenactments have also surfaced, with internet users posting their artistic takes on the punch that set off the brawl.

—Naima Cochrane (@naima) August 7, 2023

Users set clips of the brawl to Jason Aldean's "Try That in a Small Town" to turn the tables on a tune critics said was a racist dog whistle aimed at Black Americans .

—Renee (@PettyLupone) August 7, 2023

Watch: Black Lives Matter wins historic police brutality lawsuit over George Floyd protests; NYPD to pay $13 million

• Main content

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

I've spent my career explaining race, but hit a wall with Montgomery brawl memes

Eric Deggans

When you've built a career around explaining race and racism to people, what happens when you find a moment you just don't want to explain?

That time came for me this week, as memes were rocketing around social media connected to the brawl in Montgomery, Ala ., where a crowd of mostly-Black bystanders ran to help a Black riverboat co-captain who was being assaulted by a group of white people. He had been attempting to move their pontoon boat, since it was blocking the ferry from docking in its regular space.

3 men are being charged with assault for the waterfront brawl in Montgomery

Video from various bystanders around the dock captured it all: The co-captain throwing his hat in the air, once a white man pushed him harshly; a different Black man whaling on people with a folding chair, including a white woman who was just sitting on the ground by then; a young Black man on a boat close by who jumped into the water and swam with amazing speed to the scene, jumping up to throw hands.

And, in moments, Black Twitter jumped to life (I know the social media platform is renamed X, but — for the purposes of this piece — I'm using the term to describe people being Black across lots of social media platforms. Harrumph).

Just got my open carry license 🔥 pic.twitter.com/s9VTUpzhdl — Kofi (@blackkingkofi) August 7, 2023

There were images of people carrying folding chairs like holstered weapons. There was the graphic pointing out that an early design of the folding chair was patented by a Black man ( seems to be true ). The photoshopped picture showing glowing rings around Black folks rushing into the fight, mimicking the climax of Avengers: Endgame , where superheroes rushed in to save the day. A spirited re-enactment of the fight around someone's backyard pool which amped up the absurd humor of it all. Images dubbing the young swimmer Black Aquaman, Aquamayne and Blaquaman.

pic.twitter.com/wwuaLV81QE — Paul Leigh-Some Rascal on the Internet 🟧🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@Pleightx) August 8, 2023

And two of my personal faves: A photoshopped image of the Martin Luther King Jr. statue holding a folding chair. And a version of the video remade as the opening to classic Black sitcom Good Times , with acerbic credits noting the show was "created by Consequences & Repercussions."

I was blown away by how quickly folks across social media — especially Black folks — were converting horror over a narrowly-averted, racialized beat down into funny memes celebrating the reflex of Black folks to stand up for one another, especially when we're faced with danger from white people.

But when I posted the photo of MLK's statue with the folding chair on my social media feeds, I just added one word: Wow.

I wanted the image to speak for itself. And I wanted people who had questions about what it meant to jump into social media and find out for themselves. I felt the image and its implied humor – that the nation's most revered civil rights leader might be hoisting a folding chair to defend Black folks in the modern age – was most powerful when not explained.

Unfortunately, some people on my social media platforms insisted on an explanation. One was pretty persistent about it. And I realized I just didn't want to explain the image, for some reason I couldn't quite put my finger on.

When explaining becomes too much of a burden

Yeah, it's sometimes tiring to always be asked to explain your cultural nuances to the world. But that's the gig I signed up for, many years ago, when I decided to write about race and media regularly. And yes, all the social media joking was hiding a fear that today's political climate has left racists emboldened to attack a Black man in broad daylight for doing his job. So explaining the memes only resurfaced those darker feelings in ways I wasn't quite ready to process right away.

Still, something else was also at play.

I always say social media is often like a giant dinner party, where people forget they are sometimes listening in on conversations between other people. In this case, being asked to explain the folding chair memes felt like having someone barge into an ongoing conversation to ask for an explanation.

As I traded messages with people and retweeted the best memes, this felt like a moment where folks could be hilariously Black online and we could all share the experience together, laughing and consoling each other in one viral social media moment.

Someone popping up to demand an explanation felt like they were re-centering the conversation in a way I just wasn't willing to do right away.

Sometimes, in situations like that, understanding comes best by sitting back, listening widely, and learning. Even for me.

I originally wrote a version of this column for my personal Tumblr page, mostly as a way of processing a response that was new and unfamiliar for me. I don't know if this reaction is fair – especially given how much I've encouraged discussion about race over the years.

But it's all I have left, in a world where I increasingly feel like a frog in pot of steadily heating water, watching racists and racism get bolder — wondering when the heat will begin to burn me, my loved ones, my family, my friends and my people.

Or when I'll need to reach out for aid from a helpful brother with a folding chair.

• Montgomery brawl

Heather Shirley Venable Jason Aldean/YouTube @parodeeez/TikTok

Alabama riverboat brawl videos keep getting set to Jason Aldean’s ‘Try That in a Small Town’

The controversial country song has been repurposed to mock the attackers..

Mikael Thalen

Posted on Aug 7, 2023

The viral Alabama riverboat brawl , an incident which saw pontoon boaters and riverboat employees throwing fists in Montgomery, Alabama on Saturday, is being combined with the controversial song “Try That In A Small Town” by country singer Jason Aldean.

The situation unfolded over the weekend after video surfaced showing a group of men refusing to move their pontoon boat that was blocking the city-owned riverboat the Harriot II. One of the men associated with the pontoon boat kicked off the brawl after attacking the riverboat employee attempting to get him to move.

The chaotic scene saw everything from another employee jumping in the water to aid his coworker, a metal folding chair being used as a weapon, and responding police desperately attempting to bring the crowd under control.

Memes regarding the incident have since exploded online, with endless comparisons being made between the fight and Marvel’s the Avengers . But the hottest meme so far appears to be the one that adds the controversial country song to the footage.

Just last month, Aldean faced criticism after releasing a music video for the song that many felt contained racial undertones. Specifically, given the video’s footage of Black Lives Matter protests, allegations were made that the video was calling for violence against the Black community.

Although Aldean vehemently denied the insinuation, the song has now taken on a life of its own. And given the racial aspects of the brawl, which saw the white pontoon boaters fighting with Black employees and onlookers, the incident is being used to highlight what happens when you “try that in a small town” and throw the message back in Aldean’s face.

My favorite coverage of the Montgomery Riverfront brawl… pic.twitter.com/v6KpSGETx8 — Lyrical 💫 (9213140) (@Plussize__Diva) August 6, 2023

Father Gawd, yo chirren have put footage of the Montgomery brawl over *Try That In a Small Town* and I am coming to meet thee. pic.twitter.com/ucbSc1VJSc — Renee (@PettyLupone) August 7, 2023

Some memes using the song even contained images of assassinated civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., who lived for several years in Montgomery.

“Try that in a Small town in Montgomery Alabama,” one user wrote.

Try that in a Small town in Montgomery Alabama pic.twitter.com/6RjiGlFm2v — JayMo (@crassiux) August 6, 2023

Montgomery is steeped in civil rights history. The Montgomery bus boycott began there when Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white person.

“They done added ‘Try that in a small town’ lol,” another said of the footage.

They done added “Try that in a small town” lol https://t.co/6lvMBXpvzy — 👎👎 (@ualreedykno) August 7, 2023

Multiple arrests were made in the wake of the incident, although Montgomery police have not released the identities of those involved. The incident is currently under investigation and charges are expected to come in the coming days.

Share this article

Mikael Thalen is a tech and security reporter covering social media, data breaches, hackers, and more.

Browse links

• © 2024 BuzzFeed, Inc
• Consent Preferences
• Accessibility Statement

An All-Out Brawl Happened In Montgomery, Alabama This Weekend, And The Internet’s Reaction Has Provided Entertainment For The Next 10 Years

"Lift every voice & swing."

BuzzFeed Staff

So, last Saturday in Montgomery, Alabama, a group of strangers united to help a Black riverfront worker who was purportedly attacked by white boaters after asking them to move their vehicle.

In videos taken by those on the scene, nearby onlookers and dock employees are seen running (and swimming) to the boat worker’s aid as he was pushed to the ground and beaten by the group for “doing his job,” as Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed  said . This soon resulted in an all-out brawl that included dozens of people and ended with  multiple arrest  warrants.

This probably the best view of went down in Montgomery Alabama pic.twitter.com/FrUxk8ES0E — Timmy&Jimmy (@mickeywon234) August 7, 2023

The online reaction to the brawl has been extensive to say the least, due to people meme-ing the wildest moments of the fight. So let's get into it:

1. boston tea party (1773)..

I Hollered…. pic.twitter.com/HiSm3pTIbC — Denim McQueen (@HeSoKautious) August 6, 2023

2. Avengers, assemble!

Nah this edit has me on the floor lmaoo pic.twitter.com/zRZdYh3jIo — Sylvia (@SylviaObell) August 7, 2023

3. The star of the show:

i sat down and spoke with the chair from #montgomery and got the inside scoop. tune in this afternoon pic.twitter.com/NieTgCX8Cw — Tré Melvin (@TreMelvin) August 7, 2023

4. See if you can find all of the details that have been added to this painting.

I love the internet pic.twitter.com/hPS2ZrQqYl — Aaron Busby 🏁 (@MrBusby4o8) August 7, 2023

5. This user found chair earrings:

Facebook has got me rolling!!!!!! Not the chair earrings pic.twitter.com/Uyz1QRxLeu — colorfullstory (@colorfullstory) August 7, 2023

6. "Fade in the water."

Of allll the memes and captions and comments, Fade In the Water is absolutely the winner. I am inconsolable rn 😭😭 — Langston Blues (@dradambanks) August 7, 2023

7. The boat worker throwing his hat in the air before the fight was his bat signal:

BRUHHHH😂😂😂😂😭 https://t.co/GGt9QF9TIP pic.twitter.com/3OQV2MW9qT — TRILLIONAIRE 2❌ (@imvante2x) August 6, 2023

Why is he posing? 😂 pic.twitter.com/2K6fAcjVxi — FunnyMaine.com (@FunnyMaine) August 7, 2023

9. I bet the prices of plastic chairs are skyrocketing:

We got flavors over here 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/OivuJtwmTf — Juicy J💋 (@NeiAllure) August 7, 2023

10. "Lift every voice & swing" by James Weldon Johnson:

“Lift every voice & swing” & “A chair is just a chair” are up there too — jordan demi (@jordan_demi1) August 7, 2023

11. How did this guy make a T-shirt of the brawl so quickly?

12. Dr. Miami's social team joining in:

Wish me luck y’all. I’m getting ready to ask Dr. Miami for a raise - Megan pic.twitter.com/RbD0xJcAoy — Dr. Miami (@TheRealDrMiami) August 7, 2023

13. 1855 --> 2023:

Crazy how life comes full circle pic.twitter.com/Le4H6k8wlk — Jay DeBarge (@JalenBr0wn) August 7, 2023

14. An accurate depiction of life right now with this inflation:

I never seen a picture so accurate in my life 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/sQy8vH4Lvo — 💓 Nicole Nicole 💓 (@niicole__nicole) August 7, 2023

15. No words for this one:

LMFAO pic.twitter.com/wnmAcpSGAy — K𝚗ₑₑ•Cᵤ𝓱 ✨ (@YoFavAmazon) August 6, 2023

16. Granny had to see it on the big screen:

i showed my granny the montgomery al fight and she found it, put it on the tv, and is replaying it frame by frame with commentary 😭 this fight is historic. liberating black folks around america. pic.twitter.com/cWgHOoQqnC — keiajahh (@blktrippyhippie) August 6, 2023

Which reaction was your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!

Share this article.

The Most Hilarious Montgomery Riverfront Brawl Memes #FadeInTheWater

Share the post, share this link via, or copy link.

Source: Twitter / Twitter

If anyone thought social media was ready to move on beyond the Montgomery Riverfront brawl, think again. On X, TikTok, and Instagram, folks are going deep into their creativity bag and adding to one of the most hilarious trends we’ve seen in recent times.

As we shared on Monday (August 7), the Montgomery Riverfront brawl has ensnared social media in its grasp, and the jokes and memes have been relentless. As reported, the fight broke out after a Black dock worker removed the rope from a pontoon boat that was illegally trying to park in a spot reserved for a double-decker riverboat named the Harriott II.

An angry mob of white boaters approached the dock worker, and they then began to beat the man but he was swiftly assisted by others in the area, including a Black teen named Aaren who swam from the riverboat to assist in the brawl in epic fashion. So far, four active arrest warrants have been issued with promises more will come.

As some on social media noted, when police arrived on the scene, they seemingly turned their immediate focus onto the Black individuals. Although they weren’t the group to start the brawl, they certainly did end it.

Montgomery police are slated to host a news conference today (August 8). Mayor Steven Reed, the city’s first Black mayor, spoke about the incident on Monday (click here ) and vowed to share more details as they come.

For now, we’ll share some of the newer memes, X posts, and TikTok videos regarding the Montgomery Riverfront fight below.

Photo: Buyenlarge / Getty

RELATED TAGS

“Sleepy” Donald Trump At RNC Goes Viral, Social Media Cracks Up

Hype Life: Supreme Was Just Sold Again For $1.5 Billion

A&E Dropping New Documentary ‘Ol’ Dirty Bastard: A Tale Of Two Dirtys’ Later This Summer

Ozy Media Co-Founder Carlos Watson Found Guilty of Fraud By Federal Jury

“No Soul Train”: Anthony Anderson Roasts Tim Scott’s RNC Speech

Drake’s Shares Video of His Mansion Suffering Flooding , Of Course X Flood Him Kendrick Lamar Jokes

Donald Trump Exposed As Repeat Guest on Jeffrey Epstein’s Plane In New Docs

Alleged Registered Republican Tried To Assassinate Trump, GOP Blames Biden Anyway

Donald Trump Rally Erupts In Gunfire As Secret Service Rush Stage, Xitter Thinks Shooting Was Staged

Congressman Rips Media For Ignoring Trump’s Name In Epstein Docs

50 Cent Continues To Hint At Supporting Donald Trump, Allegedly Will Perform At The Republican National Convention

George Clooney Gets Roasted By Xitter For Op-Ed Demanding Biden Drop Out

7 Black Musicians Who Died of AIDS [PHOTOS]

Eminem Drops ‘The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)’ LP, Xitter Has Thoughts

Sign up for the hip-hop wired newsletter.

We care about your data. See our privacy policy .

Hip-Hop Wired

Quick links.

• Breaking News
• University Guide
• Meghan Markle
• Prince Harry
• King Charles III

Alabama river boat fight: Hilarious steamboat brawl video parodies emerge on social media as it lights up with memes

• An avalanche of memes have been posted on social media after a shocking brawl on an Alabama dock went viral
• One group mockingly recreated the fight by a swimming pool, while another even visited the site to see  the iconic chair used in the skirmish 
• READ MORE: Marlon Wayans slammed over comment about Jason Aldean song Try That in a Small Town 

By Will Potter For Dailymail.Com

Published: 19:41 EDT, 7 August 2023 | Updated: 14:12 EDT, 8 August 2023

View comments

The viral brawl between black cruise staff and white pleasure craft owners on an Alabama dock has sparked ridicule online. 

Shocking scenes saw the two groups fly into a frenzy on the Montgomery riverfront - with one man even hitting a woman over the head with a chair . 

But while millions have been stunned by the ugly scenes, some have seen the funny side and have used it to create an avalanche of memes on social media. 

One of the most viewed was a hilarious take on the melee in the style of a comic fight, where the main players were satirized as characters - including a security guard who appeared to throw the first punch and a man who swam across the river to join the action. 

While some made light of the apparent racial divides in the skirmish, others opted to recreate the scuffle with their pals - with one group visiting the site themselves to catch a glimpse of the now-iconic chair used in the fight. 

Select your player MONTGOMERY ALABAMA version💀💀💀 #Montgomery #Alabama #Alabamaboatbrawl #MontgomeryAlabama pic.twitter.com/QywOcFtbQt — TurnMeOut (@SCumsock69) August 7, 2023

The hilarious take on the brawl saw the key players satirized, including a man who hit someone with a chair dubbed 'Chairmageddon'

An avalanche of memes were spawned by the viral footage, with the man who swam across the river gaining online glory and being dubbed 'Aquaman's incarnate' 

Racking up almost 250,000 views in less than a day, the comedy clip of the brawl as a cartoon fight quickly gained traction after it was posted on Twitter.

The video opens with the black security guard squaring off with one of the white party boat owners, stopping at the moment he takes off his hat to avoid losing it in the scrum to brand him 'Hat Man: Attacks at the drop of...' 

As the fighting escalated, one of the cruise staffers hurled himself into the water and swam across the river to throw himself into the clash. 

His heroics have seen him widely praised online, with the compilation naming him as 'Aquaman's incarnate' and 'Barnacle Boy'.

Soon after the wild scenes spread on social media, many commented on the man hitting a fellow boater over the head with a white folding chair. 

The as-yet-unidentified assailant was dubbed 'Chairmageddon' in the clip, while three shirtless men who stormed down the dock to join the lengthy brawl were branded 'The Tugboat Triad'.

One group also claimed they had gone back to the dock the next day to take a picture with the chair, leading one person to joke that the image should hang 'in a Black History Museum now.' 

These folks went back the next day and found the dang chair. Gotta put it in a Black History Museum now. 🤣🤣 #MontgomeryAlabama #riverboatbrawl pic.twitter.com/NefhqFxuV7 — Grim Bastard (@Libra_King73) August 7, 2023

Y’all I’m Dead Af Why We So Unserious 🤣😭😂 #Montgomery #Alabama #brawl #fight #funny #MontgomeryAlabama pic.twitter.com/QskI0kqqAn — X Kalijah Kane (@xKalijahKan3) August 7, 2023

One viral video saw a group hilariously recreate the riverside brawl by a swimming pool

No cause why are we so unserious 😭😭 I've been weak all days with these videos. #riverboatbrawl #MontgomeryAlabama #MontgomeryRiverFront pic.twitter.com/FC7DM65m3a — Britbrat💓 (@true_beautii) August 7, 2023

Social media has been flooded with comedic takes on the brawl, with another group recreating the fight by the dock next to a swimming pool.

The men even depicted the drunken staggering evident among the dozens of people who became embroiled in the melee. 

Just as the original fight went viral, the clip of the men racked up millions of views as numerous accounts circulated it online. 

And while many joked that they 'can't be serious' for the skit, they drew praise for mimicking the brawl to a hilarious degree. At one stage, someone dives across the pool to join in the faked fracas. 

Ancestors are proud #MontgomeryAlabama pic.twitter.com/jxHOoaJrQn — GEORGE MINAJ🦄🎀🇿🇦 (@GEORGE_AKAMINAJ) August 7, 2023

Many of the memes also took aim at the apparent racial divides in the clash. 

While no evidence for racial motivation behind the fighting has been found, many on the internet were quick to note how the two sides seemed to separate between white and black. 

One person noted that the inventor of the folding chair, Nathaniel Alexander, was a black man.

They joked that he was 'clearly a visionary who could see into the future', as his invention helped one of the black fighters in the brawl 112 years later. 

Also among the abundance of memes was a snippet of the man who swam across the river to join the brawl. 

They dubbed the clip to Marvin Gaye's classic hit 'Ain't no mountain high enough', saying that the swimmer was 'if ain't no river wide enough was a person'. 

One person joked that the inventor of the folding chair, a black man named Nathaniel Alexander, could 'see into the future' as his invention helped one of the black fighters 112 years later

Another meme saw someone take a clip of the man who swam across the river to join the brawl, which they dubbed to Marvin Gaye's classic hit 'Ain't no mountain high enough'

An avalanche of memes were created as a reaction to the viral brawl

The wild brawl erupted in Montgomery, Alabama on Saturday evening, with new footage capturing the moment a black man smacked a white boater as the frenzied scenes continued around them. 

The newly emerged angle taken from inside the cruise shows an unidentified black man repeatedly hitting a white man with a white chair. 

Despite the shocking violence, the Montgomery Police Department told DailyMail.com they have not made any arrests and are not releasing names as of Monday.

'There are four active warrants at this time and there's a possibility more will follow after the review of additional video,' police said.

Reports indicate the fight may have kicked off over an argument about mooring, and another angle of the brawl saw a man heard on a megaphone shouting  'don't f**k with the riverboat crew.' 

The large group of people had been returning to the dock after spending time on the Harriott II Riverboat, but after making it back, the space reserved for them had been taken over by a boat owner who parked his vessel and left it.

The riverboat sent a staff member to the dock to untie the smaller vessel so those onboard could return to land, when the fight ensues. 

Share or comment on this article: Alabama river boat fight: Hilarious steamboat brawl video parodies emerge on social media as it lights up with memes

Comments 136

Share what you think

• Worst rated

The comments below have not been moderated.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.

• Follow DailyMail
• Subscribe Daily Mail
• Follow @dailymail
• Follow MailOnline
• Follow Daily Mail

From the Makers of Candy Crush

• Back to top

Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd

Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group

As previously reported by REVOLT , the entire country was tuned into a massive fight that took place at Montgomery, Alabama’s Riverfront Park. Witnesses claimed that an all-white group attacked a Black dock worker after allegedly being told to move their vessel, which was said to have been parked in a spot reserved for the popular Harriett II riverboat. Tables quickly turned for the aggressors after other Black men jumped in to defend the victim, leading to an all-out brawl that was recorded and shared on social media. According to authorities, several people have been taken into custody as a result.

As expected, the aftermath of the incident was quickly filled with bellyaching memes and captions from the Black Twitterverse (and beyond), with many taking heed to a folding chair used in the melee. One tweet shared a TikTok video of an individual practicing what he called “ ChairJutsu ,” while an image from another showed a painting of Harriet Tubman with the flexible furniture in hand. Twitter account sir_sarcasm made it clear that if he shares a picture of a chair, it means that he is about to “take s**t too far.” Elsewhere, tech savants added audio like commentary from veteran wrestling analyst Jim Ross or, in a twist of fate, Jason Aldean’s controversial single “ Try That In A Small Town ” over the footage.

One of the biggest “stars” from that day was a Black man who provided help by swimming over to the dock worker in distress. The courageous act garnered the unidentified individual nicknames like Scuba Gooding Jr., Aquamayne, and a remixed version of a certain decorated Olympian . “Our boy Ja’Michael Phelps definitely earned himself a scholarship, an honorary award, free food for five years, all the things! Give that young man his just rewards!” said Twitter user OnleQueenB .

Check out several of the memes and responses to the Riverfront Park fight below.

• Celebrities
• Science & Tech
• Fashion & Beauty
• Food & Drink
• Home & Garden
• Sports & Fitness
• Travel & Outdoors
• Science & tech
• Conversations

Wild Alabama riverboat brawl prompts folding chair and 'Black Aquaman' memes after footage goes viral

At least four people have been arrested after footage of a wild brawl in Montgomery, Alabama, went viral across social media . "There’s a possibility more will follow after the review of additional video," the police told The Independent .

The incident occurred on August 5 near Montgomery Riverfront Park and was captured by several witnesses before being broken up by Alabama police. The alleged turn of events saw two men having an argument with a Black dock worker. Things soon escalated before many more people jumped in to seemingly defend the man.

In one piece of footage, one woman claimed : "These white people jumped this black security guard at the Riverfront. The staff got off the boat and it turned into WWE Smackdown. I’m so proud of Montgomery."

Another person shared a different angle of the brawl, writing : "I HATE when people jump people a majority of the time, & even more so when you want to fight or jump someone for doing their job. I applaud EVERYONE that helped that man out."

Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

People were thrown into the water and folded chairs were smashed over people's heads. The police have since urged the man with the chair, identified as Reggie Gray to come forward as “there’s more interviews to conduct with him.”

The footage prompted X users (formerly known as Twitter ) to do what they do best: Memeify it, with the 'inventor' of the folding chair being the centre of memes across the net.

In 1911, Nathaniel Alexander patented a design of the chair for schools, churches and "in small towns when somebody tries you," one person jokingly quipped.

As the jokes rolled in, many users highlighted that the image "of Alexander" was in fact Lewis H Latimer, who invented many things including the light bulb filament.

Warning: Some readers might find the below images distressing.

There were more than a few wrestling memes too given that folding chairs are a very common weapon in sports entertainment.

The internet couldn't get enough of the man who swam from the boat to help, dubbing him 'Black Aquaman.'

Trust us, the internet is obsessed with this brawl.

There have even been recreations.

And a song too.

The Montgomery Police Department have since revealed in a statement that several people have been detained with charges pending.

Officials "acted swiftly to detain several reckless individuals for attacking a man who was doing his job," Montgomery Mayor Steven L. Reed said in a statement. "Warrants have been signed and justice will be served."

Reed continued: "This was an unfortunate incident which never should have occurred. As our police department investigates these intolerable actions, we should not become desensitized to violence of any kind in our community. Those who choose violent actions will be held accountable by our criminal justice system."

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Rapper French Montana brought Andrew Tate on stage at Romania concert

Trump's running mate jd vance called britain an 'islamist country', mysterious underground structure unearthed in mexico, emma raducanu praised for her response to judy murray's 'sarcasm', eagle-eyed viewers spot jordan pickford’s penalty cheat sheet water bottle, people think this us national anthem rendition is worse than fergie's, all of the celebrities at the $600m ambani wedding, angela rayner and victoria starmer can't stop wearing this brand, 'beg to differ': lionesses star responds to gareth southgate claim, stone circles discovered in norway reveal heartbreaking mystery, there's only one sea on earth that doesn't touch land, the incredible true story behind lottery mega winners jerry and marge, was novak djokovic booed at wimbledon as he slams 'disrespect', scientists discover giant water reservoir floating in space.

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Photography
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Alabama riverfront brawl videos spark a cultural moment about race, solidarity and justice

FILE - The Harriott II riverboat sits docked in Montgomery, Ala., on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023. A riverfront brawl occurred on Aug. 5 when a crew member was punched for trying to move a pontoon boat that was blocking the riverboat from docking. (AP Photo/Kim Chandler, File)

FILE - Police carry off two men who were part of a sit down group at Montgomery, Ala. on March 11, 1965. Hundreds had marched on the Capitol yesterday and several attempted to continue it today. (AP Photo/File)

FILE - A white group, the Organization for Better Government, carries a Confederate flag as they march away from the capitol in Montgomery, Ala., March 18, 1965. They halted within 25 feet of racial pickets, had several speeches then marched off again. (AP Photo/File)

FILE - Evelyn England gives a tour of the First White House of the Confederacy to school students on April 27, 2018 in Montgomery, Ala. (Mickey Welsh/The Montgomery Advertiser via AP, File)

FILE - Members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans fire their rifles in celebration in Montgomery, Ala. on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2011 following the re-enactment of the 1861 swearing-in ceremony of Confederate States of America provisional President Jefferson Davis on the steps of the Alabama State Capitol. (AP Photo/Kevin Glackmeyer, File)

FILE - A poster of civil rights activist Rosa Parks stands at the front of the sanctuary as Morris Dees, founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center, speaks at the Rosa Parks memorial service at Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala., Friday, Oct. 28, 2005. (David Bundy/The Montgomery Advertiser via AP)

FILE - FILE - In this Saturday, June 27, 2015 file photo, Dan Williams, 65, of Ashville, Ala., holds a Confederate flag while standing with his daughter Bonnie-Blue Williams, 15, in front of the Alabama State Capitol building during a Confederate flag rally in Montgomery, Ala. (Albert Cesare/The Montgomery Advertiser via AP, File)

FILE - Mounted police ride into a group of civil rights demonstrators in Montgomery, Ala., March 16, 1965. (AP Photo/Perry Aycock, File)

FILE - Protesters demonstrate against the killing of a black man by a white police officer in Montgomery, Ala., on Thursday, March 10, 2016. Officer Aaron Smith is charged with murder in the shooting death of Greg Gunn, but a demonstration leader said city officials are alienating community members in the aftermath of the shooting. (AP Photo/Melissa Brown, File)

FILE - A workman removes a restroom sign at Montgomery Municipal Airport, Jan. 5, 1962, in compliance with a federal court order banning segregation. However, city officials delayed plans to remove waiting room furniture and close toilets and water fountains. But they said these and the airport restaurant will be closed if there is a concerted integration attempt. (AP Photo/File)

FILE - United Daughters of the Confederacy member Carrie McGough walks in front of the Alabama Capitol building during a confederate memorial day ceremony in Montgomery, Ala., on Monday, April 27, 2015. McGough said she designed and sewed her hoop skirt to look like an authentic Civil War era dress. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)

• Copy Link copied

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — As bystanders trained their smartphone cameras on the riverfront dock while several white boaters pummeled a Black riverboat co-captain , they couldn’t have known the footage would elicit a national conversation about racial solidarity.

Yet, a week after multiple videos showing the now-infamous brawl and valiant defense of the outnumbered co-captain were shared widely on social media, it’s clear the event truly tapped into the psyche of Black America and created a broader cultural moment.

Andrea Boyles, a sociology professor at Tulane University, said a long history of anti-Black racism and attacks and current events likely magnified the attack’s impact and response.

“Especially at a time like now where we see an increase in anti-Black racism through legislation and otherwise, whether we’re thinking about history, the banning of Black history and curriculum and all sorts of things across the state of Florida” and elsewhere, Boyles said. “So this is why it is on the forefront of people’s minds. And folks are very much tuned in, Black people in particular.”

Many see the Aug. 5 ordeal on the riverfront dock in Montgomery, Alabama’s capital city steeped in civil rights history , as a long-awaited answer to countless calls for help that went unanswered for past Black victims of violence and mob attacks.

“We witnessed a white mob doing this to him,” said Michelle Browder, an artist and social justice entrepreneur in Montgomery, describing the attack by boaters on the Black riverboat co-captain.

“I call it a mob because that is what it was, it was a mob mentality,” she added. “It then became a moment because you saw Black people coming together.”

After being inundated with images and stories of lethal violence against Black people, including motorists in traffic stops, church parishioners and grocery shoppers, the video from Montgomery struck a chord because it didn’t end in the worst of outcomes for Black Americans.

Police in Montgomery, Alabama, said three people are expected to be in custody Tuesday on charges including misdemeanor assault in connection with a riverfront brawl that drew nationwide attention. (Aug. 8)

“For Montgomery to have this moment, we needed to see a win. We needed to see our community coming together and we needed to see justice,” Browder said.

Videos of the brawl showed the participants largely divided along racial lines. Several white men punched or shoved the Black riverboat co-captain after he took a separate vessel to shore and tried to move their pontoon boat. The white boaters’ private vessel was docked in a spot designated for the city-owned Harriott II riverboat, on which more than 200 passengers were waiting to disembark.

The videos then showed mostly Black people rushing to the co-captain’s defense, including a Black teenage riverboat crew member who swam to the dock. The videos also showed the ensuing brawl that included a Black man hitting a white person with a folding chair.

As of Friday, Alabama police had charged four white people with misdemeanor assault. The folding chair-wielding man turned himself in Friday and was charged with disorderly conduct.

Jim Kittrell, the captain of Harriott II, told The Daily Beast that he thought race might have been a factor in the initial attack on his co-captain, but the resulting melee was not a “Black and white thing.”

“This was our crew upset about these idiots,” Kittrell also told WACV radio station .

He later explained that several members of his crew, seen confronting the pontoon boat party after the riverboat docked, “felt they had to retaliate, which was unfortunate.”

“I wish we could have stopped it from happening but, when you see something like that, it was difficult. It was difficult for me to sit there in the wheelhouse watching him being attacked,” Kittrell told the station.

Kittrell told The Associated Press by phone that the city had asked him not to talk about the brawl.

Major Saba Coleman of the Montgomery Police Department said on Tuesday that hate crime charges were ruled out after the department consulted with the local FBI. But several observers noted the presence of a hate motivation, or lack thereof, on the part of the pontoon boat party was not why the event resonated so strongly.

“All these individuals having smartphones and cameras have democratized media and information. In the past, it was a very narrow scope on what news was being reported and from what perspectives,” NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said.

The technology, Johnson added, “opened up an opportunity for America as a whole to understand the impact of racism, the impact of violence and the opportunity to create a narrative that’s more consistent with keeping African Americans and other communities safe.”

The riverfront brawl spawned a multitude of memes, jokes, parodies, reenactments and even T-shirts. “Lift every chair and swing,” read one shirt in a play on “ Lift Ev’ry Voice And Sing ,” the late-19th century hymn sometimes referred to as the Black national anthem.

Another meme likened the co-captain’s toss of his hat into the air to sending the “bat signal,” a reference to the D.C. Comics character Batman. One image of the scene captured from bystander video was altered to imitate Marvel Comics’ Avengers characters assembling through magic portals on the dock to defend the Black co-captain.

Many observers on social media were quick to point out the significance of the city and location where the brawl took place. Montgomery was the first capital of the Confederacy and the riverfront is an area where enslaved people were once unloaded to be sold at auction. The area is a few blocks from the spot where Rosa Parks was arrested for disobeying bus segregation laws.

“Much of (the riverfront brawl reaction) is emblematic of the history of Montgomery,” said Timothy Welbeck, the director of the Center for Anti-Racism at Temple University in Philadelphia.

“This is the home of the bus boycott; this is the home of intense, racialized segregation and various forms of resistance today,” he said. “Even if there wasn’t an explicit mention of race, many people saw a white man assaulting a Black man as a proxy for some of the racist behavior that they’ve seen before. It brought about a sense of solidarity and unified fate, too, in this particular moment.”

Then there’s the lingering trauma of seeing past Black victims of violence and mob attacks suffer without help or intervention. Here was the rare event in which bystanders not only chronicled the moment but were able to intervene and help someone they saw being victimized.

In other notable instances, such as George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police, bystanders were restrained because the perpetrators were law enforcement officers. In a video of Floyd’s encounter with police filmed by Black bystander Darnella Frazier , people can be heard pleading for the Black man’s life as he gasped for air with a white officer’s knee held to his neck.

Physically intervening in Minneapolis would have invited arrests and placed the would-be rescuers at risk for harm themselves.

Historically, lynching victims were often taken from their families as the Black community had to stand by mutely. Emmett Till’s family members in Mississippi were haunted by their inability to stop the white men who kidnapped and killed him.

Bowder, the Montgomery artist, said the conversation needs to continue.

“I’m hoping for a hopeful message out of this,” she said.

Katrina Hazzard, a Rutgers University professor in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice, said she has seen that hopeful message in the comments of support that have crossed racial and ethnic lines in identifying the aggressors and the right for people to defend themselves and the crewman.

“That’s just been refreshing for me to see and for me to hear across the board,” she said.

Aisha I. Jefferson reported from Chicago and Aaron Morrison, who reported from New York, is a member of AP’s Race and Ethnicity team. AP reporter Gary Fields contributed from Washington, D.C.

• Skip to Nav
• Skip to Main
• Skip to Footer

I've Spent My Career Explaining Race, But Hit a Wall With Montgomery Brawl Memes

Please try again

When you’ve built a career around explaining race and racism to people, what happens when you find a moment you just don’t want to explain?

That time came for me this week, as memes were rocketing around social media connected to the brawl in Montgomery, Ala ., where a crowd of mostly-Black bystanders ran to help a Black riverboat co-captain who was being assaulted by a group of white people. He had been attempting to move their pontoon boat, since it was blocking the ferry from docking in its regular space.

Video from various bystanders around the dock captured it all: The co-captain throwing his hat in the air, once a white man pushed him harshly; a different Black man whaling on people with a folding chair, including a white woman who was just sitting on the ground by then; a young Black man on a boat close by who jumped into the water and swam with amazing speed to the scene, jumping up to throw hands.

And, in moments, Black Twitter jumped to life (I know the social media platform is renamed X, but — for the purposes of this piece — I’m using the term to describe people being Black across lots of social media platforms. Harrumph).

There were images of people carrying folding chairs like holstered weapons. There was the graphic pointing out that an early design of the folding chair was patented by a Black man ( seems to be true ). The photoshopped picture showing glowing rings around Black folks rushing into the fight, mimicking the climax of Avengers: Endgame , where superheroes rushed in to save the day. A spirited re-enactment of the fight around someone’s backyard pool which amped up the absurd humor of it all. Images dubbing the young swimmer Black Aquaman, Aquamayne and Blaquaman.

And two of my personal faves: A photoshopped image of the Martin Luther King Jr. statue holding a folding chair. And a version of the video remade as the opening to classic Black sitcom Good Times , with acerbic credits noting the show was “created by Consequences & Repercussions.”

I was blown away by how quickly folks across social media — especially Black folks — were converting horror over a narrowly-averted, racialized beat down into funny memes celebrating the reflex of Black folks to stand up for one another, especially when we’re faced with danger from white people.

But when I posted the photo of MLK’s statue with the folding chair on my social media feeds, I just added one word: Wow.

I wanted the image to speak for itself. And I wanted people who had questions about what it meant to jump into social media and find out for themselves. I felt the image and its implied humor — that the nation’s most revered civil rights leader might be hoisting a folding chair to defend Black folks in the modern age — was most powerful when not explained.

Unfortunately, some people on my social media platforms insisted on an explanation. One was pretty persistent about it. And I realized I just didn’t want to explain the image, for some reason I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

When explaining becomes too much of a burden

Yeah, it’s sometimes tiring to always be asked to explain your cultural nuances to the world. But that’s the gig I signed up for, many years ago, when I decided to write about race and media regularly. And yes, all the social media joking was hiding a fear that today’s political climate has left racists emboldened to attack a Black man in broad daylight for doing his job. So explaining the memes only resurfaced those darker feelings in ways I wasn’t quite ready to process right away.

Still, something else was also at play.

I always say social media is often like a giant dinner party, where people forget they are sometimes listening in on conversations between other people. In this case, being asked to explain the folding chair memes felt like having someone barge into an ongoing conversation to ask for an explanation.

As I traded messages with people and retweeted the best memes, this felt like a moment where folks could be hilariously Black online and we could all share the experience together, laughing and consoling each other in one viral social media moment.

Someone popping up to demand an explanation felt like they were re-centering the conversation in a way I just wasn’t willing to do right away.

Sometimes, in situations like that, understanding comes best by sitting back, listening widely, and learning. Even for me.

I originally wrote a version of this column for my personal Tumblr page, mostly as a way of processing a response that was new and unfamiliar for me. I don’t know if this reaction is fair — especially given how much I’ve encouraged discussion about race over the years.

But it’s all I have left, in a world where I increasingly feel like a frog in pot of steadily heating water, watching racists and racism get bolder — wondering when the heat will begin to burn me, my loved ones, my family, my friends and my people.

Or when I’ll need to reach out for aid from a helpful brother with a folding chair.

Thanks for signing up for the newsletter.

• pop Culture
• Facebook Navigation Icon
• Twitter Navigation Icon
• WhatsApp icon
• Instagram Navigation Icon
• Youtube Navigation Icon
• Snapchat Navigation Icon
• TikTok Navigation Icon
• pigeons & planes
• newsletters
• Youtube logo nav bar 0 youtube
• Instagram Navigation Icon instagram
• Twitter Navigation Icon x
• Facebook logo facebook
• TikTok Navigation Icon tiktok
• Snapchat Navigation Icon snapchat
• Apple logo apple news
• Flipboard logo nav bar 1 flipboard
• Instagram Navigation Icon google news
• WhatsApp icon whatsapp
• RSS feed icon rss feed

Complex Global

• united states
• united kingdom
• netherlands
• philippines
• complex chinese

Work with us

terms of use

privacy policy

cookie settings

california privacy

public notice

accessibility statement

COMPLEX participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means COMPLEX gets paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites. Our editorial content is not influenced by any commissions we receive.

© Complex Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Complex.com is a part of

Two Stabbed at In-N-Out During Brawl Between Raiders and 49ers Fans, Video Shows

The fight started between three people at a Santa Clara store, quickly escalating to a full-on brawl.

Two people were stabbed during a brawl between 49ers and Raiders fans that went down at a Santa Clara In-N-Out Burger restaurant.

As reported by KTVU , the fight was caught in a wild video that showed three people fighting before the whole situation escalated to as many as ten people getting involved. Two people were left with stab wounds following the incident, which also resulted in the arrest of several individuals.

At one moment in the video, a man could be seen holding a sharp object which they appeared to use against a shirtless man on the floor. It's unclear what sparked the violent fight, but the age-restricted footage can be seen here .

Per a news release from the Santa Clara Police Department , the fight went down around 11 p.m. on Friday, August 25. "Officers responded to a report of a large fight involving at least 10 individuals inside the In-N-Out Burger located at 3001 Mission College Blvd," authorities said. "Upon arrival, SCPD officers detained multiple individuals and determined that two individuals sustained multiple stab wounds during the incident. Those victims were transported to a local hospital for treatment. The suspect is not in custody and remains outstanding."

The investigation into the fight is ongoing.

Earlier this month, the Montgomery Police Department arrested multiple people after a viral video showed a riverboat brawl. The incident started when two men got into a heated argument and another shirtless man decided to get involved by throwing a punch. The incident continued to grow in size as multiple people tried to break up the scuffle.

SHARE THIS STORY

Sign up for the

Complex Newsletter

Your leading source for what’s now and what’s next in Music, Style, Sports, and Pop Culture.

By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our

Latest in Life

| BY COMPLEX STAFF

People Are Roasting Amber Rose-Featuring "Trump Trump Baby" Music Video That Played at RNC

| BY JOE PRICE

Man Who Shot Reagan Wants People to 'Give Peace a Chance' Following Trump Assassination Attempt

| BY ALEX OCHO

Florida Man Attempts to Swim Away From Arrest Following Alleged Code Violations on Their Boat

| BY TRACE WILLIAM COWEN

Washington Driver in HOV Lane Busted for Speeding With Mannequin Passenger in Backseat

Amber Rose Claims She 'Never Said I Wasn't Black,' Resurfaced Clip Shows Her Saying 'I Do Not Consider Myself a Black Woman'

| BY TARA MAHADEVAN

Plies Makes Fun of Trump for Appearing to Fall Asleep at RNC After Kodak Black Warning Regarding Slander

Amber Rose Speaks at the Republican National Convention, Says Donald Trump Isn't Racist: 'These Are My People'

Missy Elliott’s “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” Becomes First Hip-Hop Song Beamed Into Space

President Biden Says He's Done 'More for the Palestinian Community Than Anybody' While Talking About His Support for Israel

Trump Shooter Was Reportedly Rejected From High School Rifle Team Because He Was a Bad Shot

• Search forums

Welcome to Smashboards, the world's largest Super Smash Brothers community! Over 250,000 Smash Bros. fans from around the world have come to discuss these great games in over 19 million posts!

You are currently viewing our boards as a visitor. Click here to sign up right now and start on your path in the Smash community!

• Super Smash Bros. Brawl
• Brawl Character Discussion

[Jigglypuff 101] A Jigglypuff Guide by RPK

• Thread starter RPK
• Start date Mar 12, 2008

Smash Cadet

Who is this Bowyer guy? he seems to hang around alot in this forum..  

HiddenBowser

Smash master.

Doodle2000 said: Who is this Bowyer guy? he seems to hang around alot in this forum.. Click to expand...

Bowyer said: Only someone who's a lot better than you Click to expand...

Oh ho ho, I see what you did there!  

Cry me a river..  

Your last post doesn't fit with the context of the conversation.  

The Real Inferno

This thread is in desperate need of in depth matchup descriptions now. Looking over Jiggz in the "official matchup thread" I noticed that the thread is ridiculously inaccurate and just plain bad, especially concerning the low tier's matchups.  

lol, RPK is gone son.  

That doesn't stop anyone else from getting of their lazy ***** and doing it. ....I'm not going to do it.  

Id do something but Im like non existent now  

illinialex24

RPK said: Id do something but Im like non existent now Click to expand...

He didnt actually completely leave, he's just completely inactive. I havent seen him except for 1 or 2 posts recently.  

Smash Apprentice

I haven't seen him for any posts. Go jiggly  

• This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Accept Learn more…