Folding Chair Inspires Memes, Used in Other Fights (Watch)

White folding chair meme

*Since the Great Riverfront Revolt of 2023, the white folding chair has emerged as both a figurative and literal symbol of strength in the culture.

Not only is the chair in countless hilarious memes but it’s become a go-to weapon in several post-Riverfront encounters between white aggressors and Black people just trying to do their job.

Online activist Tariq Nasheed posted a viral video showing a Karen walking behind a counter to confront a Black worker, only to be slammed to the ground and kicked back down by the sista, who grabs her chair and threatens to continue the beatdown before a white man drags the woman away to safety.

An aggressive Karen tried to come around the desk and get physical with a sista on her job. The sista delivered a Harriet Tubman Take-down. Followed by a Coretta Scott King Kick. She was about to finish with some Montgomery Chair action, but someone came to save the Karen… pic.twitter.com/avgk5rQXXz

— Tariq Nasheed 🇺🇸 (@tariqnasheed) August 11, 2023

Nasheed also posted video of a Black man in mid-chair combat, thwacking a white man outside of a business. “Another brotha got the folding chair spirit recently-this time in Detroit. What did I tell you about that #BlackAugust energy?,” the caption read.

Another brotha got the folding chair spirit recently-this time in Detroit.. What did I tell you about that #BlackAugust energy? pic.twitter.com/rDMzzNbqUT

— Tariq Nasheed 🇺🇸 (@tariqnasheed) August 10, 2023

Police say the man wielding the white folding chair turned himself in on Friday (Aug. 11). Reggie Ray, 42, was being held in Montgomery’s Municipal Jail on charges of disorderly conduct. Per WSFA 12, he’s the first person of five to be charged who was not a white attacker from the pontoon boat. The other four charged with misdemeanors were connected to the private pontoon that blocked the area where the riverboat, Harriott II, needed to dock.

A total of 13 people were detained in the aftermath of the brawl, which happened in Montgomery’s Riverfront Park. Three men and one woman were charged with third-degree assault, a misdemeanor in Alabama, as is disorderly conduct. All those charged are from out of town, Mayor Steven Reed said in a news conference Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Black Twitter has been busy finding new ways to meme-orialize the sudden symbolic nature of the folding chair.

Watch below:

@robertwilliamsfilms“OH WHAT A FIGHT”📖♬ original sound – robertwilliamsfilms

@customizethatplease Which would you choose??? Decisions Decisions 🤔🤣 #chair #chairchallenge #montgomery #alabama #alabamafight #meme #funnyvideos #alabamabrawl #chairmeme #chairmemes #whitechair ♬ original sound – customizethatplz

@bigtubz79 We something else🤣🤣🤣🤣 credit @sir.manc #whitechair #problemsolver #boardwalk #peer #fight #fyp #fypシ ♬ original sound – Tubzilla

@martyembry Quite possibly the most famous chair in the world! This is a compilation of the memes that go.along with viral things! I learned that they aren’t just for sittting! #thechair #nathanalexander #foldingchair #thewhitechair #thefoldingchair #ttb ♬ Reality Is – Symba

@ricapika2020 #duet with @Joshua Robinson #chairvideo #whitechair #memestiktok #mypeopleforever ♬ original sound – Joshua Robinson

@saranbynum 🤨🤨🤨🤨🤨 this is fo the ancestors #fypシ #fyp #fypシ゚viral #foryourpage #whitechair #montgomerybrawl ♬ original sound – Dreamgirl

😂🤣🤣😭 pic.twitter.com/Oz98vZItVD

— Dee Batch (@Dee_Batch) August 11, 2023

pic.twitter.com/wwuaLV81QE

— Paul Leigh -Some Rascal on the Internet 🟧🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@Pleightx) August 8, 2023

OMG 🤣 this is incredible…I think that’s it….there’s no topping this one
pic.twitter.com/iXP6VNSGYh

— Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) August 8, 2023

Just got my open carry license 🔥 pic.twitter.com/s9VTUpzhdl

— Kofi (@blackkingkofi) August 7, 2023

This is fine theater right here.
Give everybody an independent spirit award or something.#FadeInTheWater pic.twitter.com/2LVeXhg0qh

— Naima Cochrane (@naima) August 7, 2023