One year has passed since the Montgomery Riverfront brawl. A brawl, witnessed by numerous onlookers and quickly gaining widespread attention, continues to have a strong significance within the black communities across the country, marking it as an unofficial holiday by X (formerly known as Twitter) users.
THE INCIDENT
The incident occurred on August 5, 2023, when a privately owned pontoon boat was blocking the dock, preventing the riverboat Harriott II from aligning at the dock after its two-hour cruise. There were no signs indicating the reserved space, according to reports.
Using a loudspeaker, the riverboat crew made an announcement for the boat owner(s) to move the boat from the designated space. Dameion Pickett, the black co-captain of the Harriott II, tried moving the boat himself. Pickett and Daniel Warren, a 16-year-old white deckhand, went ashore to address a situation with a white group about the boat blocking the designated space for the Harriott II Riverboat, according to the Montgomery Advertiser.
Onlookers recorded Pickett conversing with a white male. In the video, a white man shoves Pickett while the two engage in conversation. As Pickett tosses his hat into the air, an all-white group attacks him. Pickett defended himself against multiple white people’s attacks. The incident erupted into a brawl as bystanders, mostly black, intervened to support Pickett, fighting off the white attackers. Some even swam ashore to help Pickett. To repel their attackers, Gray used the infamous white folding chair. Onlookers captured the incident and posted it on social media, causing it to go viral.
Despite no deaths, several were detained. In a press conference, Montgomery Police Chief Darryl Albert addressed the incident, revealing that authorities detained, questioned, and released 13 individuals on the day of the incident, according to the Washington Post. Several setbacks and delays eventually led to the settlement of some court proceedings.
The Montgomery Advertiser charged Mary Todd, Zachary Shipman, Richard Roberts, and Allen Todd with misdemeanors related to the third-degree assault. They received a punishment that included limited jail time, anger management classes, community service hours, and paying court expenses, according to The Montgomery Advertiser. WSFA News reports that they dropped the charges against the co-captain, Pickett.
Gray, the man known for using the white folding chair during the brawl, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct. The Montgomery Advisor reported that the court reduced his original sentence of 90 days in jail to 50 hours of community service and paid court costs totaling $357.
A CITY KNOWN TO FIGHTING BACK
Once the brawl garnered significant attention, many black social media users discovered a positive outlook behind it. Memes were created on social media. Even paintings and memorabilia such as t-shirts, chain centerpieces, and other paraphernalia were created, especially the brawl’s infamous white folding chair. Even Tik Tokers produced entertaining videos showcasing various uses for the white folding chair. Some have called it the Alabama Sweet Tea Party.
The events’ aftermath also prompts discussions about racial relations and the black community’s solidarity in standing up for one another, particularly in a city known for its well-documented history of racial injustice.
Montgomery, the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement, has seen its history of well-documented injustice and brutality against blacks in the segregated South. Montgomerians are known to band together to fight back, which was displayed with the Montgomery Bus Boycott Movement when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus. The infamous 1965 march to the state’s capital from Selma, took place in Montgomery to promote voting equality for blacks.
L-R: Portrait of the Montgomery Riverfront Brawl (Red Bubble), the Infamous White Folding Chair (Jake Crandall/Montgomery Advertiser), and Montgomery’s Bus Integration after the Bus Boycott Movement (Getty Images)
The city’s fighting back also dates back to October 25, 1854, when enslaved blacks refusing to bend over to their oppressor escaped a local farm while a woman named Emeline Johnson used forged documents to elude her enslavers.
Brian Lyman from the Alabama Reflector states in his article, through the Alabama Reflector, that oppression didn’t break the community [Montgomery], producing people willing to say no, stand, and fight. Lyman further stated, “We always fought and won the climatic conflicts on Alabama soil.”
AFTER ONE YEAR: THE UNOFFICIAL HOLIDAY
Social media users took to social media, sharing memes and footage of the event. Candyce Anderson of Montgomery commemorated the day by organizing a women’s memorial walk at the Court Square Fountain in the city. The Montgomery Advertiser reported that the walker’s guidelines encourage women to wear pink or yellow and lay roses in commemoration of August 5th.
She described the occasion as a chance for people to come together and help with Montgomery’s healing. Additionally, she stated to the Montgomery Advertiser that the event aims to generate joyful memories and infuse much-needed positive energy.
Although the brawl wasn’t under very good circumstances, it serves as a powerful reminder of the strength and unity of blacks during a time of crisis. It also showcased the remarkable solidarity among blacks who came together to support and safeguard one another during a challenging period.