The infamous folding chair used in the Montgomery Brawl has become the internet's favorite meme — here's the backstory behind the viral moment.
An age-old African American proverb tells us that a chair is still a chair, even when no one is sitting there. One man took this Luther Vandross lyric to heart on Aug. 5 in Alabama during what many have dubbed the "Montgomery Brawl."
Chaos ensued after a group of white men and women attacked a Black security guard after being asked to move their boat.
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Bystanders saw what was happening and came to his defense. Among the group of people who sprang into action was one older man who has since become internet-famous.
Amid the fights that were taking place on the dock, Unc grabbed a folding chair and went WWE on everybody. You’ve probably been seeing the memes all over the internet, so let's break them down.
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What do the folding chair memes on social media mean?
From shirtless assailants to old ladies, no one was safe from this folding chair-wielding warrior’s path of destruction during the Battle of Montgomery.
Before the live video of the incident ended, the man was tackled and apprehended by the police. At this time, it’s unclear whether or not charges will be filed.
While he may be in trouble with the law, it seems that he’s become a hero in the court of public opinion.
Since footage of the Battle of Montgomery, Ala. surfaced online, the memes have started rolling in.
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Here are some of the best folding chair memes on the internet right now.
From posts about the internet's beloved AquaMayne to the commemorative “Fade in the Water” playlist on Spotify, there seems to be no end to the hilarity.
This is especially true for the folding chair memes that have taken over social media.
One person shared their own rendition of the Negro National Anthem. “Lift every chair and swing,” they sing in the song.
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Mother Mittie, on the other hand, remixed Bill Withers’ iconic song, “Grandma’s Hands.”
Somebody else coined the folding chair as the new “Karen Stopper 3000,” and although it’s not funny – it is also very funny at the same time, especially since it was actually a Black man who invented the folding chair for a time such as this.
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Another woman gave her folding chair a test drive in Walmart. “Making sure I stay ready for whatever whenever,” @roxlee wrote.
One brave person even got a folding chair tattooed on their arm, and if that isn't solidarity, I don't know what is.
Additionally, people have started selling folding chair earrings, t-shirts, and even custom folding chair folding chairs.
The truth is, the internet plays entirely too much – and I really love that for us.
While some may conceptualize the Battle of Montgomery as a horrific moment in history, I'd like to think of it more as a cautionary tale that when you f--k around, you will most likely find out.
Had the spectators not come to the security guard’s defense, he might not have been able to tell his story today. While violence is never the answer, maybe a folding chair is.
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