Dr. Apryl A. Williams and Dr. Allissa V. Richardson address the long-standing history of White vigilante-style surveillance of Black people in public spaces, exploring the role of White women in extending the power of the state to surveil and regulate the movement of Black people in public – tying in Karen actors with historical examples such as Emmitt Till and others. They discuss how memes and other digital artifacts contribute to collective action that responds to this surveillance.
Recommended resources:
- Black Memes Matter: #LivingWhileBlack With Becky and Karen by Apryl A. Williams
- Shooting Back: The Making of a Black Visual Public SphereThe Making of a Black Visual Public Sphere by Allissa V. Richardson
- Bearing Witness While Black: African Americans, Smartphones, and the New Protest #Journalism by Allissa V. Richardson
- Darkwater: Voices from Within the Veil by W.E.B. Du Bois
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