The Montgomery Riverfront brawl describes a large fight that broke out on the riverfront dock in Montgomery, Alabama, when a Black co-captain was attacked by a group of white boaters on August 5th, 2023.
The Montgomery Riverfront brawl took place at the popular Riverfront Park off of the Alabama River. The park hosts several venues, from an amphitheater and a stadium to the Harriott II Riverboat, which is a historical 19th-century riverboat that hosts dinner, live entertainment, and dancing.
The Harriott II Riverboat claims a particular spot on the docks for its guests to get on and off the boat, but that evening, a privately owned pontoon boat stopped and blocked the entrance to the riverboat’s spot for over 45 minutes, according to an article published by the Washington Post shortly after the altercation.
During those 45 minutes, the white boaters argued with Damien Pickett, the riverboat’s co-captain, giving him rude hand gestures in response to his requests for them to move. When it was clear they wouldn’t move for the historic riverboat, Pickett was brought over to the dock to reason with them and one of the white boaters attacked him, instigating the brawl.
When Pickett tried to fight back, the white boaters ganged up on him. People rushed onto the dock to defend him, including one 16-year-old boy who swam to the dock from the riverboat. A short while later, more people joined the melee to try and force the pontoon boat to leave, reigniting the brawl. The police eventually arrived and broke up the brawl.
The Montgomery Riverfront brawl went viral after witnesses posted videos they took of the altercation on social media. It’s possible that the racially-charged brawl could have ended as just another piece of news if it hadn’t been for the Black man who brought out a folding chair and started hitting people with it.
The folding chair is a significant symbol in the Black community, with Rep. Shirley Chisholm (D-N.Y.) being credited with saying in 2005, “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” Not only that, but it was a Black man, Nathaniel Alexander, who invented the folding chair in 1911, combating the prejudices and stereotypes of the day.
Social media latched onto the symbolism of the brawl and the man with the folding chair. It even sparked a trend of dramatic fight reenactments.
@ykghotboy2 literally re-enacted the whole video like we just ain’t see it #tiktokinfluencers #skinbone #reenactment #alabamaboat #ykghotboy #boatsgonewild #alabamafootball #cruisetok #teaparty ♬ original sound - Ykghotboy
In the aftermath of the brawl, Actress Sheryl Lee Ralph posted a video of her singing a line of the Black national anthem on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Lift every chair and swing.”
The Montgomery Riverfront brawl has made a resurgence on social media this year, with folks marking the first anniversary as one of great importance. It has many nicknames, such as the Alabama Sweet Tea Party, Chairteenth, Juneteenth 2.0., and Fade in the Water.
The brawl has been commemorated in songs, on t-shirts, and with a wide array of merchandise, most of which utilize the folding chair as a symbol. But folks organizing events to celebrate the day have made a point to say that they don’t condone violence, and that the events being organized are meant to be a celebration of community.
TikToker Chrissa Gaines (@chrissafromthebay) posted on July 10th, 2024 to ask, “What are we doing on August 5? Are we doing cookouts? Are we having shirts made? Are we playing games? What foods are we having?”
@chrissafromthebay Fade In The Water 1 Year Anniversary is quickly approaching!! What we doin yall?! #montgomeryboatbrawl #montgomerybrawl #fadeinthewater #alabamariverboatbrawl ♬ original sound - Chrissa
After it became clear that this idea was popular, she decided it was time to organize. People from all over the country, from Twitch streamers to social media influencers, are using their platform to turn August 5th into a day of celebration for the Black community, as reported by the Washington Post.
According to the Montgomery Advertiser, the FBI concluded that there was “no evidence of a hate crime” in the Montgomery Riverfront brawl. Of the group who instigated the fight, Richard Roberts, the man who threw the first punch, pleaded guilty to two counts of misdemeanor assault, Mary Todd pleaded guilty to misdemeanor harassment in the assault on Pickett, and Zachery Shipman and Allen Todd pleaded guilty to charges of harassment. Only Roberts served any jail time.
As for the man with the folding chair? His name is Reggie Ray, and he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after the charges against him by the woman he struck were dropped.
The majority of memes and reactions to the Montgomery Riverfront brawl involved folding chairs; here are a couple of good ones.
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