Recent weeks, we’ve witnessed numerous videos of Karens being confronted about their rude, entitled, or racist behavior. No matter the context, these encounters should not go ignored.
A recent incident involves a white woman named Abigail Elphick chasing down an unarmed Black woman at Victoria’s Secret. Ukenta captured video of the encounter, which quickly went viral online.
1. Amy Cooper Calling the Police on a Black Man in Central Park
Late last May, a video of a white woman calling the police on a black man who had asked her to leash her dog sparked social media outrage. The incident, which drew comparisons to Emmett Till’s shooting, renewed public scrutiny around repeated instances of white people calling police to report Black people as criminals.
It was the latest in a series of such incidents that have often resulted in racist attacks against police and Black people themselves. These videos have also led many to demand an end to police relying on public reporting for crimes.
Amy Cooper, who worked for Franklin Templeton Investments, suffered a devastating blow after the incident. She was fired and no longer had custody of her dog after it was reported.
She has since apologized and completed a series of therapy sessions focused on racial equity. Now, she is suing her employer.
Amy Cooper, who was captured on camera calling the police on a black man in Central Park, is suing her former employer Franklin Templeton. In her lawsuit, she claims that Franklin Templeton violated her employment rights and caused emotional distress.
In her lawsuit, she contends that she was fired from her job at an investment firm due to fear for her safety. She maintains that her bosses disregarded her warnings and failed to protect her from potential danger.
Her lawsuit states that Christian Cooper’s call to 911 was the cause of her dismissal. She claimed she couldn’t leave Christian Cooper and so decided instead to contact law enforcement for help.
Many criticize Amy Cooper’s 911 call as being particularly aggressive, potentially putting Christian Cooper’s life in jeopardy. During the call, Amy Cooper wept and raised her voice to ensure she could be heard by emergency personnel on the other end of the line.
She also raised her voice inflections and animations to make it appear that she was being attacked. This was done intentionally to scare the person on the other end of the call into believing she was in immediate danger.
3. A White Woman Threatening a Black Shopper at Target
White women in particular often advocate for racial profiling. These “Karens” cynically use their social capital to gain the upper hand over non-white people, often using insensitivity towards race and misogyny to consolidate power.
This latest incident is yet another example of Karens exploiting the power of social media to take advantage of other people’s fear and distress. A series of videos have gone viral online, including one from Millburn, New Jersey depicting a white woman attacking a Black shopper inside Victoria’s Secret at Short Hills Mall on July 11.
In the video, a white woman identified by media as Abigail Elphick charged at Ijeoma Ukenta with her hand raised. As she attempted to strike Ukenta, Ukenta recorded everything on her phone. When Elphick realized she’d been recorded, she went into complete meltdown mode; throwing the garment she was holding onto the check-out counter and screaming and crying in agony.
The shopper then reported to police that she had experienced a panic attack due to seeing herself being recorded on video. Police confirmed they responded to the call but didn’t arrest Elphick.
However, the shopper did file a complaint against the officers who responded to the incident, prompting an investigation by Millburn Police Department.
As the story gained notoriety, many were quick to note how race played a role in police response and whether Target’s security staff handled the incident properly. Many pondered if race played any factor at all in how police handled this case.
What was most striking about these videos is that they clearly demonstrate that the white woman being filmed knew she was being recorded. She even started screaming at the camera to get it off her phone.
She then takes a seat near the cash registers and begins weeping. According to her account, witnesses can verify her claim that Elphick assaulted her.
This video serves as a stark reminder that racism is an act of will. No matter the circumstances, it is always an intentional choice to cause harm and defame another.
4. A White Woman Threatening a Black Shopper at Macy’s
Macy’s is one of the nation’s largest department stores, offering a broad selection of clothing and accessories as well as home decor pieces and display pieces. Its flagship location in New York City frequently hosts captivating window displays and lifestyle events. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has become an American tradition that continues to draw millions each year.
In a video posted on YouTube, white woman Abigail Elphick appeared to threaten and assault a Black woman while shopping at Victoria’s Secret in a mall in New Jersey. The victim, Nigerian American Ijeoma Ukenta, began filming midway through the confrontation and eventually uploaded her footage onto YouTube.
Videos which have gone viral on social media show Elphick chasing Ukenta around the store, threatening her and shouting at her to stop recording. At one point she even attempts to hit her with a bag of merchandise.
Elphick immediately changes her behavior upon realizing the shopper is recording her. She collapses to the floor and begins having a complete meltdown, screaming, yelling, and at one point even pretends to faint in front of the registers.
As the video continues to go viral, more and more people are sharing their comments about how inhumane it was that this woman was treated so vilely in public. Some are calling for an investigation and asking police to intervene; others simply state that such behavior is simply unacceptable and serves as a reminder of just how far we still need to go when it comes to race relations.
It has become evident that this is not the first time a white woman has been caught threatening a black person in public. This behavior has become so commonplace that it has become an unspoken slang term among some circles – “Karen”. This refers to middle class white women who use their relative privilege against those without similar skin color.
