montgomery riverboat song

@itstoushiebabyy/Twitter @ace876media.ent1/TikTok

‘Black Aquaman’: Riverboat crew member who swam into brawl on dock branded hero

The footage is all over the internet..

David Covucci

Posted on Aug 7, 2023   Updated on Sep 14, 2023, 11:09 am CDT

An apparent crew member of a riverboat in Alabama became a breakout internet sensation after he swam to the rescue of a co-worker who was being attacked by a group of pontoon boaters.

For his efforts, he’s been dubbed “Black Aquaman,” among a series of other nicknames.

Riverboat fight videos explode online

The viral drama went down Saturday night in Montgomery, Alabama, and according to a series of videos and reports, a group of boaters refused to remove their pontoon boat from a pier where the city’s riverboat, the Harriot II, was supposed to dock.

Watching from the riverboat, a number of people began chanting the lyrics “Move, Bitch,” a popular song by Ludacris, at the pontoon boaters, ratcheting up the tense environment.

Attempting to move the pontoon himself, a Black staffer was then assaulted by the white group.

@ace876media.ent1 This is how it started #MontgomeryRiverfront #BoatBrawl ♬ original sound – Ace876media

As the fight played out, one of the crew members appears to have leaped off the riverboat and swum to the dock to aid in the fight.

Black Aquaman gone get in hella trouble once his momma catch him pic.twitter.com/WxgOkPzExF — Wekglobal (@wekglobal) August 7, 2023

The crew members of the riverboard, along with others on the boat after it docked, then went to confront the owners of the pontoon boat, where another skirmish broke out.

In it, what appears to be a crew member of the riverboat throws a woman into the water, as police struggle to contain the situation.

** Backstory, the people on the pontoons refused to move so the riverboat could dock. A crew member from the riverboat went to the dock via a smaller boat and the people in both pontoons attacked him first. Posted by Heather Shirley Venable on  Sunday, August 6, 2023

@barcardg #AlabamaBoatBrawl #Brawl #BoatCruise #BoatsOfTikTok #Boats #BoatsGoneWild #MontgomeryBoatRide #BoysGoneWild #BlackTikTok #BlackTikTokCommmunity #BarCar Ⓜ️EⓂ️🅿️HIS GO FOLLOW ME ON #FB @ #BarCarPromotions FOR MORE #Blogs & #GirlzFromTheHood GO FOLLOW ME ON #IG @ #BarCar_ & #Boss1Bitch #TheNoels #Memphis #MemphisTN #MemphisTennessee #901 #901Memphis #DannielleGriffin #DowntownGirl #DownTownMemphis #FoodCritic #Toxic #GoViral #CapCut #DannielleNoel #Workout #Dance #FitTok #DannielleGriffin66 #fy #ForYou #MemphisTikTok #Foodie #Foodies #SoulFood #SoulFoodie #SoulFoodies #foodiesoftiktok #memphisfoodie #memphisfoodies #foodtok #soulfoodtok #fypage #SouthMemphisMade #memphistn #memphistn901 #901 #fyp #viral #ForYouPage #DannielleGriffin #DannielleNoel #DannielleGriffin66 #BarCarENT #DowntownMemphis #MidtownMemphis #FoodCritic #FoodAndBeverage #MemphisTikToker #MemphisTok #blueeyes #mydolcemoment #nextleveldish #GirlzFromTheHood #BlackTikTokCommunity #BlackGirlFollowTrain #PrettyGirls #BlackGirlFollowTrain #BlackGirlTikTok #BlackTikTok #MemphisBaddie #Baddies #Baddie #baddietiktok #MemphisBaddies #SouthMemphisBaddies #40ClubMom #40ClubMommy #CatsOfTikTok #BlackLivesMatter ♬ original sound – Dannielle Noel

But the breakout star of the video was the crew member who desperately swam to offer aid on the dock.

He’s been dubbed not only Black Aquaman, but also Michael B. Phelps, a play on Michael B. Jordan, Evander Holyfish, and Lil’ Bass X.

Top 10 names given to this young hero: 10. Black Aquaman 9. JJ Fish 8. Michael B Phelps 7. Captain Hook 6. Catfish Cuz 5. Kofi Kingfish 4. Tyrone Lochte 3. 21 Tilapia 2. Lil' Namor 1. Shaquille O'Gills pic.twitter.com/a6c4lbe4HP — Mike Kincaide (@mikekincaide) August 7, 2023

Lil Bass X — Hugo Castro (@djhugocastro) August 7, 2023

The scene itself got compared to something out of the Avengers .

It’s giving Avengers Endgame! Frame it pic.twitter.com/Lv9LX74ptm — Dawn (@_dawnmontgomery) August 6, 2023

The crew members and the boaters have yet to be identified, and Montgomery police say they are investigating the matter and will file the appropriate charges. The riverboat fight videos apparently helped lead to multiple arrests, according to Montgomery news outlet WSFA .

Update: Several days later, three men were charged with assault in the 3rd degree. Richard Roberts, a 48-year-old white male; Allen Todd, a 23-year-old white male; and Zachary Shipman, 25 year-old white male.

David Covucci is the senior politics and technology editor at the Daily Dot, covering the nexus between Washington and Silicon Valley. His work has appeared in Vice, the Huffington Post, Jezebel, Gothamist, and other publications. He is particularly interested in hearing any tips you have. Reach out at [email protected].

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The Montgomery boat brawl and what it really means to “try that in a small town”

The viral fight valorized Black resistance — and punctured Jason Aldean’s racist “small town” narrative.

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One of the key facets of extremism is the element of plausible deniability. As such, “ dog whistles ” — coded language used to mask a deeper extremist or discriminatory rhetoric — have become a pervasive part of the way we talk about politics and the culture wars. They’re also exhausting to unpack.

No matter how diplomatically or plainly you point out the underlying racism or bigotry of a specific image or turn of phrase, there’s always someone eager to take the code literally, to dismiss its context, its subtext, and clearly harmful impact. They’re happy to claim this is just what happens when you pucker your lips and blow, and any hateful dogs that come running are just a coincidence.

Then a song comes along like country singer Jason Aldean’s risible “ Try That in a Small Town .” The lyrics and accompanying video are layered with references to Black Lives Matter protests , sundown towns (“see how far you make it down that road”), and white protectionism (“good ol’ boys ... we take care of our own”). The video’s main location was no less than the site of historical lynchings , a particularly unsubtle jab. Inevitably, however, when you attempt to illuminate this racist imagery, a “Try That in a Small Town” defender will show up. They will assert that the whole thing is really just about, as Aldean himself tried to assert , “the feeling of community” and the desire for a return to “a sense of normalcy.”

Normal, to Aldean, seems to be a reality where Black protesters don’t disrupt the everyday lives of white citizens — even if those citizens are, as the song suggests, stockpiling guns and turning paranoid eyes on any and all outsiders. This attempt to reframe socially sanctioned racism as “just a community looking out for itself” has long been a part of the discriminatory tactics used against Black Americans, from lynch mobs to the racist, KKK-apologetic Birth of a Nation , to the legal defenses used by white men who murder unarmed Black ones. It’s a cultural tactic used not only to disenfranchise Black Americans but to then gaslight them about their own reality and experience. It’s a tactic that turns aggression into “self-defense.”

It’s one big reason, out of an infinitude of reasons, that the world was transfixed earlier this week when video surfaced of a group of Black boat workers in Montgomery, Alabama, appearing to voraciously fight back after a group of white pontoon boaters began attacking a Black boat captain.

What happened at the Montgomery boat brawl

The white boaters, coming from nearby Selma, had allegedly repeatedly caused trouble at the dock by parking their pontoon illegally in the spot reserved for a large tourist riverboat, the Harriott II. On Sunday, August 5, the riverboat had been waiting for around 45 minutes, with passengers aboard, to dock. Damien Pickett, the riverboat’s first mate and co-captain, disembarked in order to move the pontoon boat himself. In response, according to reports, at least three of the boaters attacked Pickett, punching him in the face, beating and kicking him.

This sounds like an all-too-familiar tragedy in progress: white-on-black violence, motivated by a sense of racist entitlement. Speaking to the Daily Beast after the incident, the boat’s captain, Jim Kittrell, stressed that the only motive appeared to be racial: “It makes no sense to have six people try to beat the snot out of you just because you moved their boat up a few feet. In my opinion, the attack on Damien was racially motivated.” Kittrell’s assumption seems to be bolstered by eyewitness testimony: One bystander, a victim’s family member, said in a sworn statement that she heard one of the white men drop the n-word before the fighting began.

It’s important to consider this incident in the broader context of Montgomery’s history, as well. Montgomery, one of the major historical fronts of the civil rights movement, is no stranger to racialized violence. It was there, in 1954, that a young Martin Luther King Jr. took up pastorship at a local church, where he became a spokesperson for the Montgomery bus boycotts alongside Rosa Parks. Through boycotts and years of sustained activism amid tense civil unrest, Montgomery protesters successfully challenged the rule of Jim Crow in the South and ultimately changed the nation. Montgomery also saw devastating segregationist violence throughout this period, including one of the most violent moments in the civil rights movement, “ Bloody Sunday .”

In 2023, coming after a cultural period of intensifying racialized protests, a group of white people whaling on an unsuspecting and defenseless Black man could have led to tragic consequences or, at the least, traumatized victims and onlookers.

What the video shows happening next, however, flipped the script: Seeing one of their colleagues being attacked, other Black boat workers rushed in to defend him and fight back. Bystanders also joined in, with one teen now known as “ Black Aquaman ” famously jumping into the water and swimming across the dock in order to help. One man, known to the internet as “Folding Chair Guy,” gained instant fame when he went after the three attackers with, you guessed it, a folding chair.

The suddenness of the fight, combined with the enthusiasm of the brawlers, the glee of the onlookers, and the fact that everyone had phones out recording the incident, made the Montgomery brawl — dubbed the Alabama Sweet Tea Party — into an immediate viral sensation. It produced everything from evocative Twitter reactions to a live swimming pool reenactment to a remix of Ernie Barnes’s iconic painting of Black partiers, Sugar Shack . The folding chair was instantly memorialized .

Most extraordinarily of all, no one rushed to mete out punishment for the Black dock workers who fought back. Though multiple fighters were briefly detained, all were released. Folding Chair Guy, real name Reggie Gray, has been dodging police requests to speak with him, but no one seems to be pushing too hard for his arrest either, although the investigation into the brawl is ongoing. At a press conference, Montgomery Police Chief Darryl Albert notably didn’t attempt to distort the power dynamics, stating simply that “several members of the Harriott II came to Mr. Pickett’s defense.” The three white attackers turned themselves in to police custody after warrants were issued for their arrest.

The prevailing public mood around the Montgomery brawl has not been racist backlash or anxiety over such a backlash, but rather deep satisfaction at a battle in which justice seems to have prevailed: The perpetrators were rounded up and the victims received a rousing defense from the community. For once, the marginalized underdog — a Black man being ganged up on by a group of white bullies — came out no worse for wear; Pickett reportedly walked away from the fight with only a headache and some minor cuts and bruises.

What it means to try that in a (not entirely) small town

The collective sense of satisfaction might be exactly the kind of communal security Jason Aldean was attempting to portray in “Try That in a Small Town.” This was, in fact, almost the exact scenario Aldean says he was attempting to capture in his ode to small-town vigilante justice: a group of outsiders come into town, refuse to obey the local customs or follow the local laws, and then get their asses duly whooped by the town citizenry.

While Montgomery is not a “small” town, its history of banding together to rout out racists is deeply relevant here. Montgomery is precisely the type of heartland town that deserves to have songs written about the bravery and commitment of its citizens to protecting one another, to fighting back against injustice — to defending its people and its way of life at all costs. But there’s plenty of reason to suspect that Montgomery wasn’t the kind of town — and this wasn’t the kind of scenario — that Aldean had in mind. We know that celebrating moments of Black defiance is incredibly rare in American history.

The Montgomery brawl represents an extraordinary triumphant moment in which Black resistance has been seen as a just force rather than a threat to the white establishment. Black shows of defiance, even when used in clear self-defense, are all too often wielded against the victim . Historically, instances of rebellion such as that of slave revolt leader Nat Turner have been used to justify more violence against Black people. Today, in cases where Black victims of police violence attempt to seek justice, the legal doctrine of “ qualified immunity ” — in which police have almost unlimited power to use force without fearing a lawsuit in response — is invoked.

The entire justice system, in other words, too frequently gets weaponized against Black Americans who assert themselves in the face of threats to their safety, property, and human dignity. Black citizens are rarely allowed to be “ heroic through defiance ,” to reclaim Black rebellion as an act of valor, or to wield reactive violence as a form of patriotism and idealism. That framing of violence is almost exclusively reserved for the kind of white supremacists Aldean’s song seems interested in protecting.

The Montgomery brawl was subversive, shocking, even refreshing in its memeability — not because violence is something to be enjoyed, but because the long arc of history, honed to oppress, simply could not withstand the glorious righteous fury of a bunch of boat workers who’d been forced to stand around for nearly an hour thanks to some entitled jerks who refused to follow the dock rules.

It’s worth asking whether the public’s reaction to the brawl would have been as laid back if the stakes hadn’t been so clear. These Black dockhands, after all, were working in the service of something undeniably anodyne, even arguably white-coded: a cruise on a 19th-century riverboat , with all the ties to antebellum history such a tour implies. Would this minor moment have been framed as heroic had the victims been trying instead to dock a summer cruise full of raucous Black partiers? If the dockhands had all turned out to be Black Lives Matter activists, would their rebellion have still been valiant?

It may seem silly to ask these kinds of questions about a heavily memed brawl involving a folding chair and a person known only as “Black Aquaman,” but this is exactly when we should be asking them. It’s the constant policing and challenging of ordinary Black existence by the white establishment — through microaggressions, or macroaggressions, like writing an entire song about how badly you want to lynch outsiders — that leads to the fomentation of anger that spills over into protest. That then gets used to justify more policing and challenging of ordinary Black existence.

That’s why the Montgomery brawl was, on a level, a brilliant deconstruction of the lie behind “Try That in a Small Town”: It effortlessly destroyed the song’s flimsily veiled conceit that the “community” that needs protection is that of innocent white people being besieged by scary Black protesters.

Perhaps that’s also why Aldean’s song, though it had a brief stint atop the Billboard Hot 100 after all the controversy surrounding it broke, immediately plummeted a full 20 slots. This was reportedly one of the biggest drops in history, and the biggest ever for a song that didn’t debut at No. 1.

The deepest irony of all this is that Jason Aldean — who grew up in the big town of Macon, Georgia, and now resides in the bigger town of Nashville — tries to court “ that small-town vibe ” without ever delving into what the vibe actually is. Anyone who’s from a small Southern town understands exactly what he’s referencing.

Like anywhere, small towns are full of wonderful individual people and affirming communities. But also like anywhere — and perhaps even a little more often than anywhere, given their size and emphasis on the collective — they can be subject to toxic groupthink. When the idea of a small town is freighted with notions of an “us” and a “them,” notions that can distort a sense of self and what exactly needs to be defended, they can also be as alienating, dangerous, and violent as anywhere else on earth.

That’s why narratives of Black defiance are all the more crucial as representations of what real community can be. A sweet tea party, indeed.

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How this country star’s hit song unexpectedly catalyzed the Montgomery riverfront brawl

Jason Aldean’s chart-topping, controversial country song, “Try That in a Small Town,” became the soundtrack to the racially-charged confrontation that went viral this week. (GettyImages) (Getty)

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Country star Jason Aldean’s latest song “Try that in a Small Town” was already criticized for promoting a “pro-lynching mentality,” but now it’s part of social media videos of a fight between a black worker and white boaters in Montgomery, Ala.

The song starts with a list of criminal behaviors including carjacking and harassing police officers as behaviors that would not be tolerated “in a small town,” as the chorus goes. The song also asks “if you’re lookin for a fight, try that in a small town.”

While catchy and clearly a hit, the tune has been criticized by political activists like Shannon Watts , the founder of Moms Demand Action , and country greats like Sheryl Crow , who said “even people in small towns are sick of violence.”

Violence is exactly what happened on Sunday when officials said a Black dock worker and white boaters got into a dispute that turned into a brawl between Black and white boaters at the dock in Montgomery, Ala. The worker had apparently asked the boater to move the boat to make room for the Harriet II Riverboat that usually docks in that location, the Montgomery Advertiser reported .

The song joined the Montgomery River Brawl when TikTok users put the song over videos of the fight. Some users said they were reclaiming the song for the Black community invested in Montgomery.

The Montgomery Police Dept. said the man was attacked “for simply doing his job.” Police have also issued arrest warrants for several people involved in the fight.

Dillon Nettles, a policy analyst for the American Civil Liberties Union , posted on X Monday morning about the fight.

“The significance of the riverfront where this fight took place shouldn’t be lost. This is where our ancestors were transported and marched in shackles up Commerce [Street] to be sold. Montgomery was once one of the most prominent slave trading markets in the country,” Nettles posted.

The story was trending on X Tuesday morning along with the hashtags #Alabamaboatbrawl and #montgomerybrawl. TikTok users were also posting v ideos of the fight with an audio clip from Aldean’s song.

“Probably not how they anticipated this song being used,” TikTok user @dazzlingblu said in a comment.

Other users commented on the use of the song with the clips saying “the flip of the century for that song,” and “uno reverse.”

The song was originally a ballad for “small-town” folks who opposed “big city” ideas (and threatened them with violence). In the comments under one TikTok video, users were reclaiming the song, making it the 180-degree turn no one expected for the song.

TikTok user @abbysworldsastage posted a video about the incident between a white woman and a chair-weilding black man , saying that she thought people who were upset about a man hitting a woman with a chair were deflecting from the real issue at the root of the fight: racial violence.

“When I watched that vid, [sic] I saw a community coming together to protect each other, and an impressive use of available tools. I’m not about to say just swinging on women or anyone is okay, but I certainly don’t think that was the problem with the whole situation, and the focus on it feels like deflection to me,” she said in the video caption.

The fight happened over the weekend after former President Donald Trump visited Montgomery on Friday to attend and give remarks at a Republican Party dinner . However, it’s unclear if those involved in the fight attended Trump’s event.

Trump pleaded not guilty Thursday to new charges related to the classified files discovered at his Florida mansion last year.

The controversy and boycott

The song, music video and resulting controversy around it has led some conservatives to call for a boycott of Country Music Television (CMT) for pulling the music video off its streaming platform.

Last month, CMT canceled Aldean’s music video after backlash related to the song’s suggestions of “looking for a fight.” Speaking of, the music video for the song featured shots of the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tenn., where Henry Choate , an 18-year-old Black man, was hanged in 1927 after he was falsely accused of attacking a white girl.

Featuring the location in the shot led to calls for a boycott of the video, which some critics said represented a “pro-lynching” stance.

Earlier this year Bud Light and Chick-Fil-A were caught with similar backlash, as conservative fans call for a boycott of the entertainment group. Other musicians involved in the political culture wars including Lee Greenwood, have also issued statements criticizing CMT’s decision and offering support for Aldean.

Conservative politicians across the country have also extended their welcome to Aldean in the wake of the music video cancellation.

Anna Beahm | [email protected]

I report on the intersection of religion and sexuality in America. Follow me on Twitter @_AnnaBeahm

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The Montgomery Brawl Is Music to the Internet’s Ears

The breakout star of the Montgomery brawl is a white folding chair. I know this because her name is in Sheryl Lee Ralph’s mouth. “I have one thing to say,” the Emmy-winning Abbott Elementary actor began her remarks on the altercation that saw multiple Black bystanders come to the defense of a Black riverboat captain after white pontooners attacked him. “Lift every chair and swing ,” Ralph sang in the tune of the Black national anthem, per the video she posted on Twitter on August 8. Her lyric change refers to the famous piece of portable furniture that a Black man wielded during the brawl, an object that has now become a symbol of rising up against oppressors by grabbing the nearest weapon and joining the fight. A day before Ralph’s “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” remix hit the Twitter timeline, “Big Gretch” rapper Gmac Cash found the chair to be a source of inspiration for his viral song “Montgomery Brawl,” recounting the events at Riverfront Park on August 5. “Ayy, I’m really proud of y’all (Montgomery Brawl, bitch) / Not one, but them all (Montgomery Brawl),” Cash raps in the chorus. “Shout-out bro with the chair (Montgomery Brawl) / Everybody that was there (Montgomery Brawl, all of y’all).” The first verse sees him prophesize about the significance of the object. “Unc came with the chair like I got some action (bitch),” he describes. “That chair goin’ out in history.” The 16-year-old whom Cash calls “the first Black man to swim to a fight” does get a salute in his track (and many a nod online), but it’s clear that the chair has taken on an importance beyond wildest dreams.

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Detroit rapper writes song about Montgomery riverfront brawl, goes viral

A video of a wild brawl that erupted Saturday in Montgomery, Alabama, when a cruise ship worker was attempting to dock is going viral — and Gmac Cash took notice.

The Detroit rapper, well known for the viral songs "Big Gretch" about Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and "Giant Slide" about the infamous Belle Isle slide , decided to mark the moment in a new rap anthem called, "The Montgomery Brawl."

A video of the incident at Montgomery's Riverfront Park, shared Sunday on social media , shows a dock worker, a Black man, arguing with a white man about what the Montgomery Police Department later said was a private pontoon boat blocking the dock space needed to park a riverboat. It escalated when another white man rushed in and punched the employee . The two men began fighting when other white men attacked the employee. After the fight, a separate video shows a group of people approaching the pontoon boat, and more fighting broke out.

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“This was really a big moment for us,” Gmac Cash said, referencing the Black community. “It shows us coming together, uniting finally."

On Tuesday, Montgomery Police Chief Darryl Albert named three suspects involved in the incident: Richard Roberts, 48; Allen Todd, 23; and Zachary Shipman, 25 − all identified as white males. None of the three are Montgomery residents. Police said one man is in custody and arrangements are being made for the others to turn themselves in. Montgomery police is also requesting for a Black man seen wielding a chair in the video, Reggie Gray, to contact the department.

More Gmac Cash: Belle Isle Giant Slide's wild rides featured on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live,' in new song

'Big Gretch': Gov. Whitmer responds to rap song made about her

Albert said the investigation is ongoing and that more charges are possible.

Gmac Cash, whose real name is Gerald Allen, posted his song Monday on Twitter and has received more than 1.3 million views as of Tuesday afternoon. (WARNING: Video contains violence and explicit language. Viewer discretion advised.)

He can be heard rhyming out shout-outs to many of the happenings in the brawl, including a mention to the “bro that could swim,” referencing the teen who was seen swimming across the water to the brawl.

“You know they got the saying, ‘We can’t swim,’” Gmac Cash said. “So that was good to see him swim.”

Other lyrical mentions by Gmac Cash in the song include the hat throw-off that took place at the beginning of the brawl, a "Rock Bottom"-like wrestling move, and the “unc with the chair,” referring to a Black man seen on video picking up and wielding a now-infamous white folding chair.

More: Why Detroit ranks as one of 'best cities' for music and some think it should be No. 1

The initial brawl video sparked an instant social media firestorm filled with memes, skits, video productions and passionate commentary, which raged for days online. The chair in particular was made into a t-shirt now being sold on multiple websites, and inspired a resurfaced meme of the popular quote from former U.S. Rep. Shirley Chisholm: “If they don’t give you a seat a the table, bring a folding chair.”

In Detroit alone, Facebook mentions about the brawl flooded timelines. Brittni Brown, the head publicist of the public relations firm The Bee Agency, reposted a viral meme with the text: “Our Ancestors looking down on Montgomery.”  

“It’s funny, but I promise you this is how our ancestors feel,” Brown said.

National reactions were rampant, too. On Instagram, a popular site called The Shade Room posted a group of people posing for a photo holding what they believe to be the “infamous chair” from the fight. Other social media commenters commemorated the date of the event, some even giving it a name.

“August 5 th is National (Explicit) Around and Find Out Day,” @iam_dcarter commented under an Instagram post related to the event on @theshaderoom.

On Sunday, the day after the fight, Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed posted to Twitter : “Last night, the Montgomery Police Department acted swiftly to detain several reckless individuals for attacking a man who was doing his job. Warrants have been signed and justice will be served.”

Reed is the first Black mayor of Montgomery , a city well known for its history of racial oppression and being the birthplace of the modern American civil rights movement .

Gmac Cash said he too is aware of Alabama's history, and part of his inspiration for doing the brawl rhyme came from it. He said he believes this moment represents how exhausted Black people are with the treatment they receive from some white people and it’s time for it to stop.

“It's nothing like us," Gmac Cash said. “We are honestly the best people on the planet to me. But I feel like this is a moment that shows we can come together, we have each other's back and that's what we should do all the time in every situation instead of sitting back watching with a camera phone.”

USA TODAY and The Montgomery Advertiser contributed.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit rapper writes song about Montgomery riverfront brawl, goes viral

Best Memes, Reactions to the Montgomery Riverboat Brawl

Black people are having a ridiculous amount of fun celebrating the ‘heroes’ of the montgomery brawl..

Black people know we have to revel in the small victories because they don’t come along often. One of these unforgettable moments happened on Saturday, when an all-out brawl in Montgomery, Ala . led to one of the most viral incidents in the history of Black Twitter (yes, we’re still calling it that). While the mayor is busy talking about how “ Justice will be served ,” the rest of us are getting jokes off. From the folding chair, to fight play-by-play, to the awesome names for our favorite new superhero, these are the best memes and reactions to the Montgomery riverboat brawl.

Wakanda Forever

Come on, you know it took no time at all for someone to blend this brawl with the Blackest superhero movie ever.

Riverfront WrestleMania

Seriously, this commentary is better than anything WWE is currently offering.

A New Holiday

We just got Juneteenth and we’re already starting the campaign for a new Black national holiday.

The Hat Signal

Based on the footage of the brawl, Black folks don’t need a signal—we know exactly when it’s time to show up.

Shoutout to Jason Aldean

Guess this isn’t what the country singer had in mind when he released his controversial single, “Try That in a Small Town.”

Try What in a Small Town?

Jason Aldean is not ready for all the smoke he’s getting right now.

Black Aquaman

The internet has come up with a plethora of names for the young man who swam across the river to get some.

The Reenactment

Hollywood may be on strike, but that doesn’t mean great cinema can’t be found.

Seadris Elba

The names for a young aqua-based hero have been the best part of this whole situation. They’re all spectacular, but “Swimzel Washington” might be the best.

The Heroes We Deserve

Sometimes life gives us the heroes we need and the ones we deserve.

The Chair Speaks

When something like this happens, everyone has something to say...even the folding chair.

History Was Made

We will now celebrate the “Alabama Sweet Tea Party” with the same energy as the Boston Tea Party.

There’s Already a Soundtrack

It only took one day to get a tribute track on the internet.

Shaquille O’Gills

The names just keep getting better.

Montgomery mayor discusses chaotic riverfront brawl and how to move forward

John Yang John Yang

Courtney Norris Courtney Norris

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• Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/montgomery-mayor-discusses-chaotic-riverfront-brawl-and-how-to-move-forward

A chaotic brawl on the riverfront in Montgomery, Alabama, has captured the attention of many Americans. It started when a riverboat was returning from a two-hour cruise and a private boat was blocking the dock. Videos of the fight that happened next have gone viral on social media and several people have been charged with assault. John Yang discussed the latest with Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed.

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Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors.

Amna Nawaz:

The city of Montgomery, Alabama, is on edge after a large chaotic brawl broke out there over the weekend that seemed to divide along racial lines.

As John Yang reports, the altercation has the attention of Americans nationwide.

Amna, the incident occurred Saturday evening at Montgomery's Riverfront Park along the Alabama River.

A city riverboat was returning from a two-hour cruise, and a private pontoon boat was blocking the dock. Police said the riverboat crew repeatedly used a loudspeaker to ask the men to move the pontoon boat. Eventually, a co-captain took a small boat to the dock and tried to move it himself.

Videos of what happened next have gone viral on social media. The group from the pontoon confronts the co-captain. Words are exchanged. One of the men from the pontoon throws a punch, and the brawl begins.

Several men are seen beating — beating and kicking the co-captain. More and more bystanders join in, and the police have to be called to break it up. So far, three men from the pontoon have been charged with assault, and police say they're still investigating.

Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed is the first Black person to hold that office. He was elected in 2019.

Mr. Mayor, what was your reaction? What did you think, what did you feel when you saw that video?

Steven Reed (D), Mayor of Montgomery, Alabama: Well, like many people are surprised and then shocked to see something like that happen for someone who was just doing his job.

I was disappointed, to say the least, and it was disturbing.

Are you satisfied with how the police have handled it and the charges so far?

Steven Reed:

Yes, I think our police department has handled it in a professional manner.

I think they have gone about this with leaving-no-stone-unturned mentality. I think they have approached it with a very deliberate sense of urgency. And I think the fact that we have one person in custody and a couple others that will be in custody shortly is proof-positive of the work that's been done by the men and women of our police department.

Were you surprised how quickly this spread on social media, that it went viral on social media so quickly?

Yes, definitely was surprised by that.

I think I probably have a better understanding of it now than I did Sunday evening, when I first kind of started getting some texts about it. I'm amazed at how many people have viewed it and what conversations have come out of it.

But it's one of those things where you never can tell, in this day and age of camera phones, what people are going to be interested in and what they're not.

What — I mean, this now becomes sort of what people think of Montgomery right now, huh? How do you feel about that, especially this city that has violent racial history?

Yes, I would be cautious about casting aspersions on the city.

The perpetrators who have been identified and warrants have been signed on are not from Montgomery, number one. I think, number two, it's important for people to understand that we're the second most visited tourist city in the state. So, we want that to continue. It's important to our economy. It's important to the nation that they learn the history of the civil rights movement.

And that's what most of the tourists are coming here for. So, I think that, when we consider the community itself, the community itself has responded very positively. I think there's been no issues around this. And I would say that the city has kind of come together around many of those who — not just the co-captain, but even some of those on the crew, to say that we're glad somebody stopped something wrong from happening until the police could get there.

And that's not to say that people are condoning violence. It's just that I think there's a sense here that we have seen a lot of progress in this city. We certainly aren't perfect. We certainly have more work to do. But this is not indicative of who we are.

The — on the videos, it looks like the fight breaks down along racial lines.

And CNN is now reporting that a witness of says that a racial slur was used against the captain before the fight began. Do you think there's a — this is race-related?

Well, look, I saw what you saw and what millions of other people saw.

I think, for us, we're looking at it from the standpoint of a legal case, and does it meet the FBI standard for hate crime? So far, we have been told no. But the case is still ongoing. We're still talking to witnesses, and we're still gathering information.

And if something changes to point us in that direction, then that's where we will go.

Do you expect more charges as the investigation continues?

Yes, I think that's possible.

Again, I think, for us, it would be premature to say there would or would not be any additional charges. As witnesses come forward, as more information comes out, there certainly could be. And we're going to continue to follow the evidence and let that take us to whatever decisions that are made by not only the police department, but also our district attorney and anyone at a high-level prosecution.

You talked about the progress that's been made in Montgomery.

What's the state of racial relations in your — in your city right now?

You know, I think progress is certainly measured by the fact that I'm here. And I was elected in 2019 with two-thirds of the vote and a multicultural, multiracial, multigenerational coalition that we put together.

That said, there are still strains. There's still a level of tension that probably is here, much like it is in a lot of places where there's old versus new. There's a certain mind-set that has been prevailing, and there's a new one that's come in.

And I think, when you add to that the national discourse around whether it's Black history being taught in schools, or whether it's our legislature not adhering to a Supreme Court order to draw a second congressional seat as majority-Black, there are certainly challenges here.

But that's not to say that, when we think back 10 or 20 years ago, that we haven't come a long way. It's just that we still have a long way to go. And I think that is not just Montgomery. I think that is many cities throughout this nation.

Steven Reed, mayor of Montgomery, Alabama, thank you very much.

And, remember, there is a lot more online, including an in-depth explainer on the South American summit focused on deforestation in the Amazon. That's at PBS.org/NewsHour.

Listen to this Segment

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John Yang is the anchor of PBS News Weekend and a correspondent for the PBS NewsHour. He covered the first year of the Trump administration and is currently reporting on major national issues from Washington, DC, and across the country.

Courtney Norris is the deputy senior producer of national affairs for the NewsHour. She can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @courtneyknorris

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Best Memes, Reactions to the Montgomery Riverboat Brawl

Black people know we have to revel in the small victories because they don’t come along often. One of these unforgettable moments happened on Saturday, when an all-out brawl in Montgomery, Ala . led to one of the most viral incidents in the history of Black Twitter (yes, we’re still calling it that). While the mayor is busy talking about how “ Justice will be served ,” the rest of us are getting jokes off. From the folding chair, to fight play-by-play, to the awesome names for our favorite new superhero, these are the best memes and reactions to the Montgomery riverboat brawl.

Wakanda Forever

Lemme post this on twitter where it won’t get taken down. #montgomerybrawl #riverboatbrawl #MontgomeryAlabama pic.twitter.com/JnMO1i0UyS — Jadyn 🤍 (@jjalise05) August 7, 2023

Come on, you know it took no time at all for someone to blend this brawl with the Blackest superhero movie ever.

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Riverfront WrestleMania

Riverboat Wrestlemania??? (Stay to the end and retweet it 😂) 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/ieSnB7n7Ws — Mic Tyson (@bigcory00) August 6, 2023

Seriously, this commentary is better than anything WWE is currently offering.

A New Holiday

#Montgomery #riverboatbrawl pic.twitter.com/2l1jg7nxlc — Pucci 161 (@Pucci161) August 7, 2023

We just got Juneteenth and we’re already starting the campaign for a new Black national holiday.

The Hat Signal

The Hat Signal 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/Y4Mn7KwN3H — Rod (@rodimusprime) August 7, 2023

Based on the footage of the brawl, Black folks don’t need a signal—we know exactly when it’s time to show up.

Shoutout to Jason Aldean

#Montgomery #riverboatbrawl pic.twitter.com/VsQiz8RS9d — Pucci 161 (@Pucci161) August 7, 2023

Guess this isn’t what the country singer had in mind when he released his controversial single, “Try That in a Small Town.”

Try What in a Small Town?

#GumpPower #Alabama #Montgomery #MontgomeryRiverboatBrawl #MontgomeryBrawl #RiverBoatBrawl #MontgomeryMelee #BlackAugust pic.twitter.com/14yzVnty6M — Black Lives Matter 860 (Hartford CT) (@blm860) August 7, 2023

Jason Aldean is not ready for all the smoke he’s getting right now.

Black Aquaman

They’re thinking of names for the young guy that jumped in the water… #Montgomery Best so far: - Sea Murda - Scuba Gooding Jr. - Aqua Mane 😭😭😂😂😂😂 I am hollering! pic.twitter.com/KyaybqFvrB — 𝓿𝓲𝓬 𝓳𝓪𝓰𝓰𝓮𝓻 • ♡ (@TheVJExperience) August 7, 2023

The internet has come up with a plethora of names for the young man who swam across the river to get some.

The Reenactment

This is fine theater right here. Give everybody an independent spirit award or something. #FadeInTheWater pic.twitter.com/2LVeXhg0qh — Naima Cochrane (@naima) August 7, 2023

Hollywood may be on strike, but that doesn’t mean great cinema can’t be found.

Seadris Elba

I’m a whole mess for these names 😂 Seadris Elba Nautical King Cole Swimzel Washington OJ Swimpson Underwater Brother #Alabamaboatbrawl — Britt Loves Quincy ♒️ (@britlovesquincy) August 7, 2023

The names for a young aqua-based hero have been the best part of this whole situation. They’re all spectacular, but “Swimzel Washington” might be the best.

The Heroes We Deserve

NIGGAVENGERS…ASSEMBLE!!! I’m so proud of us I’m still on it today 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/Lg5xa6bxYI — #MrMac22 (@CJMac824) August 7, 2023

Sometimes life gives us the heroes we need and the ones we deserve.

The Chair Speaks

the chair from the montgomery riverfront brawl speaks out pic.twitter.com/fMXpejcuUV — Tré Melvin (@TreMelvin) August 7, 2023

When something like this happens, everyone has something to say...even the folding chair.

History Was Made

When I text you 🪑, that means you better have a seat before I hand you a seat. #AlabamaSweetTeaParty 🤭🤣 #DontStartNunWontBeNun #montgomerybrawl #MontgomeryAlabama #SweetHomeAlabama pic.twitter.com/EStT99zJI1 — 𝓝𝓲𝓴𝓴𝓲 𝓑𝓵𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓽 𝓙𝓪𝓬𝓴𝓼𝓸𝓷 (@NikkiBJaxx417) August 7, 2023

We will now celebrate the “Alabama Sweet Tea Party” with the same energy as the Boston Tea Party.

There’s Already a Soundtrack

They Made A Song About The #MontgomeryBrawl 🤣 pic.twitter.com/sO73OSnlNl — GMACCASH (@GmacCash) August 7, 2023

It only took one day to get a tribute track on the internet.

Shaquille O’Gills

Top 10 names given to this young hero: 10. Black Aquaman 9. JJ Fish 8. Michael B Phelps 7. Captain Hook 6. Catfish Cuz 5. Kofi Kingfish 4. Tyrone Lochte 3. 21 Tilapia 2. Lil' Namor 1. Shaquille O'Gills pic.twitter.com/a6c4lbe4HP — Mike Kincaide (@mikekincaide) August 7, 2023

The names just keep getting better.

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