This Comic About Racism In The US Was Made 2 Years Ago, And The Artist Just Reshared It Saying Nothing Has Changed
Two years ago, a white woman went viral after a video was uploaded to the Internet showing her calling the cops on a few black folks for simply having a barbeque. Just a month or so later, another white lady made the headlines when she threatened to call the police on an 8-year-old black girl for selling water without a permit.
Eventually, these racist episodes inspired LA-based artist Obi Arisukwu to create a satirical comic.
“This comic strip may be the only comic I’ve made that dealt with racism,” Obi told Bored Panda. “It was ridiculous how many more [similar] videos popped up of white people calling the cops on black people for doing harmless things like entering a neighborhood pool or operating a kid’s lemonade stand on the sidewalk.”
According to the artist, the worst part about these videos is that they both showed how some white people viewed black folks as unworthy of occupying the same space as them and that the same white people were willing to weaponize the police as their personal bodyguards to make their point.
Sadly, recent events are proving that the strip is still relevant.
More info: obiaris.com | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Image credits: ObiAris
“The reason I said nothing has changed is because of the recent video with Amy Cooper, the white woman who called the police on Christian Cooper, the black man, who was bird watching,” Obi explained.
Arisukwu is referring to a verbal dispute in Central Park that might have gone unnoticed as the city — just like the rest of the world — has been preoccupied with the coronavirus pandemic.
However, birdwatcher Christian Cooper pulled out his phone and captured Amy Cooper calling the cops to report she was being threatened by ‘an African-American man’. He then posted the recording on Facebook and his sister shared it on Twitter, sparking a discussion on racism.
Sadly, it’s still relevant
Image credits: melodyMcooper
Because of these very recent events
Here’s the video
So, here are the facts: both Amy Cooper and Christian Cooper (no relation) were in Central Park’s Ramble, a wooded area, on Monday morning. Christian was bird-watching and Amy was walking her dog.
The New York City Parks Department requires that dogs have to be leashed in the Ramble, since the plants and wildlife in the area are cultivated and maintained for the public to enjoy. This means that Amy Cooper was violating that rule by letting her dog roam around off-leash (she later told CNN she knew it was against the rules).
Christian Cooper asked her to leash her dog (he said he did it calmly but according to Amy, Christian was yelling at her). As their conflict escalated, Christian started recording it, and you can hear who is yelling and who is being calm and polite. It’s Amy being the unreasonable one.
Amy later explained that she was alone in a wooded area when Christian came out of the bushes, and it freaked her out. She refused to leash the dog and according to Christian’s account on Facebook, he told her, “Look, if you’re going to do what you want, I’m going to do what I want but you’re not going to like it.”
“I didn’t know what that meant. When you’re alone in a wooded area, that’s absolutely terrifying, right?” Amy told CNN.
Christian then called out to the dog and offered it dog treats. According to him, this is an effective strategy to get dog owners to leash their dogs.
Amy then stated that what Christian Cooper said had been a polite request turned into a conflict. As some reporters pointed out, that’s quite strange for someone who is scared for her life.
In return, Christian started recording, and the rest is history.
It got the lady fired and she lost her dog, too
Image credits: FTI_US
Police said that by the time they responded, both of them were gone.
In the fallout, investment firm Franklin Templeton quickly announced it had fired Amy Cooper, saying, “We do not tolerate racism of any kind.”
A group called Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue said it had custody of her dog for the time being. The pet could be heard coughing in the video after she clenched it by the collar with its front legs off the ground.
“One would think that after the original Permit Patty video and the many other viral videos that came after, these white people who tend to call the cops on harmless black people would’ve learned by now on why that’s not a good idea,” Arisukwu said. “As a black man, it angers me. As a logical human being, it’s downright perplexing.”
However, the artist is happy — and most importantly relieved — that Christian Cooper was able to walk away with his life. “Too many of my brothers and sisters have been wrongfully murdered due to racism. The most recent names of those we’ve lost are Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd.”
“We need justice,” Arisukwu added. “We need change.”
Here’s how people reacted to the whole ordeal
Image credits: Lexistansrih
Image credits: fukaren1
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Image credits: XL2LETTERS
!["Karen Complains To HR About My Body, I Uno-Reverse Her Complaint, [And Now] Everyone Hates Her"](https://www.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/coworker-complains-to-hr-about-womans-body-revenge-latest.jpg "\"Karen Complains To HR About My Body, I Uno-Reverse Her Complaint, [And Now] Everyone Hates Her\"")
Why no one is talking about the fact, that calling cops can be life threatening. They are like assassin service in some dictatorship country or what? Who gives them right to harm other citizen at all? What kind of twisted coutry it is?
I agree. In the US even if there was reason I would really hesitate to call the cops on any black people. They might wind up dead!
It's weird in the US, like being afraid to call an ambulance and instead getting an Uber because you're worried about the charge.
I read a huge amount of usa cops have domestic violence and other violent crimes on their records...maybe if they didn't give power to abusers the abusers would have less opportunity to abuse. USA seems like a really dangerous, violent place that needs to have sanctions put on it so it will buck it's ideas up. Never mind how violent and dangerous it is on the international stage to so many other countries and the planet. What a world when that hole is the super power
My husband is new to this country from Morocco and he finds it shocking how brutal the police are here.
I would like to welcome your husband to America and hope he enjoys his new country.
They do not have the right to harm any other citizen. Unless the person that they are trying to arrest is being difficult or violent, then they can taze them or maybe kick them or something, but they are not allowed to harm anyone simply because of who they are (maybe they knew each other a long time ago and have a grudge or something idk) religion, clothes, beliefs, or skin color. They have to be non-biased and even if they are racist, they can't act on their racist feelings.
That's how it should be, but unfortunately it's not.
Tell that to the black guy that was openly murdered via suffocation in front of civilians the other day. Police get away with everything.
Yet they do and often don't see as much as a trial.
There is literally a name for when someone makes a fake call to the cops with the express aim to get them to all come running with their guns drawn, in an attempt to terrify someone and/or get them killed. It's called swatting someone.
not calling the cops is worse. the last thing you need is people acting on their own form of justice. Those are called lynch mobs, fyi. There's a reason those fell out of favor
From here it seems like the cops are the Lynch mobs. __________________some random Australian, I realise we get only part of the u.s.a. news.
cops can form lynch mobs, same as anyone else. That is why rule of law is important, Magpie. People get heated in the moment and then years later we find out someone lied or were mistaken or we were told wrong by journalists with an activist agenda.
In the last month a 20 year old black man beat a 75 year old white man at a nursing home in Detroit, filmed it, and posted it on the internet. Not his first time beating up old white guys. AND, an 85 and 86 year old white couple visiting their son's grave in Delaware were gunned downed by a 29 year old black guy. NOT MUCH COVERAGE OF THESE INCIDENTS NOR MEDIA OUTRAGE? Why? Imagine if the races had been reversed, and 20-something white men killed elderly black folks....
Hot tip: You’re getting downvoted for promoting a false narrative and “what about” ism.
Welcome to the modern world. Racism against black people? Ya lose your job. Racism against white people? You're a freaking hero. And, yes, I know this is going to be downvoted. But people, PLEASE, at least think about this.
As a 36 year old woman i really do not understand why skin color so much matter like this. Giving such importance to skin color is the most important sign of ignorance.
As an European, I also do not get why "African American" is even mentioned in the video. What really infuriates mevis how she treats the dog. It would protect her from real danger, but she treat it like a piece of fashion.
Because America has entrenched institutional racism which has largely been justified on the grounds of protecting the "purity" of white women from the (grossly imagined) sexual depravity of black men. Blackness is considered threatening (by racist twats) and so reporting that an African American man was disagreeing with her in public she was accurately describing why she felt threatened, and there's a not-zero chance the police listening to her would agree.
Unfortunately, many people do see their pets as fashion. Something to dress up and style instead of feed, take care of, love, and protect.
Well, your sensation was shared by animal rescuer and she lost the dog too, for the way she chocked him not to leash. She lost the job because her firm immediately took distance from any racism behaviour, Im surprised she didn't face criminal charges as well, for calling the cops for no reason.
@Hans in the USA, women are more or less protected and taken at their word by police (though not the legal system itself, oddly enough) over men, especially black men. This explains it better than I could: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/05/amy-cooper-white-women-policing.html
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Your response says a lot. You don't care about her trying to use this man's race as a point to get serious police action. But how she treated her DOG is a problem for you.
I learned a long time ago that for light skinned people, it's easy to say colour doesn't matter. But when you are brown or black minority, your daily experience makes it impossible for you to ignore skin colour.
Black person here. This is beyond true. Thank you for stating this.
StardustRainO8 lol
allyouaskfor ?
hugosson what
Racism **seems** worse than it was when I was in high school (90s). Then, it was homophobia that was prevalent. Now, the racial divide feels huge. (Granted, this is probably just a privileged white person perspective.)
These racists have been here. But now they feel okay to spew their opinions, in large part due to a so called president who makes it okay to belittle minorities.
I don't think it's worse (it's certainly not better), it's just more visible now. It's becoming less normalized because it's being communicated more.
Skincolor is mentioned becauseshe knows, that will make the police react as if he is a big threat. Thebirdwatcher couldhave been killed or harmed by police because ofthis
She made it an issue. It wasn't "there's a man..." (Which, probably would have been ridiculous too)
I don't think it has much to do with color as just being different, and in my opinion I think it has a lot to do with social stratification. It happened in extremes during the holocaust and during african american slavery, it happens all the time even if we don't realize it.
Except that you can take a redneck and put him in a suit and he will blend in (IE walk down the street without being harassed). A black man in a suit, is still a black man and can, will and will continue to be harassed for [action] while black.
To john - exactly my point a redneck doesn't look different so they won't be treated differently
She is chocking the dog, only a sharp tug of the leash should be used to discipline a dog, and only when it is attacking a human being. She isn't using a leash, the dog was not doing anything wrong.
I know - that poor dog didn't do a damn thing wrong and that is what she does to some creature she is supposed to love? Is supposed to be so concerned gets exercise? As for the rest of her appalling behaviour - yeah she felt so 'threatened' she went charging up to this poor man and got so close he had to ask her to back off! Then really acted up a storm while on the phone. Repugnant human. I am so glad he got all this recorded.
I saw on another source that the animal shelter she got the dog from took it back. I hope that's really true, she almost killed it because she refused to bend over slightly or use a leash like she should have in the first place.
Johnny Rotten love
Why no one is talking about the fact, that calling cops can be life threatening. They are like assassin service in some dictatorship country or what? Who gives them right to harm other citizen at all? What kind of twisted coutry it is?
I agree. In the US even if there was reason I would really hesitate to call the cops on any black people. They might wind up dead!
It's weird in the US, like being afraid to call an ambulance and instead getting an Uber because you're worried about the charge.
I read a huge amount of usa cops have domestic violence and other violent crimes on their records...maybe if they didn't give power to abusers the abusers would have less opportunity to abuse. USA seems like a really dangerous, violent place that needs to have sanctions put on it so it will buck it's ideas up. Never mind how violent and dangerous it is on the international stage to so many other countries and the planet. What a world when that hole is the super power
My husband is new to this country from Morocco and he finds it shocking how brutal the police are here.
I would like to welcome your husband to America and hope he enjoys his new country.
They do not have the right to harm any other citizen. Unless the person that they are trying to arrest is being difficult or violent, then they can taze them or maybe kick them or something, but they are not allowed to harm anyone simply because of who they are (maybe they knew each other a long time ago and have a grudge or something idk) religion, clothes, beliefs, or skin color. They have to be non-biased and even if they are racist, they can't act on their racist feelings.
That's how it should be, but unfortunately it's not.
Tell that to the black guy that was openly murdered via suffocation in front of civilians the other day. Police get away with everything.
Yet they do and often don't see as much as a trial.
There is literally a name for when someone makes a fake call to the cops with the express aim to get them to all come running with their guns drawn, in an attempt to terrify someone and/or get them killed. It's called swatting someone.
not calling the cops is worse. the last thing you need is people acting on their own form of justice. Those are called lynch mobs, fyi. There's a reason those fell out of favor
From here it seems like the cops are the Lynch mobs. __________________some random Australian, I realise we get only part of the u.s.a. news.
cops can form lynch mobs, same as anyone else. That is why rule of law is important, Magpie. People get heated in the moment and then years later we find out someone lied or were mistaken or we were told wrong by journalists with an activist agenda.
In the last month a 20 year old black man beat a 75 year old white man at a nursing home in Detroit, filmed it, and posted it on the internet. Not his first time beating up old white guys. AND, an 85 and 86 year old white couple visiting their son's grave in Delaware were gunned downed by a 29 year old black guy. NOT MUCH COVERAGE OF THESE INCIDENTS NOR MEDIA OUTRAGE? Why? Imagine if the races had been reversed, and 20-something white men killed elderly black folks....
Hot tip: You’re getting downvoted for promoting a false narrative and “what about” ism.
Welcome to the modern world. Racism against black people? Ya lose your job. Racism against white people? You're a freaking hero. And, yes, I know this is going to be downvoted. But people, PLEASE, at least think about this.
As a 36 year old woman i really do not understand why skin color so much matter like this. Giving such importance to skin color is the most important sign of ignorance.
As an European, I also do not get why "African American" is even mentioned in the video. What really infuriates mevis how she treats the dog. It would protect her from real danger, but she treat it like a piece of fashion.
Because America has entrenched institutional racism which has largely been justified on the grounds of protecting the "purity" of white women from the (grossly imagined) sexual depravity of black men. Blackness is considered threatening (by racist twats) and so reporting that an African American man was disagreeing with her in public she was accurately describing why she felt threatened, and there's a not-zero chance the police listening to her would agree.
Unfortunately, many people do see their pets as fashion. Something to dress up and style instead of feed, take care of, love, and protect.
Well, your sensation was shared by animal rescuer and she lost the dog too, for the way she chocked him not to leash. She lost the job because her firm immediately took distance from any racism behaviour, Im surprised she didn't face criminal charges as well, for calling the cops for no reason.
@Hans in the USA, women are more or less protected and taken at their word by police (though not the legal system itself, oddly enough) over men, especially black men. This explains it better than I could: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/05/amy-cooper-white-women-policing.html
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Your response says a lot. You don't care about her trying to use this man's race as a point to get serious police action. But how she treated her DOG is a problem for you.
I learned a long time ago that for light skinned people, it's easy to say colour doesn't matter. But when you are brown or black minority, your daily experience makes it impossible for you to ignore skin colour.
Black person here. This is beyond true. Thank you for stating this.
StardustRainO8 lol
allyouaskfor ?
hugosson what
Racism **seems** worse than it was when I was in high school (90s). Then, it was homophobia that was prevalent. Now, the racial divide feels huge. (Granted, this is probably just a privileged white person perspective.)
These racists have been here. But now they feel okay to spew their opinions, in large part due to a so called president who makes it okay to belittle minorities.
I don't think it's worse (it's certainly not better), it's just more visible now. It's becoming less normalized because it's being communicated more.
Skincolor is mentioned becauseshe knows, that will make the police react as if he is a big threat. Thebirdwatcher couldhave been killed or harmed by police because ofthis
She made it an issue. It wasn't "there's a man..." (Which, probably would have been ridiculous too)
I don't think it has much to do with color as just being different, and in my opinion I think it has a lot to do with social stratification. It happened in extremes during the holocaust and during african american slavery, it happens all the time even if we don't realize it.
Except that you can take a redneck and put him in a suit and he will blend in (IE walk down the street without being harassed). A black man in a suit, is still a black man and can, will and will continue to be harassed for [action] while black.
To john - exactly my point a redneck doesn't look different so they won't be treated differently
She is chocking the dog, only a sharp tug of the leash should be used to discipline a dog, and only when it is attacking a human being. She isn't using a leash, the dog was not doing anything wrong.
I know - that poor dog didn't do a damn thing wrong and that is what she does to some creature she is supposed to love? Is supposed to be so concerned gets exercise? As for the rest of her appalling behaviour - yeah she felt so 'threatened' she went charging up to this poor man and got so close he had to ask her to back off! Then really acted up a storm while on the phone. Repugnant human. I am so glad he got all this recorded.
I saw on another source that the animal shelter she got the dog from took it back. I hope that's really true, she almost killed it because she refused to bend over slightly or use a leash like she should have in the first place.
Johnny Rotten love