Amy Cooper and The Complexities of White Liberalism.
Amy Cooper, also known as “Central Park Karen,” the former New York City investment banker who threatened to call the NYPD on fellow park attendee Christian Cooper (no relation) for requesting that she place her dog on a leash in May 2020, was back in the news earlier this week (https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/white-woman-viral-video-says-she-had-no-choice-call-n1275898). Ms. Cooper, a white woman who was video recorded while she called the police and claimed that a black birdwatcher was threatening her in New York City’s Central Park last year, said that she felt as if she was “backed into a corner” during that particular moment.
On August 3rd, during an episode of “Honestly,” a podcast by former New York Times writer Bari Weiss, Cooper said that she had no other choice but to call 911 when the birdwatcher (Mr. Christian Cooper) offered her dog a treat after he asked her to keep the pooch on a leash. Yes, she did baby! And guess what? She probably had the audacity to make such a comment with a straight face!
Not surprisingly, reaction was swift. Social media wasted no time going all out on the famous, or rather infamous “Central Park Karen,” with many chastising her for resorting to reveling in a perverse form of victimization politics, while attempting to continually cast aspersions on Mr. Cooper as the aggressor in the situation. Regardless of her intent (and I believe they are suspect and possibly sinister), she is reverting to the long-held stereotypes of black men being rabidly aggressive, prone to violence, and sexually rapacious human beings. They (black men) in the mindset of certain retrograde minded white people, are never far away from reverting to their native beast-like savagery.
To be sure, there were others in the “pro Ms. Cooper camp” who empathized with what they saw as her initial fear of being “confronted” by a large black man (an Audubon birdwatcher and self-described science fiction nerd nonetheless) asking her to obey park rules by placing her dog on a leash. Go figure. Let’s just cut to the chase and keep it real. We know what perspective the vast majority, if not virtually all the individuals who sided with lady Cooper, are coming from; the racially inflected world of stereotypes deeply embedded with staunchly endemic racism.
Needless to say, from witnessing the video
and in addition being fully psychologically and mentally astute in my knowledge of American history (I am a historian by training), particularly as it relates to race, I find myself in agreement with those who doubt Amy Cooper. Yes, count me among those who have rolled some fierce side-eye and thrown some heavy-duty shade at her past and most recent antics. Count me in the “girl please, bye Felicia!” camp.
Interestingly, much has been made by many mainstream media (primarily white news outlets), of the fact that Amy Cooper was a supporter of former President Obama and was or is a liberal. Well okay, those of us who are black (and very likely other non-whites) who are over 45 years old know all too well what this can mean. Admittedly, I smirked more than a few times upon reading various accounts of the same, “she was/is a liberal or progressive” narrative in at least several mainstream newspapers, magazines, and publications.
To be fair, perhaps many of these publications were genuine in their belief that due to her supposed support of democratic candidates it was surprising, even shocking that such a person could harbor a racially prejudiced attitude. Regardless of her political attitude or persuasions, the undeniable truth is that during her racially dramatic encounter with Christian Cooper, Amy Cooper went straight up racial BIGOT! Indeed, she put on a performance that would have made a bona fide white supremacist proud.
Truth be told, white supremacists represent all walks of life and include:
Your neighbor,
Your co-workers,
The law firm partner,
The tenured college professor,
The person at the local gym or hot yoga studio,
Your minister or other religious leader,
The barista at the coffee shop,
The K12 teacher (public and private schools alike),
Your fellow church member,
The owner or manager of the bookstore or restaurant,
Your in-laws and certain relatives,
Your college students,
The businessman or businesswoman,
The medical doctor, and so on.
White liberals or progressives are prevalent in many areas of your life and that includes:
Your neighbor,
Your co-workers,
The law firm partner,
The tenured college professor,
The person at the local gym or hot yoga studio,
Your minister or other religious leader,
The barista at the coffee shop,
The K12 teacher (public and private schools alike),
Your fellow church member,
The owner or manager of the bookstore and restaurant,
Your in-laws and certain relatives,
Your college students,
The businessman or businesswoman,
The medical doctor, and so on.
Yes. There are indeed many White liberals who are sincere, genuine and deeply committed in their quest for racial, social and political justice and the betterment of humankind. That being said, there are others who while defining themselves as socially progressive who possess attitudes that are duplicative and as reductive as those of their far right counterparts. More often than not, there are similarities between the two groups.
White supremacy can be subtle, sly and seductive among those who knowingly and actively weaponize it. Such a vice can also be avidly exercised by those who may be unconscious of their obscured and latent bigotry.. White supremacy is an entity that can reside comfortably, hidden in the hearts of many people regardless of their political instincts and that’s the truth!
Historian, public speaker and cultural critic Elwood Watson PhD is a Professor of History, Black Studies, and Gender and Sexuality Studies at East Tennessee State University, and the author of the recent book Keepin’ It Real: Essays on Race in Contemporary America (University of Chicago Press), available in paperback and Kindle via Amazon and other major book retailers (https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/K/bo40060337.html).