The Memeification and Oversimplification of Oppression

To simplify an instance of oppressive violence is to ignore the grave, incredibly devastating history that it derived from.

Hello, world. In the modern age of social movements, many people have resorted to shaping instances of violent oppression into formats of memes, jokes, or oversimplified, aesthetically pleasing posters. This has occurred most recently and most consistently with Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old African American woman who was murdered by officers of the Louisville Police Department on March 13, 2020.

Breonna Taylor's name has been transformed into a catchphrase of sorts. She has become the punctuation at the end of a sentence that has nothing to do with her. She has become the punchline of jokes. She has become a stamp of social approval and gratification.

The problem with this is that Breonna Taylor's name is being separated from her elaborate, complex, multifaceted, and brutal oppression. When her name is consistently mentioned without her story along with information that has nothing to do with her, the gravity of the violence and brutality that she faced is significantly minimized. As a black woman, Breonna Taylor was bearing oppression from many angles. When black women's pains are already brushed off in society, it's difficult to see Breonna Taylor's name be used for laughs. Where is the sensitivity and care when it comes to black women?

When a subject of oppression is displayed in the form of a meme or oversimplified flyer, it is done for the sake of the reader's comfort. It is done in order to transform a heavy, violent, deadly societal issue that has a significant historical basis into a palatable, lighthearted, easy-to-digest format that aims to lessen the emotional burden off of the reader and simplify a solution that is rather complicated in reality. This is dangerous.

To simplify an instance of oppressive violence is to ignore the grave, incredibly devastating history that it derived from. This presents an instance of oppression as a lone case––context is obliterated. Context that has brought countless people unimaginable pain and suffering for centuries.

How can we do better, world? How can we develop a world where oppression and violence are recognized in their entireties? How can we ensure that our activism does not involve reducing the weight of someone's pain? Well, I think we can start off by simply listening to the affected group and understanding the nuances of their experiences. From there, we can learn how to productively and effectively advocate for them, respectfully.

Activism shouldn't always feel comfortable. Comfort and delight can be sacrificed for the mere respect and acknowledgement of a group's oppression and the full context that comes along with it. Knowing this, we can move from a place of complete truth and fervent inclination to understand.