Because Black Panther is out, and, black folks are turning up in droves across the United States to see the movie. According to Vox, racist trolls are out in force using fake photos of actual domestic violence victims trying to pass them off as actual white people who were hurt trying to attend a screening of the film.
Here’s how it started. Buzzfeed reports that images started to surface online suggesting that white people who were attending the movie premiere, were, ehum, being viciously attacked by black attendees. Although, the same website, later found out that many of the images used — were actually stolen from previously published news articles and or social media profiles.
One of the images used, which is shocking in itself, was of an 18-year-old woman who was savagely beaten by her boyfriend who was later arrested after he pleaded guilty. The photo was apparently stolen from Twitter.
It gets worse though. The ex-wife of former White House aide Rob Porter, ehum, has also seen her photographs resurface. Racist trolls are using her photos to make it appear as if she was assaulted by black people during the premiere itself. The photo is actually from earlier this year, when, Porter resigned following an expose that actually included the photos.
This comes at a time when white people have become notorious for denying racism against others, however, both Buzzfeed and Vox have concrete evidence of racist trolls enacting depressing racism against others.
In the event that it couldn’t get anymore saddening, the photos also included photos of a Swedish woman who was assaulted in January; a year old -stock-photo, and a set of stock images from a 2013 makeup video that intentionally painted domestic violence on others to raise awareness about a striking issue in America.
Meanwhile, several celebrities and blogs (including this one) have issued warnings to Black Panther movie-goers this weekend to be alert and attentive to your surroundings. Movie theaters, in recent memory, have been hot-beds for white supremacist attacks.
Vox has more on the alarming issue, and, how to spot fake images that have been used before or in some other medium. On social media, remember, you can’t always believe everything that you read.
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