Photo: YouTube
White women's tears strike again.
By Alice Kelly — Written on Jul 13, 2021
A white woman filmed attacking a Black woman at a New Jersey mall is being branded a “Victoria’s Secret Karen” after the video went viral across social media.
Clips of the encounter show the white woman, later identified as Abigail Elphick, hysterically shouting at Ijeoma Ukenta, chasing her around a store, accusing her of threatening her, and having a meltdown.
What did ‘Victoria’s Secret Karen’ do?
Footage of the incident begins with Elphick charging towards Ukenta with a raised hand, appearing as though she was about to hit the woman.
"I never thought nothing like this would ever happen to me. She just tried to run and hit me." Ukenta says while Elphick, seeing she is being recorded, suddenly begins to cry.
Elphick continues screeching and later appears to faint but conveniently lays out her purse on the ground to rest her head before she falls.
Other videos show her violently shaking and screaming for help, and chasing Ukenta around the store while shouting “Get away from me.”
‘Victoria’s Secret Karen’ Abigail Elphick says she was afraid she would lose her job.
In a later video, Ukenta reads directly from a police report in which Elphick claims she was having a “panic attack.” But she declined medical care and was able to drive herself home after the incident.
“Miss Elphick seemed to acknowledge that she was wrong, saying she was concerned about losing her job and apartment if the video posted online,” the report reads.
However, this report comes after footage showing law enforcement siding with Elphick when they arrive to the store, refusing to remove the aggressive white woman from the mall.
Elphick’s job and personal safety is prioritized over Ukenta even after she is the victim of threats and attempted assault.
How white “Karens” reinforce racism.
The phenomenon of the “Karen” has become an internet meme in recent years as these videos of white women embarrassing themselves in public become increasingly viral.
But behind the obvious ridiculousness of these videos is an untold privilege of white women who weaponize their tears against women of color.
In the video, Ukenta’s calm communication to mall security, informing them that she is being harassed, becomes completely drowned out by the hysterics of a white woman.
Elphick, by making herself appear vulnerable and fearful, and labeling her performative reaction as a “mental breakdown,” is able to manufacture a false narrative that this Black woman is aggressive and threatening.
The behavior of “Karens” is often born out of a racist entitlement and these women even manage to work white misogyny to their advantage, portraying themselves as a white damsel in distress who needs to be saved.
Even in the video, an onlooker tells Ukenta to “walk away from her”— giving Elphick the entitlement to stay and disturb the peace while a Black woman’s fear is marginalized and deprivileged.
What Elphick and many other white “Karens” exhibit is a unique form of emotional and psychological violence that reinforces the system of white dominance that makes Ukenta the aggressor, no matter how cool, calm, and collected she remains.
Ukenta has launched a GoFundMe to raise funds for legal fees, revealing that she will be taking her own action after police opted not to pursue an investigation.
Alice Kelly is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York. Catch her covering all things social justice, news, and entertainment. Keep up with her Twitter for more.