The images shocked the nation. A group of white boaters appearing to beat a Black riverboat co-captain on the Montgomery riverfront. The scene was captured by dozens of phones held by the passengers aboard the riverboat, and the images quickly went viral on social media.
The Aug. 5, 2023, melee became a global cultural flashpoint over the next few weeks, discussed and dissected over its role on the impact of race relations in the nation.
A year later, Candyce Anderson is organizing a commemorative walk on the anniversary, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Monday beginning at the Court Square Fountain. Women are encouraged to wear yellow or pink and lay roses in remembrance.
She said the goal is to heal and unify Montgomery. “It’s an opportunity to bring some much-needed positive energy and create some joyful memories," Anderson said.
More:Commemorative Walk held on anniversary of Riverwalk Brawl
How it started
The group of boaters, mostly from Selma, had moored two pontoon boats in the slip usually reserved for the Harriott II riverboat, which was packed with passengers as it returned from an afternoon cruise on the Alabama River.
Testimony in the ensuing trials and investigations from law enforcement agencies showed that the riverboat had been waiting to dock for 45 minutes to an hour, idling mid-river, as the captain called over the public address system for the pontoon boats to move. The boats remained.
That’s when Dameion Pickett, co-captain of the Harriott II, and Daniel Warren, a 16-year-old deckhand, went ashore to address the situation.
Stories diverge on what happened; did Pickett ask that the boats be moved, or did he attempt to move the vessels from the riverboat’s slip? One of the boaters shoved Pickett. The co-captain shoved back. Warren testified in court that he attempted to stop the initial altercation, and got punched in the chest for his trouble.
Soon four of the boaters, three men and a woman, were involved in the fight, which saw fists thrown and kicks delivered as the snarl went up and down the boat dock. Several people, Black and white, attempted to break up the slugfest. During the fracas, a Black man with a folding chair struck at least two white people, one man in the head.
More:Man wielding chair in Montgomery riverfront brawl pleads guilty
There were no serious injuries, but the images left a lasting impact.
The FBI investigated the brawl and found no evidence of a hate crime in the incident.
The nation reacts, and creates a viral sensation
Videos of the brawl, mostly captured by guests aboard the Harriott II riverboat, quickly had millions of views. They also ignited an explosion of brawl-inspired creativity — parody recreations, dances, songs, paintings, folding chair humor, and many comparisons to Marvel's Avengers.
"Did y'all see the Alabama brawl?" asked stand-up comic Josh Johnson. "Who knew Wakanda was in Alabama?"
About a month after the brawl, Pickett went on Good Morning America to tell his side of the incident.
"When he touched me, I was like, 'It's on.'" Pickett said on GMA.
Video of Pickett tossing his hat into the air before the brawl kicked off in earnest was seen as a signal to many, and was recreated in dozens of brawl parodies.
"When you see a Black dude get rushed by a whole bunch of white people, and all he does is throw his hat in the air and square off, that dude has his ancestors in him," said stand-up comic Elliott Connie.
Aaren Hamilton Rudolph, a teen dubbed "Black Aquaman" on social media, jumped into the Alabama River from the riverboat and swim to the dock to help rescue Pickett.
"When they first started hitting on him, I wanted to help," Aaren said on GMA. "I couldn't just watch and sit around and let him get beat on while everyone else was just recording."
What happened in court
The drama then turned to the Montgomery Municipal Court, where the remaining chapters played out over a period from October to December. Those arrested were each charged with misdemeanors.
And each court date, each delayed proceeding, generated media attention and a rebroadcast of those images.
The following is a breakdown of how the cases ended:
- Richard Roberts, of Selma, entered guilty pleas to two counts of misdemeanor assault against Pickett and Warren. Pickett and Warren accepted the guilty pleas.
Roberts was sentenced to 32 days of a four-month suspended jail sentence, to be served on weekends in a Perry County facility. He was ordered to perform 100 hours of community service and pay court costs totaling $714, records show.
Roberts, who threw the first punch to Pickett the cell phone images show, was the only defendant to serve any jail time.
- Mary Todd, also of Selma, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor harassment in the assault on Pickett. Pickett accepted the plea deal. She was ordered to attend anger management class and pay $357 in court costs.
- Zachery Shipman, of Selma, and Allen Todd, of Orange Beach,each pleaded guiltyto the lesser charges of harassment and were each ordered to serve 100 community hours, pay all court costs as well as a $100 fine and attend an anger management course. Shipman will serve his community service hours in Selma and Todd in Orange Beach. They were each originally charged with misdemeanor assault.
Mary and Allen Todd are brother and sister.
- Reggie Ray, 42, of Montgomery, the man with the folding chair, entered a guilty plea to disorderly conduct. Ray was sentenced to 90 days in jail, which was suspended, and ordered to perform 50 hours of community service and pay court costs totaling $357.
At the time, city officials declined to comment on why Ray was not charged with misdemeanor assault. However, Richard White, attorney for Roberts, said the woman Ray struck with the plastic folding chair decided not to press charges.
As part of Ray’s plea deal, Shipman dropped assault charges he had filed against Pickett.
Shannon Heupel and Alex Gladden contributed to this story. Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com.
