Understanding the OK symbol in White Supremacy Culture

DEC 21, 2019 8:21 PM

Understanding the OK symbol in White Supremacy Culture. This short video overview for the Calling Up community provides historical context and some of the different ways this hand symbol functions in society. Ultimately we cannot know what the white boys intended to mean when they did this but we can explore what it means to us. White supremacy trolling is designed to be deniable and read in several ways. The Military Academy officially affirming this behavior as an innocent game furthers white supremacy culture in problematic ways.

note: Charlotte Clymer reminded me that the circle game is also heterosexist performance policing. The male player gets punched if he looks near another man’s genitalia or “balls”. https://twitter.com/cmclymer/status/1208124338639114240?s=21

Why We Say OK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UnIDL-eHOs

How the Word “OK” Was Invented 175 Years Ago https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-word-ok-was-invented-175-years-ago-180953258

American Sign Language OK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAd747IxVZ0

American Sign Language A**Hole: https://youtu.be/IbzmLFQeq6Y?t=31

Searching for the Person who invented the Circle Game. https://www.vice.com/en_au/article/wj8e74/searching-for-the-person-who-invented-the-circle-game

Malcolm in the Middle – The Circle Game https://youtu.be/1glTOFPECNI

Okay Hand Signal https://www.adl.org/education/references/hate-symbols/okay-hand-gesture

Swastika https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika

Black Women in Pageants, a Penis Fish Invasion & White Power at a Football Game; The Daily Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY8ez2fVZlg

Why we must take white supremacist symbols seriously https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/18/opinions/army-navy-hand-gesture-okay-sign-white-supremacy-perry/index.html

Military investigating possible racist hand gestures at Army-Navy game https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2019/12/military-investigating-possible-racist-hand-gestures-at-army-navy-game.html

Cadets Were Playing Game, Not Flashing ‘White Power’ Sign, Military Finds