Long live the Queen? Not on Black Twitter’s watch.
It’s said that one should show respect for the dead. But some would argue it depends on who died and what they did in life. Not even 24- hours since the news of Queen Elizabeth II’s death broke out, Black Twitter didn’t exactly mourn. It shrugged and then did what it’s known for: clapping back with a vengeance.
Some users highlighted their indifference, others resorted to comedy and a few pointed out the Queen’s connection to colonialism across the Caribbean and Africa.
Mukoma Wa Ngugi pulled no punches, writing, “if the Queen had apologized for slavery, colonialism and neocolonialism and urged the crown to offer reparations for the millions of lives taken in her/their names, then perhaps I would do the human thing and feel bad. As a Kenyan, I feel nothing. This theater is absurd.”
To which one person quipped, “You feel nothing? I feel great!”
Another user co-signed on the colonialism point. Shakia Asamoah posted, “reminder that Queen Elizabeth is not a remnant of colonial times. She was an active participant in colonialism. She actively tried to stop independence movements and she tried to keep newly independent colonies from leaving the Commonwealth. The evil she did was enough.”
Some speculated how Meghan Markle and Princess Diana might respond. Big Daddy Dre posted a picture of a young Black man sleeping next to freshly laid out clothes. The caption reads, “Prince Charles tonight,” which poked fun at him preparing for his eventual coronation.
There’s also this image and caption, showing an old woman trying to scale a gate. It reads, “Diana, open up these pearly gates right now!”
Dodai Stewart tweeted an excerpt from an article by Choire Sicha: “a historically wild day on the internet transpired after the death of Queen Elizabeth II… white Twitter and Black Twitter rubbed shoulders, Irish Twitter rallied then went to the pub.”
One woman in another section of Twitter wrote, “my sister lives in Northern Ireland and just texted saying the neighborhood has starting lighting fireworks lmaoooooo.”
Finally, there’s this tweet, which sums up the consensus on Black Twitter. It says, “we are sad to announce that the Queen has died,” followed by a picture of Princess Diana looking delighted and relieved.
But perhaps the most savage public comment comes from Choire Sicha, whose article is referenced above.
“In the end, if she brought nothing to those of us who weren’t her subjects, or had our lives and countries ruined by her cursed family, at least today the Queen brought us the kind of joy you can only experience while still being alive.”
