Editor’s Note: One of the women who most ignited the Karen meme last year was Amy Cooper, who called the police on a black birdwatcher in Central Park and lied that he was threatening her. The fallout was swift. She was fired from her job at Franklin Templeton, and her dog was even temporarily taken from her. Now, she's suing Franklin Templeton, accusing the company of falsely portraying her as a racist. Uh no...you portrayed yourself as a racist. The Karen is strong in this one. To remind everyone of the Karen meme meaning and impact, we're re-publishing our story, which was partly prompted by Cooper's actions.
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The scourge of "Karen-ism" has grown to the point it can no longer be ignored. You've surely seen the many videos of white women, usually middle-aged, taking someone to task, usually a minority, for some infringement or annoyance. The videos often include calls to the police, which, as everyone knows, can cause serious consequences for people of color.
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