Racist 'Zoombombers' Target Minority Communities at UGA

Athens-Clarke County Commissioner Mariah Parker virtually attended a Phi Kappa Literary Society meeting on Nov. 17 to discuss anti-racism allyship with members of the University of Georgia community. But the tone of the conversation quickly changed when an anonymous user used racial and homophobic slurs, saying they believe Jewish, Black and LGBTQ people should “burn” during a Q-and-A portion of the meeting.

A second voice started repeatedly yelling a racial slur, prompting the meeting’s host to scramble to kick out the user as others attempted to join the call in a “coordinated attack,” Parker said. The host finally decided to end the call and discretely shared a new link with the audience. The university is still investigating the incident, said James Hataway, media relations manager for UGA’s Marketing and Communication office.

“We never saw the faces of the people that did it,” Parker said. “They can jump on, ruin your day and leave without any consequences, as opposed to the bravery it actually takes just to speak what you think is truth to power in a physical space. This is a new way of low-stakes terrorism.”

Emboldened Online

The world embraced the “new normal” by shifting from in-person meetings to online video calls as the COVID-19 pandemic forced people to socially distance from one another, but these virtual meetings give bad actors a new way to infiltrate conversations and spread hurtful words and threats. This was but one of several “Zoombombings” experienced by members of the UGA and Athens communities this year.

Read more: https://flagpole.com/news/news-features/2020/12/16/racist-zoombombers-target-minority-communities-at-uga/