In April 2018, a white woman named Jennifer Schulte called the police on a group of black people who were barbecuing in Oakland, California’s Lake Merritt park. This incident sparked outrage on social media and catalyzed an important national conversation about racial profiling and “BBQ Beckys” – white women who call the police on people of color for seemingly mundane reasons. But what ultimately happened to the original BBQ Becky, Jennifer Schulte?
The Viral Video Seen Around the Nation
The initial confrontation at Lake Merritt was captured on video and quickly went viral on Twitter and Facebook. In the video, Schulte is seen questioning the group about their use of a charcoal grill in the park and threatening to call the police to have them removed.
The group responded that they were allowed to use the space and that other people were also barbecuing in the park area. But Schulte insisted that they were violating park rules and continued to dial 911.
The manner in which Schulte targeted the group – apparently the only black people barbecuing that day – sparked accusations of racial profiling and harassment. The video spread rapidly online, where many condemned Schulte’s actions as discriminatory and the latest example of white people calling the police on black people over harmless activities.
Schulte Becomes “BBQ Becky”
As the video circulated on social media, Schulte quickly became nicknamed “BBQ Becky” – a derogatory moniker used to call out her behavior and situated within the larger trend of “BBQ Beckys.”
The name plays off the popular “Karen” meme, which pokes fun at entitled, middle-aged white women. Fusing this concept with Schulte’s questioning of the barbecuers, the name BBQ Becky was born.
The meme presented her as the iconic example of a white woman calling the police on black people for unnecessary reasons, like holding a barbecue in a park. The name was a way for people online to critique such frivolous and racially-tinged 911 calls and the systemic issues they represent.
Schulte’s Life After Going Viral
Following the incident, Schulte did interviews defending her actions as simply upholding park rules against charcoal grills. But the widespread condemnation continued.
In the aftermath, Schulte stepped back from public life for a time. Her social media accounts were deleted and she reportedly hired security after receiving death threats. She also lost her job as a dog walker due to the backlash.
Months later, Schulte reemerged for an interview on the TV show “Good Morning America.” She tearfully apologized for the incident, saying she should have minded her own business.
But she maintained she was not racist and rejected the BBQ Becky moniker. Still, she admitted she had learned from the experience and had “tremendous regret.”
The Bigger Impacts on Society
While Schulte herself attempted to move on, the BBQ Becky video kicked off ripple effects far beyond one woman’s actions.
It reignited conversations about racial profiling and white privilege at a heated time following other viral incidents with police being called on black people. It provided concrete evidence of discrimination and over-policing.
The video’s popularity catalyzed more people documenting similar incidents and calling out racism. It also inspired memes and parodies satirizing prejudice.
Moreover, Lake Merritt responded by clarifying its barbecue rules and reducing restrictions – concrete change sparked by the viral video.
In these ways, BBQ Becky left a lasting impact and progressed public discourse on systemic racism.
Ongoing “BBQ Becky” Phenomenon
The BBQ Becky incident also indelibly added “BBQ Becky” to the cultural lexicon. It became shorthand for frivolous 911 calls motivated by racism and unconscious bias.
And the phenomenon certainly did not end with the original BBQ Becky. Unfortunately, numerous examples have since emerged of white people calling the police on black people and people of color over everyday activities.
Some other instances include:
- “Permit Patty” – Called police on a black girl selling water on a sidewalk without a permit
- “Golfcart Gail” – Called police on a black man cheering on his son during a soccer game
- “Cornerstore Caroline” – Wrongfully accused a 9-year-old black boy of groping her
These examples and many more prompted continued dissection of race relations and police discrimination. They also compounded the cultural image of the “BBQ Becky” as a symbol of everyday racism and white entitlement.
The term is now widely used to call out any similar incidents, keeping the original BBQ Becky’s legacy alive as an enduring pop culture reference.
Ongoing Debate and Analysis
Schulte’s story also fueled ongoing debate around several key issues:
Unconscious Bias
Some argued Schulte may not have been intentionally racist but was influenced by unconscious bias in assuming the black barbecuers were violating rules. Her tearful apology lends credence to this perspective. The incident prompted examination of how unconscious prejudices affect behaviors.
Frivolous 911 Calls
Others contended that regardless of Schulte’s motivations, calling 911 unnecessarily wasted police resources. It illustrated issues around misuse of emergency services, especially when targeted at marginalized groups.
Public Space Restrictions
Moreover, restrictions on public space use – like banning charcoal grills – sparked debate about whether they are fair and equitable or indirectly discriminate against communities of color.
These issues and others highlighted the complexity in dissecting public incidents with racial dynamics, bias, and power imbalances.
What Schulte Is Doing Now
In recent years, Jennifer Schulte has avoided publicity and largely disappeared from the public eye. Her social media has remained deleted.
According to a 2022 investigation, she is believed to be living a private life and has not publicly commented on the BBQ Becky incident or its lasting impacts.
While Schulte herself has moved on, her legacy as the original BBQ Becky remains culturally relevant as a touchstone for examining race and privilege. Over four years later, the name BBQ Becky is still invoked frequently in news and social media to reference similar incidents of apparent racial profiling.
The viral video put a face to the larger phenomenon of white women unnecessarily calling the police on people of color that continues today. Despite wishes to retreat from the spotlight, Schulte’s version of a “BBQ Becky” call-out indelibly changed cultural conversations around discrimination in America.
Frequently Asked Questions About BBQ Becky
The BBQ Becky incident left many unanswered questions in its wake. Here are some details to fill in the gaps:
Where exactly did the original BBQ Becky confrontation happen?
The viral incident took place in Oaklands’ Lake Merritt park in a designated barbecue zone along Lakeshore Avenue. Barbecues were allowed in certain marked areas, but charcoal grills were prohibited at the time.
What was Schulte’s stated reason for questioning the group?
In the video, Schulte asserts to the barbecuers that charcoal grills weren’t permitted in that area of the park. She demanded to see their permit and refused to leave them alone when they asked her to stop harassing them.
Did the police actually respond to Schulte’s 911 call?
Yes, after the filming ended, police did arrive on the scene in response to Schulte’s complaint. But they did not cite or arrest anyone from the barbecue gathering.
How did the public identify Jennifer Schulte as the BBQ Becky woman?
Internet sleuths figured out her identity based on her dog walking business visible in the video. Her name was then confirmed through property records and additional footage showing her license plate.
Why were there accusations of racial profiling?
Schulte was filmed targeting the black barbecue group despite other nearby non-black people also grilling. Many interpreted her 911 call as racially motivated and reflecting bias in assuming they were violating rules.
How did the Lake Merritt park change its barbecue policies?
After the incident went viral, the park eliminated charcoal restrictions to avoid discrimination. They also increased designated barbecue zones from four areas to ten in response to community feedback.
Conclusion
While Schulte may wish the incident faded into obscurity, the BBQ Becky confrontation heard ’round the internet still resonates. It illuminated racially-charged 911 calls, public space discrimination, and how unconscious bias creeps into everyday actions.
The video’s prominence catalyzed real policy changes, like increased barbecue access. But more importantly, it indelibly mainstreamed calling out privileges and prejudices with the enduring BBQ Becky meme.
So beyond the whats and whys of that particular conflict, its legacy as a symbol of ingrained racism and power dynamics lives on in the popular vernacular. BBQ Becky’s viral infamy marked a flashpoint illuminating troubling societal biases – even if Schulte herself hopes to be forgotten.