A Possible White Supremacist Gesture Arises In A Surprising Place

The Washington DC Fire Department has launched an investigation after some of its recruits were posing in a photo doing what could possibly be a white supremacist hand gesture. The ‘OK’ sign was appropriated by white supremacists initially as a joke, but now it’s very serious.

Though it looks innocent to some, it’s definitely used by white supremacists to call for white power. It came up during an investigation for being potentially shown by cadets at an Army-Navy game, though the military eventually ruled it wasn’t the case. 

Black Americans have to be especially aware of symbols like this because what’s being communicated is a direct threat to us and our safety. After all, white supremacists are a problem in the military and in the police, so it’s not impossible to see them in first responders.

A big danger that comes with the ‘OK’ symbols is how inconspicuous it is. White supremacists can say it wasn’t meant to be racist and evade the consequences of doing something as bold as a Nazi salute (which a group of correctional cadets just got caught doing in West Virginia).

So as the investigation is ongoing in the DC Fire Department, be aware of this white supremacist symbol and others like it. No matter what happens, racism is all around us and we need to be able to identify it when it’s in our face.