Target Tammy

Overview

Target Tammy is the white cop-caller nickname of a currently unnamed white woman who started argument with a group of black women at a Target retail store in Nashville, Tennessee in December 2018.

Background

On December 1st, 2018, in a since-deleted post, Facebook user Lena Jones posted a video of a white woman arguing with Jones and group of her friends about whether or not they were talking about sex in public. The group insists that they were talking about the 1992 comedy film Boomerang, particularly Eartha Kitt's character who has "sex with a younger man" in the film. Eventually, the confrontation was diffused by two Target employees.1]

That day, Twitter ^[2] user @HollaBlackGirl tweeted the video of the incident. They captioned the post, "Another white woman decided not to mind her own damn business. She intruded on the convo of 3 black women, tried to tell them what they did and didn’t say. Then she insulted and gaslit them, and played victim. As per usual. I hope they catch her in the streets #RacistBeckery." The post received more than 2,400 retweets, 4,800 likes and 188,000 views in less than two weeks (shown below).

That day, @HollaBlackGirl posted a followup video.^[3] The post received more than 440 retweets and 725 likes in less than two weeks.

Developments

Online Reaction

Online, many wondered why the woman became so aggressive toward the group of women. On December 2nd, 2018, Twitter^[4] user @DrBHotchkins tweeted I pray this type of hyper surveillance never happens to me because it will end extra ugly and I hope that the Black Womyn in this video are safe, sound and sane as they owe no White person an explanation about whatever they choose to speak… #TargetTeresa" (shown below, left). Twitter^[5] user @kidd26 tweeted, "The way she was carrying on, one would think they were actually having sex in the hat section. She is very bored and very insecure" (shown below, center). Twitter user @KiraJW tweeted,^[6] "Please tell me they banned her from this @Target. Funny how freedom of speech only applies to white people being racist and not black people having normal conversations" (shown below, right).

Media Coverage

Several media outlets covered the story, including Yahoo, ^[1] The Daily Dot, ^[7] Fox News ^[8] and more.

Search Interest

External References