Black Disability Gone Viral: A Critical Race Approach to Inspiration Porn

Abstract

On May 31, 2018, tattoo artist Milton Purnell of Tattoo Supreme in Raleigh, North Carolina posted a striking video on his Instagram and Facebook pages. The video shows Purnell presenting Michael Mack, Jr., a ten-year-old Black boy amputee, with a new prosthetic leg. The leg features custom airbrush artwork, with white and silver flames around the name and image of the Black Panther, the Marvel superhero from the blockbuster film, Black Panther (2018). The video captures young Mack’s eyes growing wide with excitement, as Purnell shows him the prosthetic, asking the boy what he thinks of it. Suddenly, Mack’s jaw drops. He spins off the stool he is seated on and hops away briefly, with his hand over his mouth. He then returns to his seat, where he grasps the leg in his hands, admiring it. In the background, two voices, including Mack’s mother, Sandra McNeill, express awe and admiration for the custom artwork. In front of the camera, Purnell encourages Mack to try it on, stating “Put yo leg on man! Put yo leg on!” In the background, we hear McNeill saying that she forgot the “connecting part” for the new leg, but that Mack should still put it on for a picture. Mack puts on the prosthetic, stands up, and starts to dance. Within days, this video went viral, with hundreds of thousands of views, shares, likes, and comments across multiple social media platforms.