The Memes of 2020
-By Margaret Peacock

Memes are cultural artifacts specific to the twenty-first century. Scholars and students can use them to gain insight into the lived experience of a moment and to understand cultural trends. Memes in this collection are sorted loosely in chronological order, beginning in early March, when the virus became a lived reality for millions of Americans. Please send additional memes to add to the collection to deepersickness@gmail.com. WARNING: Some of these memes use offensive language or are adult in theme.

March – June

June – November

WARNING: Some of these memes deal with the Black Lives Matter movement in racist and cruel ways. Consider exploring this article for context: White, Mellina. “Attention White People: Your #BLM Memes Are Not Enough,” Engage, NPR, June 2, 2020. https://www.kuow.org/stories/a-letter-to-her-white-friends-on-their-blm-memes.