Earlier this week, Outkast rapper Big Boi set the internet ablaze when he posted a questionable meme comparing today’s mothers to that of mothers of other generations.
The photo on the left side of the meme is a still from the set of Good Times, where actress Ester Rolle (Florida Evans) is seen in the kitchen with on-screen daughter Bern Nadette Stains (Themla) with the caption “Mothers In The 70s” written across the top.The photo on the right side of the meme shows a woman of color in a thong and bathing suit top posing in the shower as her young son looks on; it includes the caption “Mothers Now” across the top. A final caption at the bottom of the meme reads “…And we act like we don’t know what’s wrong with these kids.”
Black Moms Address Negative Perceptions About Black Children in Powerful New Video
— Big Boi (@BigBoi) May 29, 2016
As expected, Black women instantly took notice of the offensive and far-fetched photo on social media and had much to say. Among those who found the photo to be inaccurate and exaggerated was writer and social influencer Feminista Jones, who quickly began flooding Big Boi’s mentions with positive images of young mothers of this generation.
.@BigBoi pic.twitter.com/zCx3iBymWC
— Feminista Jones (@FeministaJones) May 30, 2016
. @BigBoi pic.twitter.com/ciEVzrRzMu
— Feminista Jones (@FeministaJones) May 30, 2016
. @BigBoi NaChe Thompson revolutionized formula feeding with her invention pic.twitter.com/mEoYquYnjo
— Feminista Jones (@FeministaJones) May 30, 2016
.@BigBoi Angela Benton had her child at 16, started a company that helped 300 startups get over $17M pic.twitter.com/xMgV648iK5
— Feminista Jones (@FeministaJones) May 30, 2016
.@BigBoi Deanna Jordan, single mom, graduated from UCLA with 3 degrees pic.twitter.com/EfgbKhfGjE
— Feminista Jones (@FeministaJones) May 30, 2016
.@BigBoi Janel Lanae grew up abused in foster care, had a baby at 15, and graduated from college debt-free pic.twitter.com/QcVf9IYamC
— Feminista Jones (@FeministaJones) May 30, 2016
.@BigBoi As a musician, I'm sure you know Catherine Hughes, founder of Radio One, had her 1st child at 16 pic.twitter.com/QPa7QGPT8J
— Feminista Jones (@FeministaJones) May 30, 2016
.@BigBoi And Maya Angelou, former exotic dancer and sex worker, had 1st at 17, and well… you know the rest pic.twitter.com/XPvCtvSngb
— Feminista Jones (@FeministaJones) May 30, 2016
Big Boi later took to his Twitter page to insist that the point he was intending to make was more about the effects on the child in the photo and less about bashing Black mothers in general, but his attempt to explain after the fact seemed to be to no avail.
I don't mind u bussin it open , but not in front of the baby ,but I guess y'all don't see the baby in the Meme. ( That I did not Create )
— Big Boi (@BigBoi) May 30, 2016
What are your thoughts on the meme?
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