CONFRONTING AND SUBVERTING THE “WELFARE QUEEN” TROPE THIS MOTHER’S DAY
Anyone who has done motherhood knows it is hard enough to bring life into the world. But racism and anti-Blackness make things especially hard for Black mothers, so let’s take a moment to debunk the stigma this Mother’s Day. With the ACA on the verge of repeal, pregnancy could end up costing up to 425% more. Motherhood as we know it is under attack. And once you apply the intersections of being Black and female…not to mention queer, low income and other marginalized identities, the reality becomes even scarier.
We Black mothers are more likely to die during childbirth (three times more likely compared to other women). Our children have a more than 2 times higher chance of infant mortality than white children. These rates are a shame when you compare other “developed” countries.
With higher influence of poverty and trauma related to racism, we need real solutions. Instead we see right-wing funded “Welfare Queen” propaganda, like the beer- swigging, oreo-eating Black mothers in the music video “It’s Free Just Swipe Yo EBT” [Ed: we will not link to this here]. This mockery is a shame because the artist was paid to reinforce this stereotype.
I, as a Black mother, have danced the intricate footwork of securing resources and services for myself and my child as a single mom. So I can attest – it ain’t no game! And when I came forward with the My Food Stamps Cookbook campaign two weeks ago, to fund an EBT-priced radical nutrition movement, I experienced that “welfare queen” stigmatization first hand. Seems some White dudes trolling on my campaign found it necessary to critique me for having my nails and make-up done, wearing a nose ring, calling me “over-weight,” and laughing at me for being a single Black mom. I even lost donations from these folks due to prioritizing people of color in my work on food justice.