Dey Mommas

Black people love their mommas.  Mommas are big in the black community.   Mommas hold it all together in the black community.  They are the glue in the black family.  Yours truly was recently honored to attend a neighbor’s celebration of her momma’s 80th.  The entire party laying on hands to bless her brought tears to moi’s eyes.  They are Nigerian and Christian and it was a beautiful thing to see.  God bless her. 

Back in the day if you wanted to start a fight with a black person, just say “Your momma!” and an ass-whipping you would be a-gettin’.  ”Your momma” was fighting words for sure.  Black mommas endure a lot - poverty, food stamps, welfare, lack of education, and lack of monetary support.  Moi’s own momma raised four kids on $80 a week and pink slips from child suport court that notified her yet again that her ex-husband had not paid child support that week.  Moi knew that sometimes the cupboards were a little bare, but she didn’t know she was that damned po’ when she was growing up.  But that goes to show how black mommas can create some miracles. 

Back in the day yours truly did not understand white women’s dislike and disrepect for their mommas.  She couldn’t imagine not loving your momma with all your heart and keeping her at home and taking care of her when she is old and sick.  Black people do not cart their black mommas off to the old folk’s home to be neglected and mistreated, we keep our mommas at home with us, feeding them and, yes, washing their behinds like they did for us when we were babies.  And you haven’t come full circle until you have washed your momma’s behind and have to bury her.   Moi’s own momma is gone now, but she is alive her in memory and in her voice.

Black mommas black people love them.