*Mo’Nique is not backing down from comments she made on social media last week, in which she noted her frustration with seeing Black women wearing pajamas and bonnets in public.
The “Precious” star addressed this troubling trend after seeing young Black women at the airport looking trifling.
”As we began to walk through the airport, I saw so many – actually too many to count and too many for me to tap – but, I saw so many of our young sistas in head bonnets, scarves, slippers, pajamas, blankets wrapped around them…and this is how they are showing up to the airport,” she said.
”And the question I am having to you, my sweet babies – when did we lose pride in representing ourselves? When did we step away from let me make sure I’m presentable when I leave my home? Let me make sure I’m representing the family I created so that if I’m out in the street I look like I have pride in myself,” Mo continued.
READ MORE: Mo’Nique Urges Black Women to Stop Wearing Bonnets, Pajamas in Public [VIDEO]
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After stirring up debate, the Oscar-winning actress returned to Instagram to explain why she was compelled to deliver the message in the first place.
“The post that I did Friday in reference to us being the best us that we can be, it rubbed some people wrong, but I want to share this with yall,” Mo began in a video posted Tuesday. “There were two people in my life that had I taken a different attitude, I could have felt they was rubbing me wrong. But I’m glad I took the attitude of appreciation and gratitude because they tapped me. And that was Patti LaBelle and Margaret Avery.”
She went on to say, “I’m glad those two women love me enough that they would go out of their way to talk to me in a way that aunties, mommas, big sisters talk to their little sisters, nieces, grandbabies, [and] daughters. I was grateful for that because it allowed me to [feel] about things differently. Never once did I think those women were trying to be offensive, nasty, or mean. I thought it was nothing but love.”
Mo made clear that she isn’t bothered by the backlash, saying, “So for you babies that have taken offense to what I said, I’m okay with that… And when yall say, ‘We will cancel yo a**.’ Well, they’ve tried that, and I’m still here to let yall know I love you and ain’t nothing you can do about that.”
Hear her tell it via the Instagram clip above.
