While browsing the internet this weekend, I came across this photo on the Essence Magazine Fanpage. My initial thoughts were wow, such a beautiful photo. I love seeing photos of mothers with their children. I quickly scanned the rest of the cover and came across the subtitle “Single, Satisfied & Raising Children.” I really didn’t see a problem with that either because as we know, approximately 75% of African-American homes are now led by single parents. Many fans commented on the photo stating they felt Essence is sending a bad message to young girls by having a photo of Nia Long on the cover because she has two “baby daddy’s” and is not married. Well apparently I was in the minority of thinking, kudos to Nia for being a great single mom! The comments made me think about the image and whether or not it sends a message of “it is fine to have children out of wedlock and celebrate single parenting.” What do you think? Share your thoughts on the comments section please.
I really need people to stop being one dimensional thinkers. Many women (and men for that matter) do not have the intention of being single parents. Sometimes you can do everything you think is appropriate to ensure a good outcome and still not get a happy ending for a plethora of reasons. Then again, there are those that are single but want to become parents. I believe we have to acknowledge(don’t have to like it but appreciate what it means) the era we are in because we really do need to make adjustments as mores change over the years. These days, I feel that children need to a good support system and as a single parent myself, I have been blessed to get that from teachers, friends and some family members. as long as the child is well cared for physically, emotionally, and financially, I don’t delve into the rest. I know many two parent households where the kids should have been removed from so again, as long as the children are being loved, nurtured and taught to respect people and life, I don’t have much to say about things that I have no knowledge of. I also believe that there are some areas of a person’s life that should be respected as private. On another note, I will be extremely happy when people stop using the terms baby mama and baby daddy as well. Having said all of this I personally do not believe that Nia and Essence are setting a bad example or encouraging single parenting. It seems to me that it’s more of a testament of being strong and continuing to move forward in spite of the odds.
Thank you for commenting I agree with you.