Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
Like I imagine most parents do, I spent a significant amount of time trying to instill manners and respect for elders into my children. They must speak to their elders first when walking into a room and say hello (unless, of course, their elders speak before they get a chance). When meeting somebody, if sitting, they definitely need to stand up when shaking their hand. There are a bunch of little things that all kids are taught from an early age. Boys and girls. You forgive those things when they’re little — while reminding them — and as they get older, you tend to more harshly question why they don’t do the things you’ve been teaching them for years. Parenting, what a joy. (It is a joy.)
So you can imagine how my face contorted when I saw the video of Lil Wayne introducing his three children to Queen Latifah courtside at a Los Angeles Lakers game, and they shook her hand but none stood up. Kids gon’ be kids so while I was wondering why they didn’t stand up, I also realized that sometimes kids need reminding — in the moment. (For the record, this game was on Nov. 22, 2023, against the Dallas Mavericks, so perhaps they’ve since learned their lesson, but me and you, your mama and your cousin, too, just saw this video via social media so we’re going to talk about it.)
Anywho, that’s where I was confused: Lil Wayne didn’t tell his boys to stand up as I expected him to do. That was surprising to me because Lil Wayne is a person from the South and people from the South take such things pretty seriously. I know and realize that Lil Wayne isn’t like the rest of us, but he is from New Orleans and has a Black mother, and Black mothers are usually the first in line to embarrass you for making them look bad. That sense of fear of not wanting to make our mothers look bad usually translates into…
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