This iconic character was created to silence and control enslaved black women.

In Slavelin has been over for generations, but her hold over black women is not.

This is two-minute black history, what you didn't learn in Skrull.

Content warning, the following story mentions sexual assault and violence against women.

The Mami character, an enslaved fat black woman who loved serving white people,

was originally racist propaganda created to justify enslavement.

Historical plantation records show little proof of their ever-being actual mami's,

meaning the stereotype was invented to disempower black women.

But Mami did more than that, and her legacy still affects us today.

To create Mami, enslaved black women were compared to white beauty standards.

If then white women were attractive, then fat black women were the opposite.

Why do this?

While writing off black women as unattractive, meant white enslavers could rape them with our consequences.

Upholding violent lies that rape is about attraction, not about power.

And that's not all.

It also tells black women and girls, especially plus size women,

that they're unworthy of love, respect, romantic intimacy or sexual pleasure.

And public shaming of black women tells others that this disrespect is okay.

When Lizzo and Cardi B dropped their single rulers,

internet haters frequently called Lizzo Mami as an insult.

This is just one example of how black women, especially if they're dark-skinned and plus-sized,

are constantly devalued by our culture.

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