I LOVE Black Twitter.
One of my favorite sets of Memes/tweets that come out every year is #thanksgivingwitBlackfamilies. It was the biggest back in 2015 but still relatable. For me, it’s a perfect showcase of how different the cultures are even around the same holiday and how universal much of the experiences can be. I haven’t been to a Black thanksgiving in a few years, and when I see these meme’s it always feels like returning home. To me, these Black Thanksgiving memes are the perfect mix of truth, humor, and straight up the acknowledgment of what things make Black families the way they are.
- The grandmother is THE Matriarch.
- The greater the age, the greater the power
- Honor vs Disrespect
- Religion
- Family secrets and “store runs”
- Internally power positioning
- Colorpeopletime
- Tea, Gossip, and hilarity
- Gender dynamics
- Cousin= siblings/best friends you never see as much
- Punishment
- Gay relationships and homophobia
- Mac and Cheese is serious
The Importance of Black Thanksgiving Memes
I’ve attended my fair share of non-Black thanksgiving and it’s more like, a Sunday with more food. In the Black household, Thanksgiving is an EVENT. Typically you go to the oldest member of the household’s home along with every other family member. It’s multi-generational and a time where no matter who you are, what you’ve done, how close you are, you have a spot, and a role to fill. To not go is disrespectful and everyone will know you weren’t there. People show up and out for a variety of reasons.
Keeping up with appearances is a big reason some folks come out, whereas some can’t help but pass on their “wisdom” to you. All the food is full of tradition and has rules. It’s also a time to have potential partners judged as good enough to join the family. (white folks are scrutinized the hardest) Mostly it’s a time to gather all the loved ones in one place and be together. It’s a mini family reunion, which often has MANY branches of family attending.
I’m regularly asked, how to learn the context of Black culture. These memes are an easy way. It shows a lot of the inner family dynamics that happen behind closed doors. There is much love and humor as well as great food. I hope you chuckle as hard as I did.
https://www.vibe.com/2015/11/thanksgiving-with-Black-families/
Editors Note: This post has been updated for clarity.