Parenting
Why didn't Louis believe Luna Ann was his biological daughter?
Louis didn't understand genetics, so he couldn't understand how two light-skinned people can make a dark-skinned baby.
True or False:
Sweetness felt bad for how strict she had to treat Luna Ann.
True!
Once Luna Ann moved out, Sweetness began to feel regret about how much she distanced herself from Luna Ann when she was a child.
What is colorism?
Prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial group.
True or False:
Louis felt bad for leaving Sweetness to raise Luna Ann alone.
True!
Although Louis never apologized, he started sending Sweetness money as a way of making amends.
How did Sweetness' grandma treat her dark-skinned family members?
Since she was white-passing, she married a white man and isolated herself from the rest of the family. She ignored any letters she received from her dark-skinned children.
Where do lighter skinned people get treated better where Sweetness lived?
-social/neighborhood clubs
-churches
-sororities
-colored schools
What are microaggresions?
An indirect or subtle statement/action/incident that encourages discrimination against members of a marginalized group such as a racial or ethnic minority.
Ex. Sweetness didn't think Luna Ann had "good hair" because it was less straight than her hair.
What is an example of Sweetness trying to protect Lula Ann from being a victim?
-She taught Luna Ann how to be independent
Why did Luna Ann call her mom Sweetness?
Since Luna Ann is dark-skinned and her mom is light-skinned, Sweetness wanted to avoid confusion/discrimination in public by acting unrelated.
What is an example of discrimination Sweetness and Luna Ann faced?
- Welfare clerks treated Sweetness worse when she was with Luna Ann
- Sweetness' landlord raised her rent
- Strangers would say rude things/give mean looks at Sweetness when she would take Luna Ann out
What is internalized racism?
A form of internalized oppression by minorities that reflects systems of privilege and societal values. Acceptance of prejudice by stigmatized races, usually unknowingly.
True or False:
Sweetness' dad told her to treat Luna Ann strictly to protect her from the type of discrimination he was victim to.
False!
Sweetness' dad was white passing and socially privileged. Sweetness' mom was not however, and was continuously mistreated at work and in public places.
How did Sweetness' distant parenting affect her and Luna Ann's relationship in the future?
Luna Ann isolated herself from Sweetness and once she had a child of her own, she only sent Sweetness a letter and money once in a while as a way of staying in touch but distant.
What broke up Luna Ann's parents' marriage?
Both Sweetness and Louis were light skinned, so Louis assumed Luna Ann couldn't be his biological daughter.
Why was Sweetness strict with Luna Ann and teach her how to be submissive in public and independent in private?
Sweetness saw Luna Ann's dark skin tone as a target on her back and didn't want Luna Ann to get caught up with the wrong people.
What is one reason Sweetness self-victimized?
(The exaggeration of victimhood for a variety of reasons, such as to justify abuse/manipulation of others, a coping strategy, attention seeking or diffusion of responsibility)
-Louis left her when he saw Luna Ann for the first time
-She was a single mother
-She experienced microaggressions
-She wasn't ready to raise a child that would be discriminated against