The New York Times Style section sent out a questionable tweet this afternoon to promote a story on First Lady Michelle Obama: “How FLOTUS shed an angry black woman caricature and evolved into a political powerhouse.”
Screengrab via Twitter
Naturally, people were upset, as Obama, Harvard Law School graduate and beacon of poise and class, has not only never embodied such a caricature, but also, you know, why is the Times Styles section, home to showy white affluence, trying to further such stereotypes in a tweet?
Since when was Michelle ever an “angry black woman?” pic.twitter.com/BGtbBCsB04
— NATALIE AGUILERA (@HailXtina) November 8, 2016
https://twitter.com/EricaJoy/status/796116394785939456
https://twitter.com/niamarielife/status/796109429523484673
https://twitter.com/blahzayskippy/status/796108139783405568
The tweet has since been deleted and replaced with a non-apology.
The Closer: Michelle Obama https://t.co/mighJMxqGy (deleted earlier tweets for language that some found offensive) pic.twitter.com/sF3Pkm5YZN
— NYT Styles 💖 (@NYTStyles) November 8, 2016
Likely, some social media editor made a mistake. However, that doesn’t mean media doesn’t need to understand its blind spots, including our nation’s deeply hurtful stereotypes.
