Black Parents Celebrating Their Babies Prom Doesn’t Hurt Anybody

Parents of the class of 2024 are going all out for their children’s senior proms. They have turned casual community toast-offs and front porch stop-bys into full-fledged productions. In some cases, they have set up elaborate pre-game events that are more opulent than the proms themselves. They’re upstaging the events with full catering, wedding-style tents, and makeup looks worthy of the Met Gala steps.

These parents and guardians have faced public criticism for going out of their way to make their children feel special. Self-proclaimed financial experts have made uninvited passages into their pockets and judged them for wanting to send their babies to their special night in style.

This is unfair and unproductive. Not only do we not know how people are financing these affairs, it is none of our business! If they did not scam you or a loved one to pull it off it does not impact you personally.

Black children deserve joy. They deserve to have parents who amplify their accomplishments, and it is not for strangers on the internet to judge how that happens.

Prom is typically an event for graduating seniors. It is a chance for them to be rewarded for all of the work they put in by dedicating themselves to completing their studies. These children have had so many milestones stripped from them by circumstances; what is wrong with taking the time to place them on a pedestal?

People are constantly complaining that there is more attention paid to alpha male podcasters and makeup gurus than teachers and doctors, but when children are being praised for getting an education, their parents are shunned for going too hard to celebrate them.

Large-scale photo installations and hellcats might not be the answer to the Black community’s issues, but pocket-watching surely is not the solution either.

Hating on these kids and their parents is not going to bring us to the promised land. The obsession with humbling Black people trying to enjoy themselves is getting weird, and it is even worse when the call is coming from inside the house.

If you want to drown your front yard in rhinestones and neon lights to show the world how much you love your bundle of joy, you should be able to do that.

Some have blamed social media for the way that children are sent off to this traditional occasion, but honestly, parents are just tapping into what people have always done.

As the times change, the tools that people have access to change. The same way that we couldn’t wait to upload unhinged albums of us throwing up the peace signs in questionable fabrics and unblended quick weaves, these kids want to be seen by their friends and communities.

They might have more avenues to do it, but these kids are just expressing themselves the way that we did, and their parents are supporting them,

Let them have their moment. Your bank balance will remain the same at the end of it.