This week on Auntie Unfiltered, I go into the mailbag and answer a question from a white woman who wants to know whether white women can be “aunties” as well. The short answer? Sure. If you are an actual aunt to nieces and nephews and your nieces and nephews actually call you “Auntie”-whatever, then you are an auntie to those children. Where it gets into tricky territory is when women who are not black try to adopt the colloquialism that Black people use to show reverence and respect to Black women who are older than them. I wasn’t sure if the email was trolling me or not, but I gave it the benefit of the doubt and answered honestly. As always, I want to hear from you. Your messages are so encouraging, so thank you to everyone who has reached out so far. If you have questions, comments, or concerns, or if you have a topic you think I should address, please hit me up at AuntieSubmissions@theroot.com and I’ll see you next time.