Older black women are, by and large, my happy place. They often prove themselves to be incredibly honest, wonderfully hilarious and the very best of blackness. I have had an affinity for the group I describe as “black aunties” since I was a child who obsessed over his literal black aunties. However, it is often hard to find a black auntie in the space of social media outside of hilarious memes or videos in which their children or other younger relatives opt to share them unto the world.
Thankfully, more black aunties are joining social media. Of course, Jackée Harry is the belle of the ball on Twitter, followed by the legendary Anita Baker. I’m sure there are a bunch of mature women on Facebook, but their sons, daughters, nieces and nephews typically ruin that platform for me five minutes into a home page scan, so never mind that. Now, when it comes to Instagram, without a shadow of a doubt, Tina Knowles Lawson is the best f—king thing to ever happen to Instagram.
She is literally your 60-plus black mom on IG, and I mean that in the best of ways. Like, your mom before she became your mom, and your mom after she got her life back once your ass moved the hell up out of her house. I’ve always known Ms. Tina to be a national treasure, if for no other reason than what is the gift of her talented daughters, but her social media presence has taken me to more places than I Am … Sasha Fierce.
Ms. Tina’s first post is captioned: “Me and my new boo chilling @therealdebbimorgan.”
Me and my girls 4 of the Ocean Club
A photo posted by Tina Knowles (@mstinalawson) on Aug 28, 2015 at 2:19pm PDT
Look at Ms. Tina and her homegirls, y’all. They look like the Real Housewives of Whatever Baptist Church You Can Think Of.
A video posted by Tina Knowles (@mstinalawson) on Sep 17, 2015 at 1:30pm PDT
Do you see this? This is Ms. Tina re-creating a scene from Mahogany on a boat in France. Some of us will never get to duplicate this in its exact form, but best believe that many of us will one day be in our 60s re-creating scenes from Love & Hip Hop or something from Vine by a water fountain or the parking lot of a pool hall.
You know you can have brunch free at Costco on Saturday Mornings with all the free samples . HaHa
A photo posted by Tina Knowles (@mstinalawson) on Nov 28, 2015 at 12:02pm PST
Oh, my God. Ms. Tina is talking about Costco being a great brunch spot because of the free samples. This is peak black.
There are many other gems: her husband killing y’all in a cowboy hat; her showing off the holiday fixings; her posing like the youth when they go anywhere cultural; her promoting her boo thang’s new movie; her flossing with her rich friends; her showing evidence that she likely told her oldest kid, the most famous woman on earth, “Come get in this picture for IG, girl”; grandbaby shots; and more grandbaby shots; and quoting Ruby Dee.
And if you threaten her children, she will get you together: “Thankyou Jfintel I just reported him to the authorities as well they are on it. As he just threatened murder and sexual assault in a public forum and is obviously a sick cowardly uneducated racist pervert.”
Ms. Tina’s video uploads to IG are sickening. Like, I don’t understand why every person with internet access on his or her phone is not following her. She is on Instagram saying her husband is “69 and fine as wine.”
I don’t know if this will ever reach Ms. Tina, but I want to thank her for being nothing but a joyous addition to my social media experience. You always make me want me to tell my mom to join Twitter. Almost. I don’t want those problems.
In any event, please never leave Instagram. In fact, Solange and/or Julez, please teach her how to use Snapchat. Do it for the culture.
Michael Arceneaux hails from Houston, lives in Harlem and praises Beyoncé’s name wherever he goes. Follow him on Twitter.