Photo meme slammed on Twitter for distorting Obamas' relationship

If you're going to post a "teachable moment" on the internet, it's probably a good idea to get your facts straight first, especially when it involves the first family.

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

If you’re going to post a “teachable moment” on the internet, it’s probably a good idea to get your facts straight beforehand, especially when it involves the first family.

This week, a suspected member of Hotep Twitter shared a “stand by your man”-type meme using a picture of the Obamas. In the post, Michelle and Barack are used to illustrate that when a woman gives a brother of modest means a chance, in time, (if she is faithful) he will be able to “give her the world.”

The intention was clearly to inspire, but there was just one problem with the analogy — it’s based on a false premise.

Michelle Obama didn’t take a chance on a poor brother who had nothing to his name. She dated a Harvard-educated man and was already quite successful even before meeting him. She didn’t lower her standards in the name of love and certainly didn’t need him to “give” her anything.

Many felt the Twitter post was a misguided attempt at telling women to take a gamble on a slacker and hope he turns out to be a winner, which is dubious advice at best. And Black Twitter was quick to let  know they were not having it. 

No one tore the meme to shreds more thoroughly than Shaun King, whose rebuttal has gone viral in its own right. In his Facebook fact check, Kings explains to the misinformed brother that, “The caption in this photo implies that Michelle found a scrub, she stuck with him, and he eventually became a king. That’s a damn lie too.”

The young man in question has been flooded with responses all afternoon and now insists everyone is taking his post the wrong way.

Eventually, the two men spoke and cleared the air.

Check out King’s full post below.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE