American families come in all shapes and sizes. And last week, the Oxygen network announced that they’ll be showcasing a particularly unique one: the family of rapper Shawty Lo (also known as Carlos Walker), which includes ten women with whom he’s had eleven children.
The show is called “All My Babies’ Mamas,” and it’s led to public outrage, debate, and even a petition at Change.org, demanding that the producers pull the show. The main assertion from critics: that it negatively depicts black men.
Jamilah King is the culture editor for Colorlines.com.