Representations of Black motherhood have always been a site of contestation in popular culture, with the most detrimental depictions tangibly shaping policies that have affected our communities for generations. From the Jezebel trope—originating during chattel slavery to justify the sexual and reproductive exploitation of Black women—to the 1980s Reagan-era Welfare Queen stereotype that demonized Black mothers in service of economic exploitation, and the myriad portrayals of Black mothers pushing back against these harmful stereotypes, representations of Black motherhood in the public sphere remain a tumultuous topic. Read on to learn more.