Mo’Nique is enforcing her policies regarding Black women wearing bonnets in public. An unidentified woman recently shared that she witnessed the Baltimore native approach someone who was wearing a bonnet. In a text, which was posted by The Jasmine Brand, the woman sent a text saying “My dad seen Monique at Stone Mountain today and she was talking to some girl with a bonnet on.”
In the video of Mo’nique and the bonnet-wearing woman at Stone Mountain, it didn’t seem like the Precious star was giving her a lecture about wearing a bonnet in public, something she spoke out against on social media. They were laughing, joking and taking videos and pictures.
In a five-minute long video that she posted on Instagram in June, she tried to fulfill her “auntie” role and explain why Black women shouldn’t be wearing bonnets in public in an effort to encourage us to “look like we have pride.”
“The question that I’m having to you my sweet babies is, when did we lose pride in representing ourselves? When did we step away [from] ‘Let me make sure I’m presentable when I leave my home? Let me make sure I’m representing the family I created so that if I’m out in the street I look like I have pride in myself. All I’m saying is, could you please comb your hair?”
She added, “Queens, don’t walk around with bonnets and headscarves and slippers and pajamas — that’s for the house. When you go outside, represent you baby — like you are worthy and you deserve the [greeting] of ‘Hey Queen.’”
When she began receiving backlash for her comments, she doubled down on her views.
“So for you babies that have taken offense to what I said I’m okay with that. I’m okay with y’all being in your feelings about it ‘cause when you love somebody for real I know y’all will get over that. And when y’all say, ‘We will cancel yo a**,’ well, they’ve tried that, and I’m still here.”