They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But in the case of the latest cover of The New Yorker, the picture is worth thousands of social media comments. Since its founding in 1925, the magazine has been known for its iconic (and often controversial) cover images that get people talking.
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The cover of the September 9, 2024 issue is the latest, and this time, Black people have had plenty to say about it. The image, which accompanies the story, “A Mother’s Work: A Glimpse Into the Lives of New York’s Caretakers,” depicts two women of color on the playground caring for white children. A closer look at the image reveals one woman showing the other a picture on her phone of a student (who is likely her child) wearing a cap and gown.
Since the cover was released, it has incited a pretty heated discussion on practically every social media platform about the history of Black and Brown women caring for white children – often at the expense of their own. A picture of this practice, which dates back to the time of slavery, is for many commenters a painful reminder of the past.
“I don’t think anybody understands the fire that lights inside of me when I see women of color pushing little white babies through Manhattan. I will never understand how in 2024 we still have these little tricklings of slavery in our day-to-day living because why are white people still not taking care of their kids?” said one TikToker in a post that has received over 14,000 likes.
She goes on to say that white people view people of color as simply people who do services for them rather than people they want to have living next door or sitting in classrooms next to their children.
The image also struck a nerve with many people of color who recalled their own parents and grandparents who worked as nannies missing special events because of their obligation to the families they worked for.
“My mom takes care of two young girls. The first time she took off was for my grandmothers funeral and later for my graduation. This hits closer to home than not,” wrote another person on Instagram.
But one of the most powerful comments came from a person who pointed out that in these jobs filled by women who are often immigrants and more often Black and Brown, there are no benefits or paid time off. And that means missing one day of work can have devastating consequences.
“I felt this in my soul, and heart. As a person who had a mother do this job, I get it and continue think about this everyday. She couldn’t come to an event bc she couldn’t miss a day of work, because there is no calling out, especially if you’re working off the books. You don’t show up, you don’t get paid. So they are taking care of someone else’s child, while their child has to be latch key kid and wait for them to come home,” wrote someone on Instagram.
