Sharon Osbourne: Miss Millie Lives On

I remember being nine years old and watching The Color Purple and being riveted by the overall struggles of Black people, but Black women, yet beaten down by men and society that they loved and contributed vastly to but did not love them in return. One scene that stuck with me. After Miss Sophia portrayed by Oprah Winfrey struck Miss Millie for asking her to be her maid, and putting her hands on her, as a condition of her release from prison, Miss Sophia was released into servitude. What prison did not take or beat out of Miss Sophia; Miss Millie finished.

Miss Sophia’s first job was to teach Miss Millie how to drive, which was a lesson in futility. Miss Millie considered herself being kind and gave Miss Millie a few hours home with her family for Christmas. However, Miss Millie could not drive for shit, had enormous difficulty backing up, became white woman scared when Miss Sophia’s big, strapping Black male relatives tried to assist her, and because of her fear, and her white woman tears, Miss Sophia had to cut her Christmas dinner/visit short with her family. At nine years old, I learned that white women would use their tears and victimhood to get anything they wanted.

Let us fast forward 36 years, shall we? On today’s episode of The Talk, the subject came up of Piers Morgan’s racism. The panel pretty much agreed that due to Piers’ denial of racism, his constant harassment and stalking of Meghan Markle, and overly cavalier attitude toward race conversations, he was a racist. Now Sharon Osbourne, much like the 53% and 55% who voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020, decided that because she considered herself a friend of his, not only did she defend him, but had to also vehemently deny his racism. She became so enraged, she told Sheryl Underwood and I quote: “Don’t you dare cry! Show me what he has done or said that is racist. Educate me.” As they went to commercial break, the producers are bleeping out her curse words directed towards Sheryl for offending her sensibilities.

It is not the defense of her racist, pervy friend. Let us be honest, I think anyone would defend a friend, if not, it would make you have to do a deep introspection about yourself and your life choices, and not many are willing to do that, especially if said friend is trash and toxic. For me, it was the disrespect of the Black woman. It was the privilege and the…