On Montana Fishburne

To be honest—and I don’t mean this as a cut—what Laurence Fishburne is known for or, as they say in the academy, what he’s coded as, is a Strong Black Man who keeps it Black in the eyes of quite a few African Americans, right down to his wife, reigning sci-fi/fantasy goddess Gina Torres (she’s idenitified as Afro–Cuban) and children.  (And let’s not forget that quite a few folks also have childhood warm-fuzzies from his role as Cowboy Curtis on Pee-Wee’s Playhouse.)  So, Fishburne is seen as the Black actor who paid his dues from his days of supporting roles (like Apocalypse Now, One Life to Live, and the aforementioned Playhouse) to winning acting accolades and awards (an Oscar nod for What’s Love Got to Do with It?) and onward to gaining serious geek (especially Black geek) cred in one of the most popular sci-fi franchises of all time (the Matrix trilogy) to producing his own uplifting films (Akeelah and the Bee).  He’s done right with his celebrity as far as some Black folks (and others) are concerned.

So, to hear that his Black daughter is not only a sex worker—which is, according to some people, what one turns to only “out of desperation” or is the path of “those (read: poor, uneducated) women,” though some sex workers would state otherwise–is something some people just couldn’t imagine Papa Laurence doing because he’s just too righteous for that.  Laurence, like my moms, are what some would refer to as “race people” those Black people who are proud and try their damnedest to do right by The Race™, including rearing children who won’t embarrass the rest of The Race™ by, in the case of Black women, staying sexually “proper”—meaning no “laying up” and certainly not doing it on video for millions to see.   And when their child shames them—and by extension, The Race™—sometimes punishment is swift and, in my mom’s and Laurence’s cases, silent.

No parent wants to be thought of as screwing up their duties.  No one wants this to be their indictment:

I mean, they don’t grade fathers. But if your daughter’s a stripper, you fucked up.

~~ Chris Rock, “Never Scared”

And, if the responses on Twitter are any indication, no one wants to even dream that a race man like Fishburne could rear such a child:

I feel terrible for Lawrence Fishburne. I just can’t imagin[e] hearing that kind of news…

Everybody askin how does laurence fishburne feel what abt her mom gina torres?? I’m sure they equally upset…

Lawrence fishburne is going to die before the years out because of his daughter.

Dear Montana Fishburne: U r an ungrateful child. Let’s swap places. My dad is gone & I’d kill to have him back. I’d never disgrace him.

But because Montana chose this path:

Laurence Fishburne’s daughter, Montana, is stupid & taking advantage of her father’s fame only to embarrass & disgrace him!

I don’t get the Montana Fishburne thing. I mean she don’t need the money. Is she doin it to get back at her dad cuz she hates him? #confused

If Laurence Fishburne reprised his role as Ike Turner and beat the shit out of @tanafishburne I wouldn’t be mad…not at all

wow montana fishburne must have no talent.. degrading herself 2 PORN KMT sad times chick..sad desperate times

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