https://thegrio.com/2026/09/09/the-vilification-of-black-mothers-why-didnt-latarsha-sanders-get-the-compassion-lindsay-clancy-received/
"The vilification of Black mothers: Why didn’t Latarsha Sanders get the compassion Lindsay Clancy received?"
By Panama Jackson
Sep 9, 2026
A judge has just declared a mistrial for Lindsay Clancy, mother of three, standing trial for the deaths of her children. Her defense did not dispute that she killed them. Instead, her attorneys argue that she should not be held criminally responsible because she was experiencing severe mental illness, specifically, postpartum psychosis.
Four years before Clancy’s trial, another Massachusetts mother, Latarsha Sanders, stood trial after killing her two young sons. Sanders’ defense also centered on her mental state, arguing that she was suffering from severe mental illness, including psychosis, when she killed her children. Sanders was convicted and sentenced to two life terms.
The parallels are difficult to ignore: two Massachusetts mothers, two sets of children killed by their mothers, defenses centered on mental illness, and the same judge presiding over both cases.
But the public response could not be more different. Clancy’s case is a national story, covered by major news organizations and multiple podcasts, sparking widespread conversation about postpartum psychosis, maternal mental health, and the failures of the health-care system. Sanders’ case has resurfaced largely as a reference point for Clancy’s.
Clancy has benefited from something Sanders did not: white privilege. It allows Clancy’s actions to be understood through mental illness while Sanders is defined through criminality. This shapes who is presumed deserving of context, compassion, and understanding.
The vilification of Black mothers is so deeply woven into this country that Black women are blamed for societal problems far beyond their families. The “welfare queen” stereotype transformed poverty into a moral failing and placed blame for children’s circumstances squarely on Black mothers. During conversations about crime, drugs and violence, the questions often become: Was she home? Was she involved? Where was she?
That same framework is rarely applied to white women. As mass shootings continue to disproportionately involve white male perpetrators, we do not routinely see national conversations interrogating white motherhood in the same way we interrogate Black motherhood.
That expectation has roots in chattel slavery. Black women were expected to labor, care for and rear children on plantations—including white children—while remaining responsible for their own. That legacy of responsibility without authority has followed Black motherhood into the present. Black mothers continue to be held responsible for nearly every measure of their children’s success: appearance, manners, education, behavior, and choices.
Black fathers can be held accountable, too. But the responsibility for the “everything else” of parenting often falls disproportionately on mothers.
When my brother was murdered, the paper printed “son of school board member murdered.” Though my parents were married, the headline reflected the narrative biases I had already come to understand.
Tanya McDowell, a Black mother experiencing homelessness, received a five-year sentence as part of a plea deal after enrolling her son in the wrong school district. Felicity Huffman, the white actress who participated in the college admissions scandal, served 11 days of a 14-day sentence after pleading guilty to falsifying her daughter’s college entrance exam. These cases are not identical, but the contrast illustrates how racial bias can shape who receives context and who receives punishment.
Society is obsessed with punishing Black women. When there’s no “justice” to be meted out, we now let social media do the talking.
In late July, 18-year-old Nolan Wells went missing and was later found dead. He had last been seen boarding a boat with white classmates for a Fourth of July celebration. Almost immediately, parts of the internet turned toward his mother, Christine Wells-Wonsley, blaming her for his death. Former classmates have blamed Wells-Wonsley for the online harassment they received, while others found her nursing profile and bombarded her professional page with one-star reviews.
The dangers of postpartum depression and psychosis are real. Maternal mental illness deserves compassion, treatment, and serious public attention. Conversations surrounding Hayden Panettiere and Naomi Osaka have underscored how complicated and stigmatized maternal mental health remains.
Narratives matter. The issue is not that Lindsay Clancy deserves compassion in the court of public opinion. As a mother who suffered from postpartum depression, I understand the severity and the lack of help that exists in the system. But the compassion, acknowledgment, and care that Clancy have received are the same things Latarsha Sanders deserved. She deserved mental health advocates to rally around her. She deserves them around her now as she appeals her conviction.
Yet even now, Sanders is often reduced to a descriptor rather than named. In coverage of the new-trial ruling, she is introduced as the “Brockton mom,” while Clancy’s name has become synonymous with a national conversation about postpartum psychosis. Visually, Sanders’ coverage has negative bias as well. Her coverage often leads with an arrest or courtroom image, while photographs of Sanders as a mother are harder to find. The contrast is especially striking because the media coverage surrounding Lindsay Clancy has spent considerable time documenting who she was before the killings: her pregnancy and affectionate photos with her now ex- husband.
A picture is worth a thousand words. Using a mugshot tells us criminal. A courtroom photograph tells us defendant. A photograph of a mother holding her child tells us mother.
Narratives matter because they determine who is afforded the possibility of a lifetime of treatment and support, and who is left to face the consequences of mental illness through incarceration. Latarsha Sanders deserves to be seen as more than the crime she was accused of.
She deserves to be seen as a mother, a woman, and a person whose mental illness deserved to be understood—just like Lindsay Clancy.
https://thegrio.com/2026/09/09/the-vilification-of-black-mothers-why-didnt-latarsha-sanders-get-the-compassion-lindsay-clancy-received/
But what about Ireland?
Can’t the same be claimed about protestants against catholics?
It’s a privilege, but is it white?
That’s what worries me.
How can one claim white privige about poor, uneducated white people, living in trailers without healthcare?
Yes. Black folk in many countries suffer harrassement because of their colour. Agreed.
But a great many people encounter suffering without their colour having anything to do with it. How do you convince them they’re privileged?
They’re not. Even though they don’t have their skin colour against them.
So, my worry is, that “white” privilge, although technically correct, ends up alienating a whole lot of people.
@shavixmir saidI mostly agree.
But what about Ireland?
Can’t the same be claimed about protestants against catholics?
It’s a privilege, but is it white?
That’s what worries me.
How can one claim white privige about poor, uneducated white people, living in trailers without healthcare?
Yes. Black folk in many countries suffer harrassement because of their colour. Agreed.
But a great many peop ...[text shortened]... y is, that “white” privilge, although technically correct, ends up alienating a whole lot of people.
"Privilege" implies too many things. Whites in many countries have an advantage over minorities; but the same goes for any country run by the majority. Do we call it "Chinese privilege" in China?
Children born to rich parents are privileged. Whites born in America or Europe have an advantage. They are not the same things. Whites don't have it made just because they were born white. The term "privilege" is too loaded.
I agree the word "white privilege" is more accurate in South Africa.
As long as we don't ignore the fact that whites gained their advantage through centuries of systemic oppression that still continues to this day, that's enough.
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@shavixmir saidNot in this century.
But what about Ireland?
Can’t the same be claimed about protestants against catholics?
@vivify saidWhat a load of BLM bull. The core reason for the failure of black communities all over the world is that their culture and lifestyle leads to broken homes and damaged kids. The men impregnate several women and abandon them. Mothers have a difficult time bringing up kids with absent father. This leads to kids dropping out of schools and turning to drugs and joining gangs. A life of crime is next. Entire black communities have failed and nothing there can be traced back to white privilege [whatever the hell that is]. I suspect 'white privilege' is just another excuse for failure .. they need to blame somebody for their own failing. Maybe they got tired of blaming Columbus and slavery.
I mostly agree.
"Privilege" implies too many things. Whites in many countries have an advantage over minorities; but the same goes for any country run by the majority. Do we call it "Chinese privilege" in China?
Children born to rich parents are privileged. Whites born in America or Europe have an advantage. They are not the same things. Whites don't have it made ...[text shortened]... advantage through centuries of systemic oppression that still continues to this day, that's enough.
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@Rajk999 saidI can barely see you behind all those straw men.
What a load of BLM bull. The core reason for the failure of black communities all over the world is that their culture and lifestyle leads to broken homes and damaged kids. The men impregnate several women and abandon them. Mothers have a difficult time bringing up kids with absent father. This leads to kids dropping out of schools and turning to drugs and joining gangs. A ...[text shortened]... need to blame somebody for their own failing. Maybe they got tired of blaming Columbus and slavery.
@Sprogladog saidI can barely see you behind all those straw men.
I can barely see you behind all those straw men.
Throw some whiskey on them and light a match; they will all end up where he's headed.
@Suzianne saidWhat should be done about all this white privilege, Suzi? Who specifically has done something wrong? What should their punishment be?
https://thegrio.com/2026/09/09/the-vilification-of-black-mothers-why-didnt-latarsha-sanders-get-the-compassion-lindsay-clancy-received/
"The vilification of Black mothers: Why didn’t Latarsha Sanders get the compassion Lindsay Clancy received?"
By Panama Jackson
Sep 9, 2026
A judge has just declared a mistrial for Lindsay Clancy, mother of three, standing tr ...[text shortened]... vilification-of-black-mothers-why-didnt-latarsha-sanders-get-the-compassion-lindsay-clancy-received/
@Suzianne saidOJ say hell yeah
https://thegrio.com/2026/09/09/the-vilification-of-black-mothers-why-didnt-latarsha-sanders-get-the-compassion-lindsay-clancy-received/
"The vilification of Black mothers: Why didn’t Latarsha Sanders get the compassion Lindsay Clancy received?"
By Panama Jackson
Sep 9, 2026
A judge has just declared a mistrial for Lindsay Clancy, mother of three, standing tr ...[text shortened]... vilification-of-black-mothers-why-didnt-latarsha-sanders-get-the-compassion-lindsay-clancy-received/
@Rajk999 saidDo you know what they call people who depend on worn-out old stereotypes for their opinions of blacks?
What a load of BLM bull. The core reason for the failure of black communities all over the world is that their culture and lifestyle leads to broken homes and damaged kids. The men impregnate several women and abandon them. Mothers have a difficult time bringing up kids with absent father. This leads to kids dropping out of schools and turning to drugs and joining gangs. A ...[text shortened]... need to blame somebody for their own failing. Maybe they got tired of blaming Columbus and slavery.
Racists.
White privilege is a 'thing' because of them.
@shavixmir saidValid question. One that people need to understand 'going in' to this conversation.
But what about Ireland?
Can’t the same be claimed about protestants against catholics?
It’s a privilege, but is it white?
That’s what worries me.
How can one claim white privige about poor, uneducated white people, living in trailers without healthcare?
Yes. Black folk in many countries suffer harrassement because of their colour. Agreed.
But a great many peop ...[text shortened]... y is, that “white” privilge, although technically correct, ends up alienating a whole lot of people.
So I asked AI.
In the name of clarity, my question to AI was this: "Are poor, white Americans recipients of 'white privilege'?"
Here's what I got back.
AI Overview
Yes, poor, white Americans are still recipients of white privilege, but understanding how requires looking at privilege not as individual wealth, but as a set of societal defaults. The concept of white privilege does not mean that a person's life has been easy, wealthy, or free from intense hardship. Instead, it means that their race or skin color is not a contributing factor to those hardships.
Privilege vs. Class
To understand this dynamic, it helps to separate racial privilege from class privilege:
Racial Privilege: White Americans, regardless of income, generally do not face systemic racism, racial profiling by law enforcement, or institutional discrimination based on their skin color.
Class Privilege: Poor, white Americans lack economic privilege. They experience housing insecurity, food instability, lack of access to quality healthcare, underfunded schools, and the severe generational cycles of poverty.
How White Privilege Applies to Low-Income White Americans.
Even when living in severe poverty, white individuals still benefit from societal advantages that low-income people of color often do not experience.
Systemic Interaction: A low-income white person is statistically less likely to face harsher sentencing in the criminal justice system compared to a person of color in the exact same economic situation.
Societal Representation: White Americans are viewed as the societal "default." They are less likely to face negative stereotypes that label their entire racial group based on their individual economic struggles.
Housing and Employment: Studies on systemic bias consistently show that job applicants or renters with traditionally white-sounding names receive more callbacks than Black or Hispanic applicants with identical qualifications, regardless of economic background.
The Problem with the Term
Many social scientists note that the phrase "white privilege" can feel alienating or accusatory to low-income white people. When someone is struggling to survive, hearing that they have "privilege" can feel invalidating to their real pain and suffering. Ultimately, acknowledging white privilege in poverty does not minimize the struggles of poor white Americans; rather, it highlights that poverty is a massive barrier on its own, but one that is not further compounded by systemic racism.
Disclaimer: Even though I've used AI, this is essentially a correct view of what 'white privilege' is, especially in America. As always, YMMV if you live somewhere else in the world.
@Suzianne saidThat’s actually a very accurate summary.
Valid question. One that people need to understand 'going in' to this conversation.
So I asked AI.
In the name of clarity, my question to AI was this: "Are poor, white Americans recipients of 'white privilege'?"
Here's what I got back.
AI Overview
Yes, poor, white Americans are still recipients of white privilege, but understanding how requires looking ...[text shortened]... hite privilege' is, especially in America. As always, YMMV if you live somewhere else in the world.
@Sleepyguy saidThe government is at fault. Lawsuits seem appropriate.
What should be done about all this white privilege, Suzi? Who specifically has done something wrong? What should their punishment be?
@Suzianne saidAt some point blacks have to quit blaming someone else for their failings.
Do you know what they call people who depend on worn-out old stereotypes for their opinions of blacks?
Racists.
White privilege is a 'thing' because of them.
Other races don’t make them act like they do.
A great place to start is to get them to quit killing each other
@shavixmir saidWhat is the cause of 'black problems' in a country where there is no 'white privilege', like say in the Caribbean or in African countries.
That’s actually a very accurate summary.