Viewpoints staff writer Dalace Thomas’ mother, Utevia Tolbert, graduated from the University of West Georgia in 2001. Family from both sides of Thomas’ came to see Tolbert walk across the stage (left to right: Leroy Thomas, D.L. Thomas, Ka’Nyla Thomas, Utevia Tolbert and Angela Thomas). Photo courtesy of Dalace Thomas
Social media influencer Kylie Jenner recently gave birth to her baby girl on Feb. 1 and has received an enormous amount of support from family, friends, and fans.
18 years ago, on Feb 2, 2000, a 23-year-old woman gave birth to a baby girl. After the contemplation of whether or not she would even have the baby, she was faced with many fears and concerns about how to take care and provide for her.
She was not married. She was still in college earning a degree and working multiple jobs just to provide for herself.
This woman was my mother, and her pregnancy announcement was greeted with tears of uncertainty and the shouting of her friends and family asking her what she was thinking. Her situation is not unique. However, for a select few, this experience is a glorified one.
Social media influencer and entrepreneur Kylie Jenner is mostly known for “Keeping up With the Kardashians,” her reality TV show with her sisters. She is also a model and the owner of her own makeup company, Kylie Cosmetics.
The 20-year-old social media sensation is mostly in the tabloids for her infamous lips or updates on her current relationships. However, recently she has been all over Snapchat, Instagram and other social media platforms, plus TV networks such as E! Entertainment and People, for a much more compelling reason: Kylie and her current boyfriend and rapper, Travis Scott, welcomed into their lives a new baby girl, Stormi Webster, on Feb. 1.
Jenner released a video on Feb. 4 documenting her pregnancy experience, after hiding it over the nine month period. After the reveal of the pregnancy and the release of the video, people who follow Jenner came down with “baby fever.”
Although pregnancy and the birth of a newborn is a beautiful thing, it’s not the same for everyone. Not everyone is a millionaire or has a rich family to help provide for the baby.
So, while Kylie’s pregnancy is viewed as “goals” and “so cute,” not everyone is blessed enough to have money spilling out of their pockets and have an overwhelming amount of support, from people who haven’t even met her.
Jenner’s pregnancy is beautiful and it works for her, but her situation is very rare and unrealistic for most.
