Balancing Tabitha Brown: Like so…like that…
by Alberlynne “Abby” Woods IG: @cuetheculture
When I met Tabitha Brown in 2021, it was clear she was more than a viral moment. She was a movement in human form. Warm, grounded, and guided by a sense of purpose that transcended trend cycles, Tabitha was a woman building an empire and legacy rooted in joy, wellness, faith, and fierce authenticity. She wasn’t just “everybody’s favorite mom on the internet.” She was a Black woman quietly redefining what it means to thrive in a world that wasn’t built for her.
As her platform expanded, from social media to books, to a television show, cookbooks, corporate collaborations, and children’s content, so did the criticism. Some of the loudest voices attempting to discredit her have come from inside the house, from fellow Black people and, perhaps more painfully, from Christians.
She’s been labeled “too New Age,” “too soft,” or accused of straying from biblical tradition. I find this ironic. Anyone who takes the time to read Tabitha’s work, it’s clear as day that her entire rise is founded in her faith and belief in God. Her every business move, every affirmation, every pause to protect her peace is a manifestation of someone led by what I believe to be divine alignment. Perhaps because she doesn’t shout scripture or conform to traditional forms of worship, some treat her spirituality like it’s counterfeit. However, that’s not necessarily discernment. It may actually be fear masquerading as faith.
Let’s be real: a woman like Tabitha, a vegan, a truth-teller, a joy-spreader, able to sit at tables and demand her worth, is a threat to the status quo. In many ways, she represents the conflicts faced when it comes to being a Black capitalist entrepreneur. Many cannot or will not see how she’s helping shift a culture that’s been numbed by fried foods and normalized pain. She speaks life into people suffering silently from obesity, heart disease, and generational trauma. Her message isn’t about kale and tofu. It’s about liberation from diet, from dysfunction, and from the idea that Black suffering is synonymous with Black authenticity.
I believe that it’s entirely possible to skip the Target aisles and still celebrate Tabitha Brown. I’m not Vegan and still bought her cookbook. What she’s done and is doing is bigger than shelfspace. She’s making space for a new way of being Black, being a brand, being well, and being free.
The collective discomfort that happens when a Black woman chooses softness over sacrifice, faith over fear, and self-love over public approval must not become the norm. While I, and other fans, would probably have counseled against taking to the mic to try to defend a corporate partner that is intentionally defying Black empowerment, I also believe that Tabitha Brown should be allowed to expand the culture, like so… like that…
