mama

A mama is a strong matriarchal figure who rules with an iron fist all of her extended family and almost anyone from the neighborhood who somehow gets near any of it. The stereotypical mama is a large voluptuous black woman with a powerful voice and a dominant personality. Her mere presence can defuse a tense situation and bring a castrating truce to male-generated violence. The mama is not afraid of confrontation as she's seen a lot of shit in her life, and as she's seen almost everyone around her when they were still in diapers. A mama's words can neutralize several guns at once, and, when scolded by a mama, even a feared gang leader shrinks back to the status of a child and may be seen hanging his head in shame.