Slow clap for Toya Graham, the Baltimore mother who was taped dragging her 16-year-old son Michael from the Baltimore riots .
Footage surfaced online Monday (April 27) as Graham, a mother of six, was seen–for lack of better phrasing–whooping her son’s ass for participating in the riots that have left many store fronts destroyed. The footage went viral and many have praised Graham for her parenting and her tough love.
The single mom spoke with CBS News and said the reason she was caught smacking her son repeatedly was because she didn’t want her Michael to suffer the same fate as many young black men in America.
“I don’t want him to be a Freddie Gray.”
Michael was seen wearing all black with a black ski mask when his mother found him participating in the riots and proceeded to clobber him as the two walked away.
“He gave me eye contact, and at that point, not even thinking about cameras or anything like that…That’s my only son.”
Watch her interview with CBS This Morning on Wednesday morning (April 29).