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While peaceful protests gave way to rioting yesterday in Baltimore, the internet exploded overnight when footage of a mother beating her rioter son into submission went viral. At least, everyone assumed she was the kid’s mother. Considering the many different videos and sources, it seemed like a safe assumption. Turns out it was.
Variety reported earlier today that CBS would “get the first crack” at the woman whom the internet had crowned the “Baltimore mother”:
Tuesday’s “CBS Evening News With Scott Pelley” will feature what is believed to be the first interview with Toya Graham, who has been seen countless times on video from news outlets disciplining her 16-year-old son after she found him protesting and wearing a mask in Baltimore. Graham is also set to appear live for an interview Wednesday on “CBS This Morning.”
Sure enough, Graham’s first media interview ran tonight, and it was gold. Like when she first realized her son was in the crowd:
“Low and behold, I turn around and I look in this crowd and my son is actually coming across the street with this hoodie on and a mask. At that point, I just lost it.”
And when he first realized his mom had spotted him:
“He knew he was in trouble,” said Graham. “He said when ‘I seen you,’ he said, ‘ma, my instinct was to run.”
Of course, this all occurred within the context of the protest-turned-riot’s escalating violence — not to mention Freddie Gray’s funeral earlier that day:
“That’s my only son, and at the end of the day, I don’t want him to be a Freddie Gray.”
Such a good mom. She absolutely deserves whatever compensation she is receiving from CBS for doing these interviews.
(Via CBS Evening News and Variety)
