Mariah Carey Finally Speaks About The Traumas She Experienced With Her Family
There’s a reason Mariah Carey is known as the elusive chanteuse. Fans know she’s notoriously tight-lipped when discussing the horrors of her past, of which there are many. Her constant refrain in interviews was that she was saving all the details for the book. Well, she kept her word. The Meaning of Mariah Carey, co-written by author and activist Michaela Angela Davis, opens the vault on the many traumas spattered across her complicated life and shows the dark truth behind her misunderstood facade.
Gift and a Curse
Growing up in a family dynamic where she felt like everything was stacked against her, Mariah’s vocal gift remained her light in the darkness. Her mother Patricia was a vocal coach and opera singer, and by age two, her youngest child easily mimicked her operatic style. Everyone knew Mariah was special, though that wasn’t always a good thing.
Family Tensions
Tensions existed before Mariah entered the picture. Patrica’s family cut her off entirely when she married a Black man, aeronautical engineer Alfred Carey. Together they had three children, a son, Morgan, a daughter Allison, and then finally Mariah, who arrived seven years after her sister. They lived in the affluent, mostly white community of Huntington, Long Island, where it was clear they weren't welcome.
Hate Crimes
As an interracial family, the Careys received threats and were targeted with hate crimes. Neighbors took extreme measures in terror, poisoning the family dog and setting fire to their car. Ultimately, racism was one of the main factors that tore apart the marriage. Three-year-old Mariah went with her mother after the divorce; her suffering was just beginning.
Mother Daughter Relationship
Every part of Mariah’s relationship with her mother was complicated, down to things as simple as caring for her daughter’s hair. Patricia, as a white woman, didn’t learn how to properly care for her biracial child’s hair, so she ignored it. Mariah’s lighter color hair also made her the target of negative comments from other members of the family. She felt completely isolated.
