A white grandmother named Karen set the internet ablaze as many debated whether her controversial Christmas gift of black pearls to her Black granddaughter-in-law was racist. According to Newsweek, a Reddit user with the name The_Alchemyst shared a photo of the incident on the platform, showcasing the grandmother's gift and her accompanying note.

"Xmas present from my very Karen grandma to my African American wife," The_Alchemyst wrote. The picture showed a black leather box, and inside it was a set of black pearls.

"Like my black pearls — rare and of great value!" the grandmother's note read. "You are the black pearls of the family. Love you, Karen."

While there was some conversation regarding the older family member's intentions, most of the Reddit users who came across the post found the move to be endearing and sentimental.

"Am I the only one who thinks it’s a beautiful message? I don’t think it’s off at all. A lot of people would give anything to have a family that values them that much," GammaGargoyle commented. "Imagine getting such a beautiful gift from family and then name calling and degrading them on Reddit."

It was largely agreed, though, that grandma Karen probably should've tried a different approach.

"I think intent should always be looked at. Grandma’s intent was good and kind. Her delivery may have not been the best but nonetheless she meant well and seems to have wanted to make op’s wife feel special," Mama2Bear87 said.

For some, it took some time to understand the full message behind the note and gesture. However, most people were willing to let the awkward wording slide due to a belief that the grandmother is of a different time and generation.

"At first the note seems pretty out of touch. But considering how extremely nice the gift is, it’s clear she’s trying to make a genuinely good gesture here, the note basically acknowledging your wife being different but framing that difference as something to be celebrated, not rejected," someone with the name soggypoopsock said. "I did facepalm at first but the more i think about it, the more genuinely sweet this seems. The note is a little goofy, but the intent is clear. This is actually pretty wholesome."

"Don’t read into this. This is not a Karen grandma. It’s a woman from another generation trying to be inclusive and gave a very thoughtful gift, regardless the price!!! Do you honestly expect someone several generations from you to automatically know what to say and how to say it to not offend someone obviously easily offended," azinfl wrote.

Black-pearls

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