Pennsylvania Woman Breaks Down the Racist Origins of the “Welfare Queen” Myth: ‘The Welfare Queens Are the Corporations’

PHILADELPHIA, PA — A Pennsylvania woman is going viral after using her TikTok platform to dismantle the myth of the “welfare queen” — calling out its racist history and modern political impact. In a video that’s both educational and fiery, creator Jess Britvich explains how the phrase, coined by Ronald Reagan, was deliberately weaponized to divide the working class and stigmatize people in poverty.

“You Fell for the Myth of the Welfare Queen”

Applying her makeup as she speaks, Britvich doesn’t mince words. She begins by telling her audience that anyone who looks down on people using food stamps has likely been misled.

“If you fell for the negativity toward people on food stamps,” she says, “it’s probably because you fell for the myth of the welfare queen.”

She explains that the stereotype originated in the 1970s and was pushed heavily during Reagan’s presidency to convince voters that Black women were exploiting welfare programs. The image became a political talking point that associated poverty with moral failure — turning compassion into contempt.

“The purpose was to utilize racism to divide the working class,” she adds. “Once you make people ashamed of needing help, no one will fight for stronger programs.”

@jessbritvich

Amid the government shutdown, SNAP funding runs out on November 1st, leaving millions of Americans without secure access to food. If you can, familiarize yourself with local resources, donate to food banks, and look out for your community. Put out some canned goods or meal items alongside candy this Halloween. And remember, don’t fall for the welfare queen myth. It was designed to utilize racism to divide the working class and make us blame each other instead of the people in power.

♬ original sound – Jess Britvich

How the Myth Still Shapes Politics Today

Britvich argues that the same rhetoric continues to influence public opinion decades later. She compares it to more recent controversies around DEI programs and affirmative action, saying that these modern “culture war” issues are just new packaging for old racism.

“It makes white people fear someone’s getting something they aren’t,” she says. “And instead of asking for what they need, they want to take it from others.”

Her video points out that even conservative voters in low-income rural areas rely heavily on the very programs they criticize, like SNAP — formerly known as food stamps.

“Most of them don’t even realize food stamps and SNAP are the same thing,” she says. “The government just rebranded it to make it sound less controversial.”

“The Real Welfare Queens Are Corporations”

Viewers flooded the comments to back her message and expand on it.

“The welfare queens are the corporations,” one user wrote, citing Amazon and other billion-dollar companies that receive government subsidies.

Another commenter added that SNAP itself is part of the U.S. Farm Bill, explaining that the program primarily functions as an economic stabilizer for food prices and agriculture, not as “free money.”

“SNAP isn’t even a welfare program,” they wrote. “It’s a backdoor subsidy for farmers.”

Others pointed out that corporate bailouts and tax breaks cost far more than social safety net programs ever could.

“Every time a dairy farm collapses, the government bails them out,” one viewer said. “That’s where the ‘government cheese’ came from — not welfare fraud.”

“Reagan Made People Ashamed to Need Help”

Britvich highlights that the long-term goal of Reagan’s messaging was to make Americans ashamed of needing assistance, ensuring that welfare programs would lose public support.

“Once you make people feel guilty for asking for help, they’ll stop asking — and the system wins,” she says.

Her message resonated deeply with viewers frustrated by ongoing attacks on welfare recipients while billion-dollar companies continue to profit from government aid.

“This video needs to be played in every high school economics class,” one commenter said. “People need to understand how we got here.”

A Viral History Lesson with a Message

By blending social commentary with humor and blunt honesty, Britvich’s TikTok has sparked widespread discussion on the intersection of race, class, and politics. Many praised her for exposing how language has been used to manipulate public perception for decades.

“This woman explained in two minutes what entire political science classes take months to unpack,” one viewer wrote.

Do you agree that corporate subsidies are the real “welfare abuse” in America? Share your thoughts and join the conversation at FatCityFeed.com.