During the second part of "Big Move" Florida tells Michael and Thelma in the room that their ancestors celebrated the life of the dead person by beating on drums, etc.

BUT!!! when Michael brought up the African culture and their ancesteral ways (Thelma & Ibe episode) Florida was quick to turn around and yell out loud that she didn't care abt what happened then she only cared abt here and now! Michael should have reminded his mom what she said when their father died!!

That's two different things, Michael was talking about Thelma marrying Ibe, and him having many wives. That's way different then celebrating the death of a loved one by dancing and beating drums. Also if Michael would have brought that up, that would have been disrespectful to his mother and especially at that point in time.

That's two different things, Michael was talking about Thelma marrying Ibe, and him having many wives. That's way different then celebrating the death of a loved one by dancing and beating drums. Also if Michael would have brought that up, that would have been disrespectful to his mother and especially at that point in time.
I get what you are saying, but the only point I am making is when she referenced she doesn't care abt African customs and is only worried abt now,(during the Ibe episode). You can't tell an adult abt your ancesteral customs and then later on say you don't care abt them. Which one is it? It's not so much what she said but how Florida said it. It was ambiguous.
When Thelma wanted to grieve in her way when James' died, Florida told Thelma how their ancestors dealt with death, making Thelma and Michael feel that how they reacted to death was wrong.
Florida also did this in the episode when Carl and her went out to dinner. She felt one should only be "rude" etc. when in private, but out in public, one should behave a certain way. Even the rest of the family told her so and she got caught on that.

Bottom line, if Thelma wanted to know abt her future with Ibe, that is for Thelma to ask those questions, she was an adult. If Thelma wanted to grieve for her father the way she felt, then, that's for Thelma to decide how she would. Her mother didn't need to throw in her face that Thelma was wrong for her reaction. Even if that's not what Flo meant, that's how Thelma perceived it.

Yeah but she was trying to keep her daughter from making a huge mistake so I can see why she would say that. But James death was a total different thing.