Yesterday night I had the temerity to watch the “Plantation Celebration” aka the “Coon Train Awards,” hosted by Mr. Hidden Colors himself, Tariq Nasheed. Mr. Nasheed is an accomplished author in his own right most notably known for his “giving you the game literature” which includes The Mack Within, The Elite Way, and The Art of Mackin,’ which has made him a New York Times bestselling writer. The brother is a self-made entrepreneur and tours the country giving lectures about the system of white supremacy, group economics, and relational advice. True indeed, Tariq has become a fixture in the black community when it comes to African (or what he calls Melaninated) history, culture, and religion, thus his popular Hidden Colors series. However, there is a “cause to pause” if you will when it comes to some of this brother’s viewpoints and ideologies. My cause to pause is with creating an award show based off a racist term called “cooning.” Now before you think I deserve one of those insignificant awards, please slow your roll. I understand there’s Negroes who are “selected” to tap dance on conservative talk forums such as CNN and Fox News. Whenever there’s a racial conversation that involves a murder or beating of a black vs white counterpart, they’re quick to always bring on your Allen West, Juan Williams, and Larry Elders’ of the world to tell what black folks should or are doing. One of the key talking points is “black-on-black violence.” This is an imperative issue that cannot be ignored, but in the case of Mr. Nasheed and his followers, it’s the white man’s fault.

Now I’m not excusing the systematic racism/discrimination which has haunted the African-American since the time of slavery and Jim Crow. That can’t be refuted or denied. Yet, many of us continue to harp on the horrible history of slavery for our transgressions in the modern era and our voting demographic displays we still act like slaves checking the Democratic box! The insanity baffles me, really. Anyways, I place a critical eye on Mr. Nasheed because he calls people who tout the rhetoric of black crime as coons. Understandably, I get where he’s coming from when blacks are used to spout what whites say on their networks but use a black face, aka a Stacey Dash. But, it doesn’t negate the real core issue that we have within our community when it comes to these inexcusable acts of violence. So while Tariq and friends were clowning or celebrating your so-called coons of black America, it doesn’t dispel the salient talking point about black-on-black violence. Case in point, I give you former Buckeye and New Orleans Saint, Defensive End Will Smith.

In a report by ABC News:

“A man was arrested Sunday in the shooting death of former New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith, who helped the team win Super Bowl XLIV, its only championship. Smith was rear-ended while driving in New Orleans’s Lower Garden District on Saturday night, causing him to hit a vehicle in front of him, police said. The driver of the vehicle that hit Smith, identified by police as Cardell Hayes, “exchanged words” with the former football player after the crash. Hayes, 28, then drew a handgun and shot Smith several times, police said.

Hayes stayed at the scene, police said, and a handgun was recovered from the area. Hayes was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.” You heard that right, Mr. Smith was shot to death by a Negro who hit his car and resorted in pulling a gun on the highly touted football star. This brings me to Mr. Nasheed and his followers.

Am I naïve in believing there’s no such thing as racism or that we as a people have “crossed over” in regards to racism as a whole? Of course not people. However, what I will say and stand behind is our senseless behavior as black men when it comes to wanting to kill a n*gga on site mentality. It is disgusting, pervasive, and an absolute scourge on us as a people. I don’t want to hear about what other ethnic groups do in comparisons to us. Quit the deflections already. Whether you agree with the “coons” Tariq talks about or not, they are not our biggest threat especially us black men. We are our own worst enemy and we can’t just toss it off and say dudes like Cardell Hayes are quote, “dusty.” These Negroes have been a cancer in our society and with the abundance of single parent homes, this attitude has turned savage. Yea, that’s right, savage is not the term I want to label them as, but it’s what the young and arrested developmental minded Negroes call themselves! It’s insane!

Again, if you think I’m trashing Mr. Nasheed and those of his ilk, then you’ve missed my overall point. You had a guy die over something so petty it doesn’t need to be repeated. How many times have we died over frivolous things such as a pair of shoes, a sporty jacket, or what some female said about being “disrespected.” This is what separates us from other ethnic groups because we can’t use the excuse of economic deprivation anymore; especially when we embrace the hood aka “Get it how you live,” culture. You know the saying, “You can’t have your cake and eat it too,” well in the case of many of us, we have diabetes. Although many people will call me names about writing this blog about black-on-black crime, just remember this: A problem only exists when one not only fails acknowledge it, but doesn’t try their damnedest to fix it. Shout out to New Era Detroit. Peace y’all!