Black People: Stop the Judging!

We aren’t a monolith, but too many of us do this too much.

Teen Vogue Image Website)

Recently, a phrase has become popular: “Mind the business that pays you.” This phrase means to focus on yourself and stay out of the affairs of others. It’s a phrase widely used by Black people when they feel someone is getting into their business. Unfortunately, too many Black people don’t follow the intentions of that phrase, especially on social media.

I have seen and experienced online beef — between women, men, and celebrities. Watching the spectacle from the sidelines is exciting but stressful in the middle of the issue. I wrote a piece a few days ago about being targeted by trolls over a comment I made about someone online. The person, Charleston White, has many followers (particularly Black men), and he was a guest on a podcast where the host asked the question about defining love. White went on a tirade about the question, which led me to ask in the comments, “Why does this man have a platform?”

So far, about 50 people on Instagram (where I saw the video) agreed with my question. Charleston White is known for making controversial statements in his videos, and his reaction to the question about love bothered me (the host didn’t look too happy either). White stated that Black men who express their love verbally are “simps”…