Last week, Gregory Bush, a 51 year old white man walked up to the door of the First Baptist Church in Jeffersontown, Kentucky. Filled with venom and hate and fueled by the relentless drumbeat of racist/white supremacist messages emanating from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Bush was hunting Black people. Following a blueprint laid down in Charleston by Dylan Roof, another white supremacist convicted mass murderer 3 years earlier, Bush was intent on slaughtering Black people in their house of worship.

First Baptist Church officials confirmed that surveillance video recorded Mr. Bush’s unsuccessful attempt to enter the building. Billy Williams, the church administrator, said eight to 10 people were inside the church when Bush arrived after a midweek service. A church member in the parking lot grew alarmed when she saw him aggressively pulling on the historic church’s front doors. Mr. Bush drove away after less than 10 minutes.

“There were 70 people here at our weekly meeting service just an hour before he came by,” said Mr. Williams, who was among them. “I’m just thankful that all of our doors and security was in place.”

Unfortunately, the supermarket was open…

After a short drive to Kroger, Bush entered the store just before 3 p.m. and fired multiple rounds at Mr. Maurice E. Stallard, a 69 year old Black father and grandfather. He then exited and fired at Ms. Vicki Lee Jones, a 67 year old Black mother and grandmother, striking her several times.

Both Mr. Stallard and Ms. Jones were declared dead at the scene.

A white man confronted Bush with a firearm, the murderer told the man “Whites don’t kill whites,” and moved on.

That same week, another racist/white supremacist Robert Bowers, 46, did make it past the threshold of a House of Worship. Once in this particular house of God, Bowers shouted “All Jews must die!”

He proceeded to methodically execute 11 unarmed Jewish people congregating in their sanctuary, including a 97 year old mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
Bush, Roof, Bowers and Cesar Sayoc, Jr, charged with mailing more than a dozen explosive devices to critics of President Trump are real-life enemies of Black, Latino and Jewish people.

Too many Black males in Philadelphia fail to truly understand what the word “enemy” means, As a result it is misused and misapplied all to often. An enemy is a person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something. 

Shit you hear Black Men say in Philadelphia…

“Why is he organizing a basketball game or event? He needs to stay in his lane… Fuck him, he’s my ENEMY!”

“Why is he taking that kid to talk to that college? He needs to stay in his lane… Fuck him, he’s my ENEMY!”

“Why did he take pictures of that AAU program? He needs to stay in his lane… Fuck him, he’s my enemy!”

“Why are you talking to him? I don’t like him, so YOU shouldn’t talk to him… Fuck you, you’re my enemy!”

“Why are you playing in his event? If you do, you’re my enemy!”

“Why don’t you write something positive about my son? If you don’t you’re my enemy!”

These are just few examples of the types of petty, inconsequential episodes that lead Black males in and around Philadelphia to declare other Black men to be their “enemies”…

Meanwhile…the real enemies are preventing Blacks, Latinos and Native Americans from voting across the country… The real enemies are sending American troops to confront a couple thousand penniless brown men, women and children trekking hundreds of miles toward the American border…

What amazes me is that Black men in Philly know full well that a majority of Black boys fail to graduate from high school in 4 years. They also know that too many of those that make it college struggle socially and emotionally.

In the past month, I have had a young man sent home for assaulting his girlfriend on campus, another arrested for fighting on campus and yet another two fail drug screenings.

Our kids are struggling…

Scholarship kids gunned down in the streets…

Superstars convicted… Others begging for dollars to buy pills…

We all see it… We’ve seen surefire NBA prospects derailed because of highly questionable behavioral choices. Some of our finest prospects have never worn an NBA uniform for reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with their basketball abilities.

Indeed, some of our guys in the NBA have had to deal with felony charges arising from poor decisions…

Over and over… Shit is on repeat…

Still… Black males somehow remain focused on keeping one another from advancing.

This is NIGGA SHIT!

As the larger society struggles to keep the racist/white supremacist pot from boiling over, Philly’s Black males, committed to crab-like behavior, pull one another back into the scolding water.

Last night a Black male executed another Black man… Yup… Although I have no idea who pulled the trigger, I am 99.999999% certain it was a Black male between 18-35.
He lurked in the shadows… He waited for an opportunity… He wanted to take a father from his kids… He wanted to take a coach from his players… He wanted to take an ol’ Head from his youngins…

Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!

Eleven (11) bullets entered his body… Piercing his skin… Crushing his bones… Dislodging internal organs… A river of blood ensued…

A life prematurely snuffed out!

Hundreds of young kids traumatized… Of the 200-250 he would have in a gym at a time, for at least 20-30, he was the tie, the connection to “civilian life”… Who will check on those kids now? Will they listen?

The Black male shooter is doing the work of racist/white supremacists like Bush, Roof, Bowers and Cesar Sayoc, Jr.

The Black male shooter is our enemy!

Miss me with the NIGGA SHIT!