(ThyBlackMan.com) Black people let’s have a serious discussion about the use of the word coon, and others like it. That term has been popping up a lot lately, and honestly I feel it is both out of context and hypocritical. Have we really gotten to a place whereby we shame each other about methods? Do we realize that when we do this we are no better than our oppressor? How many of you would dare to call Dr. King a coon? I ask this question because this is what we are now doing to each other. Many of us can agree that change is necessary, protest is needed, and we must be honest about the race relations in this country without fear of offending white Americans. With that in mind should we began to cut each other down because we don’t agree on method? Brothers and sisters this manner of shaming will not help us, but it will further expose our weakness as a people through further division.
Colin Kaepernick chose not standing during the national anthem as his act of protest. He explained his reasons respectfully, and intelligently. He clarified his position, and respect, regarding the military. I for one agreed with his protest, and other athletes on every level of competition have joined him. However, there were some athletes that agreed with his reasoning, but disagreed with the 
method. Some felt there was another way of protesting that doesn’t include the national anthem or the flag. Though I disagree with them their position doesn’t warrant being called a coon.
In movement we won’t all agree on the method, there are different roles to be played. Just because we don’t agree doesn’t mean we must resort to name calling. One of our biggest problems with some whites in America is their inability to listen to, and empathize, with our position in this country. We are not niggers, or you people; we fight to be heard. Knowing this why is it that we don’t try to understand each other amongst our own people. When we disagree with each other, or one of us is not radical enough… they are labeled a coon. The sad part is some of those labeled coon have given time and money within the community. Some of them are working with the youth while others sit back and throw slurs. Furthermore, what are we teaching our young if we can’t disagree respectfully.
Save coon for those that forget they are black. Save it for those that try to convince us that there isn’t a problem in this country. We must save that rhetoric for those that have abandoned the movement, and we know without a shadow of a doubt that they do the bidding of those that oppress us all. We must stop misusing these words because they do carry negativity, and rebuke of the worse kind. There is nothing a white person can do to me that’s worse than being misunderstood, and verbally abused by my own people. We have to stand accountable for how we deal with one another.
There are serious evils we, as a people, must stand against. Some of us will take a knee, some will go to jail, some with mentor youth, some will battle in courtrooms, some will write and use the acts while others will cut checks. We must allow for open dialog among our people regarding movement without calling each other coons. Dr. Martin Luther King was important to movement, so one Malcolm X; they did not agree on method but neither one of them was a coon. Unity and multiple perspectives are needed; we must stop the petty infighting if we are to move forward.
Staff Writer; Christian Starr
May connect with this sister over at Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/christian.pierre.9809 and also Twitter; http://twitter.com/MrzZeta.
