And it’s not just them. A few other well-known and controversial figures in the Black online space have also dipped their toes into the murky waters of this dubious enterprise, profiting off the Black women who come to them seeking legitimate guidance. Social media commentator and film producer Tariq Nasheed is notorious for his misogynistic, queerphobic, xenophobic and often ahistorical commentary on Blackness in America. He has weaponized terms like “bed wench” (which referred to enslaved Black women who were raped by white enslavers) against modern-day Black women who are in relationships with non-Black men. And, his latest film is about “buck breaking” a term that denigrates Black queer men, suggesting that they are tools of white supremacy being used to harm the Black community. The latter idea isn’t Nasheed’s alone. It’s one that is pervasive throughout the Black community, rooted in religious and social constructs that position homosexuality as a blight on male masculinity, and a way to supress our capacity to reproduce as a race. While pushing this agenda, Nasheed has also found time to write several relationship advice books, including this one with the misogyny written right into the title: Play or Be Played: What Every Female Should Know About Men, Dating, and Relationships.
