The Ghost of Umar Johnson

I spoke with the Rev. Gerald Palmer, who is my friend, about The Ghost of Umar Johnson. No, we are not speaking of Umar Johnson in the sense that he is dead.  Umar Johnson is very much alive and moving about this mortal coil.

However, the Ghost of Umar Johnson is everywhere.  The Ghost is everywhere one can find a website, a social media platform, or an online video.  This Ghost doesn’t even have to be physically present, as it were.

The special power that the Ghost of Umar Johnson has, says the Rev. Gerald Palmer, is “toxicity.”

“We can’t allow toxicity to flourish,” says Rev. Palmer.

The toxic environment created around Umar Johnson is dangerous and frightening. For one reason, we can see that some folks who are a part of the Umar Johnson sector of social media, by and large, don’t really care about Umar Johnson, although, some of the folks are trying to get Umar Johnson’s attention.

I sense that, for most, what we’re seeing from some folks in the Umar Johnson sector of social media, is about, according to Rev. Palmer, “garnering attention, clicks, views, superchats and CashApps.”

I agree.

So, there are people who are insulting people, lying on people, and causing and instigating negative, real-life situations in people’s lives, who question and/or disagree with Umar Johnson, in the name of getting attention, clicks, views, superchats and CashApps.

Now, in and of itself, nothing is wrong with wanting attention, clicks, views, superchats, and CashApps.  

But at what cost?

Should it cost people their employment because they voice their disagreement with things Umar Johnson says?  Should it cost people their sense of  physical safety because they are questioning, with good reason, what Umar Johnson is doing in regards to his so-called school?  Should it cost us the suspension of common sense and observation as we witness, in real time, Umar Johnson’s erratic behavior?

And most of all, should people not question Umar Johnson on what he’s done with all the money that Black people all over the world gave him?

Yet, because The Ghost of Umar Johnson tells folks that it doesn’t matter what it costs themselves or others.  These folks throw out logic, observation and common sense to continue to co-sign toxic behavior in our communities because they need and/or want attention, clicks, views, superchats, and CashApps.

We need to be able to call it out when there is a fungus among us.

Yet, calling out the fungus among us comes at a price because calling it out puts a target on one’s back.  The Ghost of Umar Johnson tells folks that it doesn’t matter if they attack and/or flat-out lie on the intended “target” and the families of the intended target.

Rev. Gerald Palmer is one such “target.”

Not only did those motivated by The Ghost of Umar target him, but also targeted his wife.  In fact one person recorded himself giving his wife’s business negative reviews on Yelp.  This person was NEVER a customer/client of Mrs. Palmer.  In the video, the person said that they are doing this because of the Reverend’s views on Umar Johnson.  Like the Reverend, our friend Lenon Honor’s wife and his children have been subjected to attacks by those motivated by The Ghost of Umar Johnson.

Where are we going, as a people, if we have those who take some sort of delight in causing the downfall of our own people?

Especially for a toxic presence such as Umar Johnson.

Courtesy of Lipstick Alley

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@BLKAnonymous
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