There’s no argument that current media is practically devoid of the black experience. Making matters worse, the few representations of the black experience that are allowed to surface focus on ratchetness and buffoonery.  Shows like “The Real Housewives of (insert city)” and “Love and Hip Hop” are some of the most popular shows in black households. Unfortunately, they do nothing in regards to black empowerment. Watching black women fight over trivial nonsense, while  makes our race look foolish as a whole, while the white network executives that preside over this foolishness laugh all the way to the bank.

Then a coworker told me about Tariq Nasheed. For those who don’t know who he is, Mr.

Nasheed is a self-proclaimed “game advisor” that hosts a weekly radio broadcast entitled “The Mack Lessons Radio Show”.  Mr. Nasheed focuses mostly on relationship issues from a black male perspective, instructing single young brothers on how to deal with the opposite sex. While Mr. Nasheed’s broadcasts are usually catered to black males, some of his topics resonate with women too. One recent broadcast focused on the “Seven Men That Women Need To Avoid”.  If that isn’t the antithesis of what passes for entertainment on the “Real Housewives” and “Love and Hip Hop” series, then nothing is.

As a married man, the relationship aspects of his broadcasts aren’t necessarily appealing to me.  What interests me about Mr. Nasheed’s broadcasts is the social commentary that he injects into current events, particularly on issues of race. Race is the “elephant in the room” that no one wants to discuss because it makes many people uncomfortable. Mr. Nasheed tackles these issues unabashed, constructively breaking down each issue by thinking outside the box. This is most evident in Mr. Nasheed’s two “Hidden Colors” documentaries, which focuses on black history on a global scale, as well as in the United States.

Mr. Nasheed pulls no punches during his weekly radio show, which isn’t suitable for young children because of profanity. Women and men that think they’re “all that” would probably get chopped down to size when Mr. Nasheed is speaking about them. But it isn’t meant to be in an insulting way, as Mr. Nasheed’s opinions are meant to be constructive and helpful.  Nevertheless,  Mr. Nasheed remains unapologetic in his approach to dating, social issues of the day, and racism. He thinks outside the box, expressing opinions from the black man’s point of view. It’s a refreshing change from the Eurocentric media’s viewpoint, which extolls the virtues of European Americans while virtually ignoring the virtues of African Americans.

But I’m not going to begrudge the American media for that particular stance. A vast majority of media is owned by Whites, so naturally they’re going to show their own in a mostly glowing light. I’m glad to see Mr. Nasheed providing an alternative to the media that we’ve grown used to seeing.  Mr. Nasheed’s third installment of his Hidden Colors series, entitled “Hidden Colors 3: The Rules of Racism”. If this installment is as epic as its predecessors, then the black community will be in for one hell of a ride.