Leave it up to ESPN’s chattiest sports analyst to add more controversy to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Referencing the dull and trivial “black on black crime” argument, Smith tweeted his sentiments to the Black Lives Matter supporters after democratic presidential hopeful Martin O’ Malley was harshly criticized for his take on the movement. In a brief series of tweets, the Brooklyn-bred radio and television personality expressed his discontent for Malley being booed off the stage after his insensitive commentary during the political Maryland conference:
Where is all the noise about #BlackLivesMatter when black folks are killing black folks?
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) July 21, 2015
There's nothing wrong when a presidential candidate says "All lives Matter"!
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) July 21, 2015
I'm a black man. Of course I know #BlackLivesMatter. You can't boo a presidential candidate just b/c he says "all lives matter".
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) July 21, 2015
Smith’s comments were just absurd enough to spark reactions from some of hip-hop’s most political spokespeople. Taleb Kweli and Killer Mike were on the roster, and couldn’t let Smith’s commentary slide by without checking him with the facts:
(No man. No. Don't do this.) RT @stephenasmith: Where is all the noise about #BlackLivesMatter when black folks are killing black folks?
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) July 21, 2015
@stephenasmith also #BlackLivesMatter is a direct response to police brutality of POC. We should not say it because poor ppl commit crimes?
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) July 21, 2015
@stephenasmith 90% of blacks who kill other blacks get arrested & go to jail. Cops who kill unarmed … http://t.co/autB7ocaU1
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) July 21, 2015
(Unless all lives are not treated like they matter) RT @stephenasmith: There's nothing wrong when a candidate says "All lives Matter"!
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) July 21, 2015
@stephenasmith so I guess you show up at funerals and yell out "what's the big deal? Everyone dies!"
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) July 21, 2015
@stephenasmith you too smart for this fam
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) July 21, 2015
I Wud love to provide answer face to face RT @idgafsun: " @stephenasmith Where is all the (cont) http://t.co/lDjN6XyQ9H
— Killer Mike (@KillerMikeGTO) July 21, 2015
Completely disregarding Talib’s point that his statements undermined the Black Lives Matter movement, Smith issued a clarification of sorts. He mentioned that he was not devaluing the #BlackLivesMatter statement, but that he wanted its presence more prevalent when discussing the issue of blacks murdering each other:
“The issue is: as much as attention was so desperately aimed towards “Black Lives Matter,” Smith wrote. “Where is all this noise when Black folks are getting killed in our communities every single day? Does it only matter when we’re getting killed OUTSIDE OF OUR COMMUNITY, by folks who look differently than us?”
Smith went on to post a vocalized version of his sentiments to Soundcloud. Check it out here.