During an interview, Dr. Umar Johnson called out the Black community for confusing “pleasure contracts” with relationships.
The Pan-African psychologist sat down with SLTV’s So Litty TV to drop his opinions on relationship statuses in the Black community. In the interview, he claimed that many people are calling “situationships” relationships, but they are actually what he called pleasure contracts.
So Litty TV posted a clip to its Instagram page March 14.
“A relationship requires obligation and accountability,” Dr. Umar began to explain. “If you have a pleasure contract, I sex my queen when I sex her. We go to the movies when we’re going to the movies. We’re going to the Bahamas when we’re going to the Bahamas… It’s all pleasure-based. I see when you want to see me. You see me when you want to see me.”
Dr. Umar continued to explain that a relationship is when two partners hold each other accountable regardless of the pleasure or tribulation.
“Your long term best interest as a human being is part of my responsibility,” Dr. Umar proclaimed. He suggested that people should be honest about the type of relationship they’re building.
The comments section had mixed feelings about what Dr. Umar had to say in the interview.
Some commentary found the interview worth watching, despite their perceptions of the doctor.
“This was a good interview I encourage everyone to watch in its entirety,” one comment cheered.
“One of the few times I agree with him completely,” another comment chimed in.
“Can’t stand him but this was explained perfectly to the T,” a third comment read.
A natural dialogue continued under the clip, deciphering the two relationship styles.
“You could be in a pleasure contract and your partner be in a pleasure contract because none of their thoughts or actions are for the long-term growth of the engagement,” a commenter wrote.
“What IFFFF we communicate & decide as adults which of these we want & we do THAT & mind our own grown business. What’s that one called?” someone asked.
“Transactional relationships as a whole are dead. Unless it’s Divine Union…I’m out,” a listener pointed out.
This isn’t the first time Johnson has graced platforms to drop passionate knowledge about Black love. According to MadamneNoire, the Philadelphia native was invited to the Daily Rap Up Crew podcast, where he weighed in on Black women’s roles.
“At the end of the day, if I’m going to call myself a man, the ultimate responsibility for the reconstruction of the Black community rests with me,” Dr. Umar stated. “Yes, they [Black women] have a role. Yes, they have responsibility. But as a man — as a leader — to say ‘I can’t fix this shit unless she changes’ — that’s not the definition of a man.”
He added: “Why is she masculine? Because she had to raise the kids alone, I’m telling you, mistakes made by Black men systemically gave rise to the conditions that allowed her to be masculine and made her end up with a man that you consider to be less than he should be. And I’m telling you, Black men are responsible for her being masculine because we have not helped her raise them children.”
Do you agree with what Dr. Umar said about the Black community and the differences between pleasure contracts and relationships?
