A beautiful Saturday on Crenshaw Boulevard turned into a familiar story by nightfall, and Alonzo "Lonzo" Williams has had enough.

Williams stopped by the 21st Annual Taste of Soul Festival and found exactly what the event has become: thousands of families, vendors, musicians and old friends celebrating Black culture together.

He remembers when the festival covered a short stretch near the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw mall, and he takes pride in how big it has grown.

By the time he got home, however, the talk had shifted to reports of two stabbings near the festival on Saturday, October 17.

Organizers said the incidents happened outside the event grounds and did not interrupt the celebration, but social media had already moved on to the negative.

In his op-ed, Williams asks why a handful of people are allowed to overshadow hundreds of thousands who came to have a good time.

He has seen this before, back when he owned the Eve After Dark nightclub and young employees warned him that school fights would be settled on his dance floor that night.

After six nightclubs and more than 50 years in entertainment, his conclusion is that a few seconds of foolishness can wreck what took years to build.

He points to a hidden hand most people never consider: insurance.

Violence at a venue can mean higher premiums, tighter coverage, lawsuits and investors who simply walk away, which helps explain why Black communities have so few nightclubs, theaters and safe gathering places.

His answer is to bring back what he calls no-fly zones: churches, schools, festivals, restaurants and clubs where personal beefs stay outside.

He urges people not to film fights hoping for a viral clip, and instead to help calm things down or alert someone who can step in.

As president of the Compton Entertainment Chamber of Commerce, Williams says community accountability is what keeps events like Taste of Soul growing.

His closing advice is simple: respect the event, the business, the community and life itself.