Or any of the other various national problems that people for some reason like to pretend are only black problems (crime, illegitimacy, poverty, poor education, etc.). “Black people need to stop committing crimes” implies that all blacks are responsible criminals that happen to be black, and that non-black crime is okay.
“The bottom line is that there are elements of black America which need - nay, deserve - confrontation and scorn. The so-called “black leaders” haven’t been doing it.”
I guess the qurestion for me would be whether theres really such a shortage of that.
Otara
ASTRO- I’M SO GLAD YOU STARTED THIS POST!!!
From my own personal point of view, Bill Cosby is simply a remnant of a stronger, more organized generation of African Americans that has all but passed on. Todays generation of African Americans have all been brainwashed (badly). There are many different factors that contribute to this, factors that stem anywhere from stereotype “role models” in todays media, to the somewhat dysfunctoinal public schooling system, to the overall enviroment in general. (especially in the inner cities)
Bill Cosby just grew up in a different era that was in an entirely different mindset than the generation of today
I can remember back in the 1990’s, Bill Cosby went over to an African American College named Cental State University in Wilberforce Ohio, and cussed out almost every body he ran into over there. He was upset because he had a lot of Civil Rights leaders cranking up the heat on him for donations and accusing him of not doing enough to assist with the problems of our struggling youth. Bill Cosby has stated that he has donated more money to todays Black Colleges than anyone else in American History. Anyway, to get his critics off his back. He donated a very large sum of money to Central State to build a Brand New Library with. After the Library was built, he sent a few spies over to watch everyone at the school and keep him informed on their progres. He later got back reports from these spies, reports that were not very favorable. So…Mr.Cosby saw it fit to pay this school an unannounced visit to see what they had done with all of this money he had given them…
The first person he met on campus was a football player. Bill Cosby asked him “Excuse me, can you direct me to the Library”? Obviously he already knew where it was because he was the one that paid to have it built. This football player had no idea of where it was. Bill Cosby asked “How long have you been here?” Football player said “Two years, Im a sophmore”. Bill Cosby told him “You mean to tell me that you’ve been here throwing a football around now for two years and you don’t have the slightest idea of where the library is?”…This really got him upset
From here, Mr. Cosby went to see the school dean to talk to him about this. He wanted to know why this guy, after being at this school for two years and not setting foot in the library not one time, was still even enrolled there. After seeing this guys grade sheet, he became even more upset to see that this guy was passing all of his classes. He wanted to know how the hell was he passing his classes when he wasn’t using the research material provided for him in the library that he “Mr Cosby” paid to build.
After this. Bill Cosby went to the library to see how it was being utilized and threw a total fit.
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The librarians inventory records were all screwed up where she couldn’t identify exactly who had what book or where any of these books were at, there were other books that he had bought for the school that were still down in the basement in crates when they should have been upstairs on the library shelves,
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Of all the computers he bought for the school, more than half of them were missing where the staff had either taken them home for their own personal use or had sold them
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The rest of the computers that were in the library were being used for almost everything except what he had bough them for, everything from playing computer games, to shopping on line, to surfing porno- sites
But of all these things that he witnessed that had him upset, the one thing that simply broke the camels back with him, was that later on, he had discoveded a small handful of students that were really getting into the books. These students completely avoided the party scene and were truly devoted to their field of study. These few people had all pulled together and formed up their own little Honor Society, whereas in order to become a member, you had to have at least a “B” average or above. Everyone else in the school had all nicknamed it “The Uncle Tom Club” where no one else in the school wanted anything to do with them, and were beating up on them trying to run them off for “tying to be white” :rolleyes:
When Bill Cosby discoved this…that one incident was the last and final straw for him. He had said that "This is all I can stand, I can’t take it no more, THESE FOOLS HAVE ALL PUSHED ME TO MY VERY LAST NERVE 
When faculty found out that he was on school grounds, they all thought that he was there to give them some more money, so… they hurridly ran, and got their Maching band together to throw a great big parade for him. While they were all singing and dancing “as usual”. Bill Cosby took the mike from the dean, stopped the band from playing, stopped the majorettes from dancing, and bought the entire ceremony to a dead screeching halt. When everyone was quiet, Cosby yelled into the microphone in a deep loud voice:
“If you not gonna take you ass to class and do the God Damn work, then get your shit and get your fucking asses the hell outta here”
If you want to sing and dance, then go to a Night Club
If you want to have sex, then go to a motel
If you want an eduation, thn this is the place for it, and if you don’t want to make the sacrifices to get that education, let me keep my money in my pocket, you go back home to your mama’s and let them go broke trying to support you because I’m tired of throwing all of my money away on you. If you want to kill yourselves, thats your progative but you’re** NOT** gonna do it at my expense!
From there he went on and cussed out just about everybody in sight. :eek:
He cussed out the Dean of Admissions for letting gang-bangers and convicted felons enroll in the school without running an accurate background check on them before admitting them for enrollment
He cussed out their finance officers about screwing up all of their donation money without having anything to show for it
He cussed all of the professors in the school for giving passing grades to their atheletes, just so they could keep playing ball
Then went on to sy that only person he didn’t have to cuss out was the janitor because he was the only person in the school that was actually doing what he was being paid to do
When he got back, he made a statement to the media telling everyone ( Reverends, Preachers, Civil Rights Leaders, Jews, Liberal Whites, Other Minorities, and everyone else that had been hammering him about ignoring the problems of our Black youth), that he wasnt gving another dime to Cental State, or anyone else for that matter, until the students in these schools start getting into the books. He said that he’s willing to continue with his contributions, but these schools are gonna have to start giving back to him, by produce better educated people to show for the money that he’s poured into them.
I can also remember readng about another unusual encounter he had with then “General Colin Powell” that I would get into right now…thats another story 
TYPO:- I can also remember readng about another unusual encounter he had with then “General Colin Powell” that I would get into right now…thats another story
should read:
I can also remember reading once about another unusual encounter he had with then “General Colin Powell”. That I won’t get into right now…thats another story
I haven’t been impressed with Cosby’s doctoral degree since I read Education’s Smoking Gun.
Yes he could have, but would it have produced the desired effect or have gotten any coverage? Not likely. In order to be heard, sometimes you have to make your statement in such a way that shocks the desired audience into attention.
Cosby’s rant should be taken to heart by ppl of all races as they could all benefit.
Originally posted by flickster
Absolutely.
You don’t have to be black to buy your kids the latest Tommy Hilfiger, FUBU or Nike gear. Kids - of all colors - want the same cool clothes as their class mates. Parents provide them, rather than telling their children individuality is good. Dad has to work full time, Mom has to take an extra job, to pay for those things. No-one’s at home when the kids come out of school. Who’ll teach them to not listen to those “cool” guys on the street, talking weird English? Can’t blame the kids, really. We can blame ourselves, though.
And, yes. It’s an age-old rant. Every generation has an old man, or woman, telling us we’re doing it wrong. And who’s probably right.
Starguard, you DO have a cite for that, I hope?
You can end up splattering all over the place when you paint in such broad brushstrokes …
Oh yeah, Mr. Cosby’s generation was entirely one of fine upstanding hardworking men and women pulling themselves up against all odds and in the face of discrimination, walking to school in two feet of snow uphill both ways … and today’s Black youth is entirely a group of lazy sacks, spoiled with material goods and rotten with anti-intellectualism whilst blaming society for all their problems. Uh huh. Be real.
Not to say that there is not an element of anti-intellectualism and love for the BlingBlang in poor urban Black popular culture (the origin and extent and breadth of influence of which past threads have debated) but maybe, just maybe, Mr. Cosby is overgeneralizing a bit.
A seperate but possibly related question: what is the current status and place of traditional “Black colleges” in today’s world? Perhaps Mr. Cosby was no longer seeing the finest of Black intellectuals at such a school today. Today the best and brightest are going to go to the best and brightest schools, whether they are “Black” or technicolored. If they are poor and Black and talented, then the monies are often available. Why would the a truely bright ambitious young Black man or women go to Central or Howard when they can go to Brown, for example, or an excellent state school?
No mention of the dispute, but there is a relationship going back to at least 1992 and apparently he’s still helping them as of a month ago. The articles does allude to some financial and management problems that were happening a few years ago so apoisbly there was an issue at that time.
Cosby does benefit after Central State exceeds fund-raising goal
From CS’s website
To be fair, Cosby is hardly the only African American leader saying this sort of thing (although it is sometimes said in less outspoken terms). For example, here in Rochester, our Black mayor has made similar points. And, I think Jesse Jackson has also said things along these lines.
I think that this message has the most credibility when it comes from people (such as our mayor and Jackson…I’m not sure either way about Cosby) who also have an established record of working on some of the larger societal problems, such as concentration of poverty, underfunded schools, etc. that plague poor Black communities than when it comes from people who don’t seem to recognize that the solution involves a combination of both personal and larger scale society responsibility.
Well, since Cosby has been contributing generously to fund education, I suspect that he’s aware of the need for both societal assistance and personal responsibility.
Eugene Kane, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal columnist who wrote a column critical of Mr. Cosby, had a subsequent phone conversation with Mr. Cosby and today published this column. (free registration)
Brief quote from Mr. Kane:
Haven’t read that book yet, but does it mention Cosby in particular? Or did it just make you hate teachers? I read the reviews you linked to, and I’ve read very similar articles to that book.
Let me tell you this: not all teachers are like that. Some of us are trying to change things, make them better, and teach kids to think for themselves. Hell, that’s a big part of my education at Western Michigan University: How to teach kids to think, rather than regurgitate information.
Thanks for the link Qadgop, it was a facinating interview.
Damerell’s book didn’t make me hate anyone, let alone teachers.
Damerell was on Cosby’s Ph.D. committee and claims that Cos basically got a free pass because of his celebrity. For instance, his dissertation consisted of showing Fat Albert Cartoons and talking about their “educational” content.
Damerell also claims that education programs are (or were at that time) devoid of any real content and the students were those who couldn’t make it in any other program. His argument is that education degrees are basically worthless.
Ah, didn’t know that about the Cos.
And, even my Ed profs admit that Ed programs sucked back in the 1970s and 1980s. That’s why they became profs; they want to make the system work better.
I would love to have seen his research data for that last claim!
I’m glad to know that Cosby did not intend to generalize about lower income Blacks. But I certainly don’t mind his criticism of those who do fit the description.
One of my biggest complaints has been with educators who lower the standards for Black students. What a terrible message this sends to the students!
When I was teaching, one of our Black guidance counselors discouraged one of my best students from going to Vanderbilt. The counselor told the student that she would face constant prejudice that would make her life miserable. She recommended another school that had a predominately Black enrollment – and an entrance requirement of 11 on the ACT.
The student came to me for advice. I discussed her options with her and possible outcomes, but told her that the decision had to be hers. I did let her know that she was quite capable of doing the work at Vanderbilt.
She did not share with me then what her decision was. But four years later, she sent me an invitation to her graduation from Vanderbilt with a note saying that she was going to graduate school. There was no return address.
BTW, the President of the other college – the one with the entrance requirement of an 11 on the ACT – defended the low standard. He said that our state needed a university for the “academically handicapped.”
So you disagree with the statement that Black people need to stop committing crimes?
I don’t think that the statement implies that all Blacks are responsible for the crimes they are convicted of – if that is what you are suggesting. I think it is pretty widely accepted that the inabiity to hire first-rate attorneys has been a handicap for many Blacks on the lower end of the economic scale. And there is also the problem with prejudice.
Anyone who suggests that non-Black crime is “okay” would have to be a fool and probably a constant victim of crime too!
Don’t read more into the statement than it actually says – those Blacks who are committing crimes should stop. (Of course, all criminals should stop! – but the topic of Blacks contributing to their own problems was what was being addressed.)
In my opinion, absolutely. Start from the very beginning. In another thread, I noted that at the present time, the majority – between 60 and 75% – of African-American children are being born out of wedlock. Right there we have a recipe for poverty problems – and everything that goes along, including healthcare problems – education problems, crime problems, more illegitimacy and teenage pregnancy problems, ad infinitum. An actual, intact, two-parent family is becoming harder to find than college graduates.
Where are the leaders telling women to cross their legs or take a damned pill? Where are the leaders telling men to keep it in their damned pants or use a condom? Going along with our bastard generation problem is the fact that the leading killer of 25-44 year old black americans is now AIDS, and for all intents and purposes (for as much as anyone listens to them anyway), the (largely self-appointed) leadership of our communities is dead(ly) silent.
You know, we need something more than “unity marches” and pride days and advocacy organizations. We need people standing up and saying “You’re screwing up, STOP IT NOW.”