Statement from The Brokaw Company: Bill Cosby Responds to Media Criticism

The Brokaw Co. ^ | May 22, 2004

[sidewalk]

Los Angeles, May 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Bill Cosby says that media rumors that he has abandoned the African American lower economic community are grossly exaggerated. A report in the "Reliable Source" column of the Washington Post (5/19/04) reprinted in many newspapers across the country left out an important piece of information from Cosby's remarks at a gala in honor of the 50th anniversary of Brown V. Board of Education organized by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in Washington DC last Monday.

The article in the Post failed to mention that Mr. Cosby's remarks were specifically in context to addressing the epidemic of an estimated 50% of African American males in the inner city that are dropping out of school. The Post article inaccurately characterized Cosby's remarks as a general criticism of the black lower economic classes.

Mr. Cosby explains that his comments were intended to be a call to action, to "turn the mirror around on ourselves." "I think that it is time for concerned African Americans to march, galvanize and raise the awareness about this epidemic to transform our helplessness, frustration and righteous indignation into a sense of shared responsibility and action."

"I travel the country and see these patterns in every community-stories of 12 year old children killed in the cross fire between knuckleheads selling drugs, the 14 year olds with a sealed envelop as their first step into the criminal justice system, the young males who become fathers and not held responsible, the young women having children and moving back in with their mothers and grandmothers, and the young people who choose not to learn standard English."

"My question: Is Bill Cosby hoping that the drop out rate will reach 70% soon and teenage single parenthood will grow to 80% in the lower economic neighborhoods? Or is he clanging a bell and warning that this is an epidemic that has to be stopped? Are we so worried about what others think about us that we are unwilling to address this disease that is inflecting our people more and more every day?"

Mr. Cosby points out that media critics such as Christopher Farley at Time Magazine are flawed in their argument that African American literary greats such as Langston Hughes and Zora Hurston honored the dialects that Mr. Cosby criticized as a lack of language proficiency that further denies opportunity to inner city blacks. "Clearly, Mr. Farley did not speak in dialect on 'Good Morning America' nor would he probably have been hired by Time if he spoke that way. Secondly, someone should question Mr. Farley whether Mr. Hughes or Ms. Hurston knew standard English and chose to write in dialect."

"I feel that I can no longer remain silent. If I have to make a choice between keeping quiet so that conservative media does not speak negatively or ringing the bell to galvanize those who want change in the lower economic community, then I choose to be a bell ringer."

Source: The Brokaw Company

[Keyes2000mt]

Mr. Cosby points out that media critics such as Christopher Farley at Time Magazine are flawed in their argument that African American literary greats such as Langston Hughes and Zora Hurston honored the dialects that Mr. Cosby criticized as a lack of language proficiency that further denies opportunity to inner city blacks. "Clearly, Mr. Farley did not speak in dialect on 'Good Morning America' nor would he probably have been hired by Time if he spoke that way. Secondly, someone should question Mr. Farley whether Mr. Hughes or Ms. Hurston knew standard English and chose to write in dialect."

Spot on, Cosby.

[Old Sarge]

All this, from a man who snubbed the First Lady in a religious service, and bashes GWB right along with his Socialist "homies".

Gee, Bill, doesn't it feel great to see an unbiased media, now that they come after you, too?

[RobbyS]

Tell it like it is, Bill. The Monaghan Report back in the '50s foretold these outcomes. The even worse news is that the decadence has spread into the white and brown communities.

[pabianice]

A bit late, Bill. I was also at grad school at UMass/Amherst when you were excused from your course work and given a gift Ed.D. so Liberals could call you "doctor." I had to actually pass all the exams and do all my own writing in order to earn a graduate degree -- a real one, BTW, not one in "education."

[BushWonGore'sDone]

Notice the last line in the article., " keeping quiet so that consertive media does not speak negatively" only indicates he is blaming this on the conservatives, instead of putting the blame on the liberals. As long as they continue to use the conservatives as the problem, progress will not be made.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

I love it when he PC elite get devoured by their own monster.

[Luis Gonzalez]

First step: Drop "ebonics" from all curriculums.

[CIB-173RDABN]

This points out something I have thought about before. As long as it is NOT permissable to discuss problems in the minority community, race relations in this country will not improve.

This begs the question, is it possible that there are some who do not want race relationship in this country to improve?

I am surprised they did not use the "R" word against Bill. It is the one word that keeps open discussion from occuring. As soon as someone begins to say anything not part of the polictically correct matra, they are called "racist".

If you can not discuss a subject, does not mean the problem is solved, on the contrary, the problem festers.

And this festering is what some on the left really want.

[Balding_Eagle]

Very good!

[FITZ]

If the elite doesn't like what Cosby said then it must be because they don't want blacks learning English -- or think they can't learn it, they don't want to see them graduating, they're saying they don't want personal responsibility in the lower class black population.

[Enterprise]

Bill Cosby has done what must be done to spotlight the educational holocaust of poor blacks. Thus far, it has been conservatives who have pointed out how dreadful the educational system has been, coupled with the lack of effort by blacks, and then have been called racist because they dared point it out. However, look at who has truly abandoned these kids, and you see it's the Democrats, the NEA, the ACLU, and the NAACP. Instead of trying to motivate the kids, their parents, and the teachers, they have taken the easy way out and used a combination of racism or poverty to make excuses for failure, while looking the other way year after horrifying year, as thousands upon thousands of blacks go through the system, only to drop out, or end up uneducated, unskilled, and with no hope whatever for any kind of decent career.

It is going to take real guts for black leaders to address the truth of this mess. But will they try? And if they do try, will they quickly retreat into silence when they are called "Uncle Toms" by the same people they are trying to help?

[winodog]

All this, from a man who snubbed the First Lady in a religious service,

I dont believe I have heard this story. Do you have more info?

[ExtremeUnction]

(Quit saying; Islamofascist, Jihadist and Terrorist - they're MUSLIMS, dammit!)

No, I won't stop. Using "Islamofascist" in a conversation works far better than "Muslim." And quit telling me what to say; you're not the boss of me.

[BushCountry]

Foreclose - If I pay alimony today, I got no money foreclose.

Rectum - I had two Cadillac's, but my girlfriend rectum both.

Hotel - I gave my girlfriend crabs, and the hotel everybody.

Disappointment - My parole officer tol' me if I miss disappointment they gonna send me back to the joint.

Israel - Tito try to sell me a Rolex. I say, "Man, it look fake." He say, "That watch israel".

Catacomb - I saw Don King at da fight the other night. Man, somebody get that catacomb.

Acoustic - When I was little, my uncle bought me acoustic and took me to the poolhall.

Iraq - When we got to the poolhall, I tol' my uncle, "Iraq, you break."

Stain - My mother-in-law stopped by and I axed her, "Do you plan on stain for dinner?"

Seldom - My cousin gave me tickets to the nicks game, so I seldom.

Axe - After school today, the police want to axe me some questions.

Fortify - I axed this ho on da street, "how much?" she say "fortify."

Income - I just got in bed wif da ho and income my wife.

[BushWonGore'sDone]

The Democratic party is in favor of choice. Only one choice, their way! The Republican party however is in favor of choices. The opportunity to be free to make your own personal choice. That is one of the many differences between liberals and conservatives.

[FITZ]

Maybe you're taking that wrong -- it seems to me that tagline would be saying islamofascists, jihadists, and terrorists ARE muslims --- definitely not some peaceloving type of people.

[Old Sarge]

Wish I had it.

It was a FR thread about a month ago, something about Laura at a service, and Cosby sat next or near her, totally ignoring her.

[isthisnickcool]

(Quit saying; Islamofascist, Jihadist and Terrorist - they're MUSLIMS, dammit!)

"MUSLIMS" is accurate. I stopped calling "them" terrorists or Islamofacists some time ago. At first I used the other terms but after reading about Islam and seeing that it's the absolute core of the "problem" Muslim is the only word to use.