Posted on 04/12/2008 2:42:58 PM PDT by freerepublic_or_die
Last summer, in Detroit’s St. Paul Church of God in Christ, I watched Bill Cosby summon his inner Malcolm X. It was a hot July evening. Cosby was speaking to an audience of black men dressed in everything from Enyce T-shirts or polos to blazers and ties...
(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...
If attitude is a critical determinant of results, what does an attitude of blame and anger bring about?
But, is it permissible to ask African-Americans what they think would have become of them if they had NOT been brought here? Do they ever think of the African Kingdoms' responsibilities in the whole slavery matter? Knowing what we now know of Africa, would they return? Would they retire there? Just wondering.
As a retirement spot... HIV Plantation? Malaria Falls? Ebola Acres?
Shari’a Suburbs.
So, it’s time for a black President?
Fine. Nominate Bill Cosby. I’d prolly vote for him!
In fact, I’d vote for Bill Cosby before I’d vote for Colin Powell or Condoleeza Rice.
(as an aside... I wonder how he REALLY, DEEP DOWN, feels about obama)
On this past Thursday, I attended the honors banquet for the high school graduating class. There are over 500 in the class and around 130 earned a 3.5 or better GPA. I counted four black students in that number.
There were other racial groups represented - Hispanics, Asians, twin brothers from Columbia.
We are a town of 60,000 with one high school and each elementary / middle school receives the same funding. I would estimate that 15% of the student body is black. I am not sure how that breaks down as to grade level.
But four honors students, who happen to be black. What is wrong with this picture?
I left feeling pretty discouraged.
Interesting Cosby article.
I have been to Africa to the poorest of nations (Malawi) and watched as the men sat in grass thatched shelters at the edge of the fields, drank tea and gossiped, while the women worked the fields with babies strapped on their backs.
Then the women harvest the crops, then they carry them to market in baskets on their heads, then they sell them in the marketplace, then they walk home and probably hand over the money to the men to buy more tea, smokes and gossip time.
Go figure. Is there a cultural factor that translates intergenerationally?
(PS: This is not unique to Africa, I also saw it in eastern Europe- offices and streets full of proefessional and semi professional worker women going to work, men either working by filling potholes or being MIA)
“My problem,” Cosby told the audience, “is I’m tired of losing to white people.”
Maybe it’s not ‘why’ they lost, but certain proof that they lost is when they start naming their kids “Ta-Nehisi”.
Multiculturalism isn't going to work. Americans live in America. Their ancestors came from around the world. American is a culture of its own. Diversity only divides us.
But,is it permissible to ask African-Americans what they think would have become of them if they had NOT been brought here? Do they ever think of the African Kingdoms' responsibilities in the whole slavery matter? Knowing what we now know of Africa, would they return? Would they retire there? Just wondering.
Absolutely irrefutable. As is often the case in life, out of tragedy, misery comes opportunity, good fortune and in the aftermath of what is one of history's most heinous crimes, that of slavery, the descendants of those whose lives were so cruelly affected, have in fact reaped the privilege, bountiful blessings they otherwise would have never known.
This is encouraging. He used to be vilified for saying the same thing only a few years ago. I hope it has some effect.
I second.
“I have been to Africa to the poorest of nations (Malawi) and watched as the men sat in grass thatched shelters at the edge of the fields, drank tea and gossiped, while the women worked the fields with babies strapped on their backs. .....Go figure. Is there a cultural factor that translates intergenerationally?”
I think it’s human nature, not race. Mankind, no matter what color will get away with whatever he’s allowed to get away with. It’s all about what a culture, society or home will put up with. I once had a white husband like you described above, but I can guarantee you there was no second baby and I was gone the next year.
The author isn't terribly impressed by Cosby's efforts and manages to slam Republicans more than a couple times; but he bring across that Cosby's message of self-reliance -- black "conservatism" as he calls it -- is finding a receptive audience.
Well worth the long read.
No, it is not permissible to ask.
susie
Are you kidding? To the best of my knowledge he’s an unrepentant leftist.
I will never forget a black student I had who was smart, but rarely did any work. I took him aside one day and told him he could do something with his life if he tried (at the time he was enamored with the gansta culture). I told him he was smart. Know what he said back to me? “I don’t WANT to be smart.” That sums it up for a lot of these kids. It’s not cool to be smart. It’s cool to have street cred and be tough and uneducated. And it’s cool to make babies you have no intention of supporting. And I guess it’s then cool to blame everyone else for your failure.
susie
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