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BILL COSBY Strikes Again, Addresses Black Community in New Book

Posted Apr 19th 2007 3:00PM by Felicia Pride
Filed under: More Than Words

Bill Cosby has more to say about the plight of black folk. This time, he's finally putting his thoughts into book format, no doubt as an answer to Michael Eric Dyson's IS BILL COSBY RIGHT? I knew it was just a matter of time before he struck back. Cosby's timing couldn't be better as the black community publicly discusses its internal issues.

According to Publishers Weekly, Cosby's book, titled COME ON, PEOPLE! ON THE PATH FROM VICTIMS TO VICTORS, is touted as "a powerful message for families and communities as they lay out their visions for strengthening America..." and will address "the crises of people who are stuck because of feelings of low self-esteem, abandonment, anger, fearfulness, sadness and feelings of being used, undefended and unprotected." The book's purpose is "to help empower people to make the daunting transition from victims to victors."The description for COME ON, PEOPLE! seems to be a different approach than his notorious 2004 NAACP speech which revolved around his belief that, " the lower economic and lower middle economic people are not holding their end in this deal." Here's a reminder of some of the things Dr. Cosby said:

"I'm talking about these people who cry when their son is standing there in an orange suit. Where were you when he was two? Where were you when he was twelve? Where were you when he was eighteen, and how come you don't know he had a pistol?"

"Those people are not Africans, they don't know a damned thing about Africa. With names like Shaniqua, Shaliqua, Mohammed and all that crap and all of them are in jail."

"50 percent drop out rate, I'm telling you, and people in jail, and women having children by five, six different men. Under what excuse? I want somebody to love me. And as soon as you have it, you forget to parent. Grandmother, mother, and great grandmother in the same room, raising children, and the child knows nothing about love or respect of any one of the three of them. All this child knows is "gimme, gimme, gimme."


"The city and all these people have to pick up the tab on them because they don't want to accept that they have to study to get an education."

It's not what they're doing to us. It's what we're not doing. 50 percent drop out. Look, we're raising our own ingrown immigrants. These people are fighting hard to be ignorant. There's no English being spoken, and they're walking and they're angry. Oh God, they're angry and they have pistols and they shoot and they do stupid things. And after they kill somebody, they don't have a plan. Just murder somebody. Boom. Over what? A pizza? And then run to the poor cousin's house.

"You can't keep asking that God will find a way. God is tired of you."

According to Publishers Weekly, COME ON, PEOPLE! will be co-written with Alvin Poussaint (he wrote the introduction to Cosby's book FATHERHOOD and is the co-author of a book called RAISING BLACK CHILDREN) and is slated for publication in October 2007 by Thomas Nelson, a Christian publisher. Yes you read that right, a Christian publisher.

I suspect Poussaint will help to ensure that the book doesn't read like one long rant. Hopefully Cosby will offer productive and comprehensive commentary, insights, and solutions because anything else would be a waste.

Regardless, I'm sure COME ON, PEOPLE! will be a New York Times bestseller, no matter what it says or doesn't say.
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1. Most people are mad with Bill Cosby because he has stated the truth. Why werent they teaching and discipling their children from day one. You dont let a child spit on someone when he is two yrs old and u dont discipline him. It has to start somewhere. When the teacher sends a note home that she needs to see you, dont let that child start lying, he has learned from you how to work a person up into a hot sweat. What do the mothers do? Go straight to school talking about "Im gonna whip that teacher's ass" No one can upset her child. So he grows up knowing that he can do no wrong in his mother's eyes. So he can do the same out in the world. Yes Bill Cosby is right. Most black males are raised by their Grandmothers. They have no male figures in the house hold. They are not made to go to school. These parents know that their sons are the ones selling the drugs on the block, What do they do about it.? Come running down the block when the police are putting the hand cuffs on her son. What is the first thing she says? No not my Baby.........
We need to start being our childrens Parents, not their best friends. I have three children, ages 42, 39, 32 and not a one would curse in front of me...They know that I will knock the taste out of their mouths. It is called ' RESPECT' The police dont come to my door, there is a line that my children cannot cross and they know that, and they know where it is. The have opinions, but they better remember how and who they are talking to. I see young black males talking to their mothers like they are the children. What's up with that?
Keep Telling them Bill, I am sorry that our Black Sisters and Brothers are a little dense. But I do beleive if they keep burying their children. They just might get the message.
They are mad at you because you are telling Us the Truth

LaVerne at 5:57PM on Apr 19th 2007

2. While I am not an advocate of corporal punishment, I do believe from time to time a child's behavior demands it. Although I was only whipped one time in my life when I was eleven years old, I still remember the consequence of inappropriate behavior. I went to a beer-joint and ordered a Budweiser at 11 years as I sat at the bar. I am now a grandmother of 9 and I am telling you about it!

Bobbie Cumbo at 7:03PM on Apr 19th 2007

3. just because bill cosby is black and came up hard and made it, doesn't give him a right to inspire black people to be anything other than the negative stereotypes that rappers promote and profit off of.

the rappers are simply stating that school , family , work , and self rspect are a waste of time. pimping prostituition, drug dealing , and murder, is the black legacy, so cosby should stop wasting his time before the kids get the wrong message, and try to make something of themselves.

mathmatics at 7:05PM on Apr 19th 2007

4. bill cosby is setting black people up for failure with his self help initiatives, dyson is right to defend rappers who legitimize and reinforce lifestyles; cosby is blaming the victim for the consequencetheir s of life choices

mathmatics at 7:21PM on Apr 19th 2007

5. bill cosby is setting black people up for failure with his self help initiatives, dyson is right to defend rappers who legitimize and reinforce lifestyles; cosby is blaming the victim for the consequencetheir s of life choices

mathmatics at 7:22PM on Apr 19th 2007

6. To mathmatics: You are a racist mother fu**er and one of the main problems we as a people(white,black or blue)have.I know your parents wish birth control was retroactive. How can trying to help kids, or anyone,be a waste of time. You are proof what happens when no one tries to help. Go sit back in your trailer and think about what a waste you have been.

vernon at 8:02PM on Apr 19th 2007

7. Bill Cosby is totally right. I see it everyday in my community.I am apalled at the language children are using and they have no problem saying it in front of a grownup. I have see the disrepect by parents as well as children. The rap music is horrible. Teenage males cant even speak english let alone spell anything right. The black youth are killing each other and the parents act surprise when one of their kids is killed or put in jail. Bill Cosby is just telling it like it is. Micheal Eric Dyson is sickening. He is in denial and is just trying to sell books. Like I said I see these things with my own eyes. Black America wake up and raise your children right.

Patty R. at 8:10PM on Apr 19th 2007

8. Bill Cosby is totally right. I am appalled at the person who would rally against the truth that is being said. So many children are having children with no proper training of themselves. I am a young black woman working as a nurse in the jail system and it is shocking to see our black men ranging in ages 18 and up with no plan for life. some are just angry at the world with no reason. Angry at life because they were not given chances. Young men are in jail with every intent of doing the same thing when they leave because this is all they know to do. Some intend to get back at the cops who put them in jail. Some say on leaving jail i will never come back yet in 1- 2 mths they are back because there was no plan. It is sad. This country has so much to offer yet the offers are taken advantage of. How does a baby to toddler to pre schooler, to young adult just fall through the cracks? something must be wrong and unless the solution is found our jail and prison system will continue to fill and soon overflow. we continue to have baby pregnancies, sexual diseases will continue to rise and complaints will forever be.
Do u know how many youny balck male and female find out they are hiv positive in jail? It is alarming.

Trica J at 8:31PM on Apr 19th 2007

9. Bill Cosby is totally right. I moved from the north to the 'dirty' south and what I see is a lack of progression with the black community. There is a sad reality-teen pregnancy, killings, jailings, lack of proper parenting, educational disadvantages and other negative things associated with our communities. There are good things within the communities, however these things do not get press.
There is a golf program in the inner cities called First Tee, there are tennis and academic programs for them so that books like Mr. Cosby will no longer be needed to wake us up. I hear him and I am willing to step up to the plate to help my people get back on track-EACH ONE TEACH ONE--EACH ONE REACH ONE.

Salima at 8:52PM on Apr 19th 2007

10. *I wonder what God says about how we are interacting with our children today as legislation says allow them "self expression" and prohibits us to guide and nurture them.

Bobbie Cumbo at 8:55PM on Apr 19th 2007

11. Bill Cosby is correct. We have let our children down (even if you are not a parent yet, it really takes a village to raise a child). When my mom was alive, I would never curse in front of her, when she had company I knew I could not be in the same room. Even when I became and adult, she was never my friend but my mother, even when my dad died of lung cancer she became both parents to me and my brother. I have a son and some of the same discipline (education) my parents, grandparents, and neighbors gave me, I will give him. I don't want to see my son in jail, I want him to learn to work hard, like my mom and dad taught me and my brother. I have a plan (along with my husband) to keep him busy in positive activities, be active in his school, and be his parents.

Retta at 11:29PM on Apr 19th 2007

12. Props to Cosby. Blacks need to look at other groups getting ahead in this country by helping each other. Our black entertainers and pro athletes should be providing scholarships to aspiring youth instead of buying 20 cars, huge homes and bling. Thats what the hispanics are doing-first generation labors and saves, second generation goes to college and/or opens a business.They also hire their own first, and praise those who succeed rather then tear them down as often happens in the black community.

double d at 11:31PM on Apr 19th 2007

13. I understand what Bill is saying and It only hurts if you are hit.SOME black people dont mind being stupid.Why in the Black community there is more check cashing stores than banks? Why do the liquor stores accept food stamps?

chas at 12:15AM on Apr 20th 2007

14. Bill Cosby is a stupid N word who has forgotten where he came from. Just because he received a token affirmative action job that got him out of the ghetto he shouldn't forget why his mother/father didn't make it out and that the same reasons they didn't get out ARE THE SAME RASCIST REASONS MANY BLACK FAMILIES ARE STUCK THERE TODAY.

AND NOW HE THINKS BLACK AMERICA IS DUMB ENOUGH TO MAKE HIM RICH BY BUYING THAT CRAP HE SPEWS. FORGET IT.

Shirley at 3:29AM on Apr 20th 2007

15. All I have to is AMEN!!!!! Unfortunately Bill is so right! We as black people need to get ourselves together. It's not Hip Hop or the white man destroying us we're destroying ourselves.

ShellsP at 9:19AM on Apr 20th 2007

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