Comedian Bill Cosby's now famous May 2004 speech to the NAACP, Howard University and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court Brown v. Board of Education decision drew ire and hostility from many members of the black community.
In a speech that provoked national debate, Cosby blamed blacks' disproportionately high dropout, crime and teen-pregnancy rates on the black community itself.
"I'm talking about these people who cry when their son is standing there in an orange suit. Where were you when he was 2? Where were you when he was 12? Where were you when he was 18, and how come you don't know he had a pistol? And where is the father ...?" Cosby said. Read or listen to the speech on AmericanRhetoric.com.
At the time, many perceived Cosby's tirade to be a product of elitism and an out-of-touch mentality with the current generation. Today, as we recognize the 50th anniversary of the day nine black children filed into Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., some blacks appear to be changing their minds.
(See also: 50th Anniversary of Little Rock Nine Garners National Attention)
Take Shanna Flowers, for example, who says her initial resistance to Cosby's remarks stemmed from fear of a harsh truth--one she now says needs to be confronted. Writing about the black community's rush to protest the incarceration of Mychal Bell and the fate of the Jena 6 in Louisiana last week, Flowers writes on Roanoke.com that "the dysfunction destroying our community from within should compel the same outrage."
Three years ago, Cosby was one of few to publicly demand accountability from the black community, but thanks to the recent national spotlight on the Jena 6, media portrayals of black people and presidential candidates' frank discussions about the plight of young black men in this country, these issues are becoming a matter of public discourse.
(See also: 'What Black Men Think:' New Film Will Prove Myths Wrong)
A few recent examples:
- Barack Obama has called for personal accountability from the black community, especially as it relates to education. Watch the video on DiversityInc.com
(See also: Face to Face With Barack Obama: He Talks Education, Healthcare, Unions)
- Hillary Clinton discussed the plight of black men at the National Association for Black Journalists conference last month. She has a committee, African American Men for Hillary, to focus solely on the issues affecting these constituents
- At the annual National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications conference this month, a panel discussed the formulative role black fathers have in the lives of their daughters--and the debilitating impacts of their absence
Cosby's point is that black families must lay a stronger foundation early on. He believes mentoring, community service, personal responsibility and a relentless drive to succeed can elevate the black community in spite of the obstacles it has faced and continues to face, and has toured dozens of cities on his multi-year national Save Our Children campaign to underscore this message and be part of the solution.
But what about the social and economic issues that prevent many black families from being able to nurture the home environment that Cosby demands? Those can't be ignored, writes Michael Eric Dyson, an outspoken opponent of Cosby on this issue, in his book Is Bill Cosby Right? (Or Has the Black Middle Class Lost Its Mind?)
(See also: Cornel West Vs. Michael Eric Dyson: N-Word Debate Resurfaces)
Dyson says that Cosby harps on the "most vulnerable among us" by harshly crusading against infractions of morality and behavior of poor blacks, which gives fodder to those who leverage schisms within the black community to advance their own agendas.
Current demographic and resegregation trends affirm the oft-used phrase that blacks must work "twice as hard to get half as far" in this country. While the need for personal accountability is paramount for advancement--whether individually or as a group--the incessant struggle of competing on an unleveled playing field suggests it would be in the nation's best interest to find a balance where personal and civic responsibility intersect.
As Flowers writes, "We see the necessity of turning the mirror on ourselves. I'm not diminishing the outside factors that conspire against us. But I'm saying we need to address the issues we can control."
