At a conference of community associations on Thursday, Bill Cosby urged the audience to stand up and confront the ills facing black Americans and “stop looking for somebody to blame.”
Speaking about the responsibilities of families in raising children, Cosby characterized his words as “blunt, but not harsh.”
“I haven’t seen the demonstrations saying, ‘I’m not allowing my children to listen to this,’” he said at the conference, hosted by Family Intervention Services and Newark Now, an organization formed by Newark, NJ Mayor Cory Booker. “It’s killing us. We’re not talking about it, and we’re not beating it down,” referring to radio stations that play music he called “pro-murder and anti-women”.
Booker called Cosby “a critical voice right now in the American context” and praised his willingness to speak out on issues without bowing to political correctness:
“This is a time for candor — we can’t beat around the bush,” Booker said. “We’ve got large percentages of our population that are underachieving. He’s speaking to the heart of the matter, and he speaks to the realities of what a lot of folks are experiencing.”
Cosby called his critics “intellectual panhandlers” who enable destructive behavior by staying silent or blaming racism.
“You’ve got these idiots who’ve got these degrees and some of them are ordained ministers and they say, ‘Bill, you’re picking on the poor,’” he said. He then drew laughs by adding, “Well, so did Jesus then. Jesus was always telling someone, `Go ye.’ Jesus was always telling people to go somewhere. And `don’t do this again or don’t do that again.’”
NATION’S LEADING DOCTORS
In the May issue of Black Enterprise, “America’s Leading Doctors” names 140 top-notch physicians responsible for saving millions of lives through the revolutionary treatment of diseases, from cancer and diabetes to heart attacks and HIV/AIDS. Many of these doctors have been responsible for major medical breakthroughs and have participated in the creation of drugs that have vastly improved the quality of life for patients.
“A consistent objective of Black Enterprise is to communicate that without investing in the quality of our health and that of our families and communities, it is all but impossible to create sustainable, multigenerational wealth,” said Founder and Publisher Earl G. Graves Sr.
He added:
“The life of my father was cut short at the age of 46 by a heart condition that was likely both preventable and treatable. The exceptional black physicians we highlight uniquely understand the medical issues that confront African Americans. Their expertise makes them an essential part of the solution to the healthcare crisis facing black Americans and our entire nation.”
KILPATRICK NEWS
Detroit City Council members may be one step closer to ousting mayor Kwame Kilpatrick with the release of a legal brief containing excerpts of more than 100 text messages sent between the married mayor and his now-divorced former chief of staff, Christine Beatty.
The messages reveal Kilpatrick and Beatty repeatedly declared their love, discussed liaisons and marriage and even plotted to get rid of police officers whose investigations threatened to expose their affair in late 2002 and 2003.
“I don’t think it’s a death blow, but it’s another blow to his credibility,” said council President Kenneth Cockrel Jr. “It pretty clearly suggests that the mayor and his chief of staff were running the Police Department and not the police chief. That’s scary.”
Kilpatrick, charged with perjury and other felonies for denying the affair and the dismissal of officers under oath during last year’s police lawsuit, called the messages a “regurgitation of old news” while speaking to reporters Tuesday night. “I don’t think this was a smoking gun that everyone thought it would be,” he said.
His attorney, James C. Thomas, said the messages were “cut and pasted” and illegally obtained. “Give him is day in court. You have already convicted him by putting it in The Detroit News.” Thomas, however, declined to cite a passage that is false.
City Council members received the document after a judge ordered its release Tuesday morning. Council President Ken Cockrel Jr. said “going to the governor may be something” the council may consider. But he vowed to abstain from future votes about the mayor because he would assume the post until a special election if Kilpatrick is removed from office.
“I hesitate to speculate where this is all going to end up,” Cockrel said.
@notbuyingit —-
“Nobody is making these black men leave their children behind for the mamas or grandmamas to raise on their own.”
I see you are a stereotypical black woman. You love to play the victim role. And if you are a man posting this comment, then, you might as well cut off your penis; you have no need for it.
You are misinformed and your statements show that. You buy into popular black sitcoms shows that play on the stereotype that black men bear children and leave. NO self-respecting black woman will say what you have just said. To do so, is to say black women are imbeciles, weak and bears no responsibility in the mate they choose.
Again, let set the record clear. There are numerous reason why numerous black males are absent from their homes. First, many of them are in jail, for minor and major offenses. Secondly, many of them are dead (could be to homicide, disease, gang warfare, war, or automobile accidents). The question is why do women have children with men they know will not live long or end-up in jail?
Third, many are divorced, and because of this fucked-up court system, a woman can play her child against the father. Many women are using this court system to limit or deny the father any sort of visitation rights. Fourth, many women don’t know, who fathered their children. Many of these women are teenage mothers who have many sexual encounters and have no idea who is the father. 1 out of 3 children born in the US are born to non-biological fathers. Imagine these odds. If you have a father, there’s a 30% chance, he may not be your biological father.
I had enough of this same tired shit from you women. It is too easy to blame black men for the ills of society. And if you believe black men are to blame, then the solution is easy…eliminate all black men.
I never heard of black men causing war, creating nuclear weaponry, creating biological warfare,
When will black women accept some responsibility for the shit they are threading in?
To put all the blame on the woman or man is unequal and unfair. Both play a role. Nobody is more guilty then the other. So the blame game can not be played on EITHER SIDE.
well bill could keep quiet. H eloves to be big freak behind closed doors and cheats on his wife like crazy.
You just prove my point in how ridiculous you sound. I’m less of a man or woman because I said that, you really need to get off your high horse. You want to act like you are so informed when really your talking out of your behind. First I made that comment because Bill said we need the fathers at the home. Please, never did I say that all men leave their children behind. I know that personally that it’s not true so pleae cut the foolishness.You are right, some of these fathers are in jail,or dead. But lets be real, most of these fathers are out and about and don’t give care about their seed. Women are just as triffling, especially like you said about using their children as bargaining chips is deplorable. I don’t get why women pick dummbies either.
What I don’t get is why you are so offended? (DON”T ACT LIKE YOU AREN’T, I CAN SEE YOU POUTING OVER THE WEB.LOL) Are you one of those men? Is there a sense of guiltiness? Because if you aren’t you shouldn’t be in such uproar. LOL!
” I never heard of black men causing war, creating nuclear weaponry, creating biological warfare,”
I guess you don’t watch tv that much. Do you know what’s happening in Darfur? The Congo? Have you ever heard of the Rwanda genocide? I could go on but you want get the point anyway. But I guess that’s the path choosen for them by the white man. Please. People like you are so arrogant that they don’t even see themselves being arrogant. You are right that there’s racism and that we have to work harder. But you are giving the white man too much credit. People are responsible for their decisions and have no one else to blame. We see all these problems we have as a people have and we just assume the white man in some kind of way has something to do with it. YOU’RE ONLY OPPRESSED WHEN YOU ALLOW IT…………………………. You know what I’m not going to argue with you. Your going to stick to what you said, and so am I. I respect your opinion on things and wish you would do the same. So I’m just going to let it go. Wish you nothing but the best.
@120 I Agree with what some of the things you said.
@122 it has alot to do with peoples morals as well. Poeple live in such a deplorable and stupid way that they’re shock when the consequences come their way. We as the HUMAN RACE( Because this voluntary segragation thing we all are doing isn’t helping the situation none.) need to WAKE UP!
@121 “If you have a father, there’s a 30% chance, he may not be your biological father.”
Everyone has a father. Duh! I look just like my father. My mother was 24 when she had me and she wasn’t a slut so there is no dobut to who is my father. I like how you assume that parents aren’t married.
Bill, Bill, Bill. What are we going to do with you? The issue is not to give a specch to stop playing rap music, or to stop dressing a certain way. But the issue and essentially the root of the problem which is poverty and lack of education. This is in combination with low self worth and self fullfilling prophesies. What’s going on in the black community is a disgrace yes, but we cannot put a bandaid on the situation with more Cosby speeches. Let’s talk about why the music is filthy, which is generally due to a refelection of the community. Let’s talk about why our young black men feel the need to dress and act a certain way which is usually due to low or no self worth and no father figure or credible role models in their life. Let’s talk about why our young girls are getting pregnant left and right, also due to no father figures and most of all low self worth and self esteem. Let’s talk about these issues! We’ve had decades of Bill Cosby like speeches and were had that gotten us. Nowhere!
Someone mentioned that the jews got themselves together, and blacks have no excuse. Well, yeah we do. The holocaust for the most part took place in Germany. Slavery took part in America, we are STILL in america. The jews are not in Germany anymore. The slavemasters are still in our face and still present around us keeping us enslaved. Over 400 years of slavery, is in no way in comparison to the holocaust. Not saying that the holocaust wasn’t horrible in every way but blacks are STILL GOING THROUGH IT. So what we can sit in the back of the bus now, we are still discriminated against daily. Look at the Genoside in Sudan, the US doesn’t get involved because it’s black people, and blacks are not considered human beings in their eyes. They would rather barge into Iraq with a senceless war, while standing idlely by while mother earth Africa dies. Don’t even let me get started on the racist justice system in America when it comes to Sean Bell, Amadou Diallo, etc. But my point is that the black experience in America requires a divine intervention and a serious revolution for things to really change, not another Bill Cosby speech.
Blacks are still at the bottom of the barrel because we have yet to recover because we are not living in an environment to recover. America is anti-black period, it hates us so deeply, that now we even hate ourselves. It’s sad!
THE DIRTY LOW LIFE COSBY IS AT IT AGAIN. THIS FOOL IS ONLY TRYING TO COVER UP HIS FAILURES BY CRITICIZING OTHERS.
HE FAILED HIS DAUGHTER WHEN, WITH ALL HIS MONEY SHE STILL ENDED UP A CRACK HEAD.
HE FAILED HIS SON WHEN HE SENT HIM TO PROSTITUTES FOR COMPANIONSHIP INSTEAD OF ENCOURAGING THE BOY TO SEEK OUT A PROPER BLACK FEMALE.
HE FAILED HIS WIFE WHEN COUNTLESS NUMBERS OF WOMEN RECOUNTED HOW HE DRUGGED AND RAPED THEM. QUITE OBVIOUSLY HE MADE ALL OF HIS WHITE WHORES MILLIONAIRES WITH BIG PAY OFFS. HOW MANY BLACK WOMEN, NOT IN HIS FAMILY, HAS HE HELPED – NONE!
HOW MANY INDUSTRIES DID HE CREATE TO GIVE BLACK PEOPLE JOBS? NOT ONE! HE WASN’T EVEN SMART ENOUGH TO OWN A VENUE IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY WITH ALL THAT MONEY HE MADE BECAUSE OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, TO PROVIDE JOBS FOR BLACK AMERICANS WHEN ALL THESE FOREIGNERS CAME AND TOOK ALL OF THE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION THAT SHOULD HAVE GONE TO BLACK PEOPLE.
HE IS A FAILURE IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD. NOW THE ONLY WAY HIS OLD GRIZZLY SELF CAN DRUM UP SOME ATTENTION IS BY ATTACKING THE VERY PEOPLE HE HAS FAILED. AND FOOLISHLY BECAUSE OF THEIR LOW SELF ESTEEM THEY EMBRACE THIS FOOLS CRITICISMS. HE IS ONE SENILE FOOL WHO NEEDS TO PUT A SOCK IN IT.
PETE THE RAP COMMUNITY AND BUSINESS HAS DONE NOTHING BUT GOOD IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY. IT SAVED GHETTO BOYS FROM PRISON. IT GAVE BEYONCE, JANET, TAMEKA, KIM, ETC., GOOD PROVIDERS AND MILLIONAIRES FOR HUSBANDS AND THE FATHERS OF THEIR CHILDREN.
ONLY A FOOL WOULD CRITICIZE THE RAP COMMUNITY.
ANY VIOLENCE YOU SEE IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY IS CAUSED BY THE FOOLS WHO ALLOWED THEIR 3 YEAR OLD BABIES TO WATCH “TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE”, “JASON”, ETC. YOUNG CHILDREN WATCHING THAT VIOLENCE MESS GET DESENSITIZED TO IT. THE VIDEO GAMES GIVE THEM TARGET PRACTICE ON SHOOTING A VICTIM, AND DRIVING WRECKLESSLY, AND THE COCAINE THESE CRACK HEAD PARENTS WHO SCREAM ABOUT RAP, PUT INTO THEIR WOMBS DESTROYED THIS GENERATION. BUT YOU WON’T HEAR COSBY TALK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THAT IS HOW THE WHITE MAN MADE HIS BILLIONS, AND HE PROBABLY LOVES THE CRAK AS MUCH AS MOST OF THAT LOUSY CROWD WHO PICK ON INNOCENT YOUNG BOYS TRYING HARD TO RAP THEIR WAY OUT OF THE GHETTO.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICA THAT BLACK GROWN UPS THREW THEIR SONS TO THE WOLVES AND RASCIST AND BEGGED THEM TO DEVOUR THEM IN THE ANALS OF HELLISH PRISONS. THEY SHOULD ALL ROT IN HELL FOR IT.
WE USED TO PROTECT OUR BOYS FROM AN UNJUST POLICE STATE, AND A HARSH SOCIETY. ALL OF THESE CREEPS ARE BRAIN DAMAGED FROM SMOKING CRAK THAT’S WHY THEY DO WRONG BY THE BOYS. AS A MOTHER I AM SICK OVER IT. SICK THAT OUR PRECIOUS BOYS ARE BEING TARGETED SIMPLY FOR FASHION, WHEN EVERY PEOPLE ON THE PLANET ARE LOOKING LIKE FOOLS WITH RINGS IN THEIR NOSE, TONGUE, BELLY, PRIVATES. WHITE KIDS HAVE BLUE PINK GREEN HAIR. BUT OUR POOR BLACK BOYS CAN’T EVEN WEAR THE FASHION OF SAGGING THAT WAS STARTED WITH THE WHITE MAN SHOWING PURE CRACK AND ALL THESE BOYS ARE SHOWING IS NICE LOOKING UNDERWEAR.
i think cosby and oprah are going to end up as the 2 most hated people in america when they’re all used up by their white massahs.
I won’t front, I don’t know the ins and outs of this case. BUT, I can’t understand how a young black politician on “I wanna be a baller when I grow up” status could let himself be caught slippin like thi. HE HAD TO KNOW with his youth, charm and charismatic personality THEY WOULD BE ALL UP IN HIS ISH. It was just a matter of time. Why could he not wait until he was outa office to act a fool. NEGROS allways trying to be extra slick. SMH.
kind.
yeah i actually read an article on the whole bill cosby’s conservatism and and he says way more stuff that is offensive.. i totally disagree with what he is saying
I don’t know if it’s been said on the comment board yet, but I read that issue of Black Enterprise and they completely left off dentists from that list of America’s Top Doctors amongst other qualified fields. Dentists are in fact doctors that receive a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from accredited four-year post-grad universities. There are many black dentists that have created life-saving and life-enhancement techniques that Black Enterprise has failed to give credit to under their umbrella title of “America’s Top Doctors”, even some dentists that have been featured in BE’s own pages. A more fitting title would have been Top Cardiologists or some other specific genre than to recognize all with the title and forget some.
LOL at #3…HILARITY!
BC is so right!!! It’s time to stand up! Being Black in America does have a value. Many times you have to get far, far away from your environment to learn the truth. At this present time, no one is responsible for us but us. Even though at times you may not feel like your brothers and sister’s keeper, you are!
Earn, learn, love (safely) and remember that everyday is Black History! Be proud of who you are!
Peace!
Rev Wright’s comments are a day late and $40 dollars to short. He should have been vocal long before Obama considered running for office. He scares white folks and some blacks which may in turn hurt Obama. He should have picked a better time to voice his opinions. He’s thrown gasoline on small fire that was starting to burn big. In other words, he may have cancelled Christmas on Obama’s chances to be in the White House.
This is a video by the Church of Scientology anti drug Campaign. There are more videos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V75yvaYGyTA