Bill Cosby has done it again...

[Dantès]

So the white women discount what a black man who grew up in a seriously racist America has to say because he was 'middle class black'. That makes total sense

Cosby wants to have it both ways; he wants to eschew identity politics as it applies to Africa but then he says this:

We, as black folks have to do a better job.
Someone working at Wal-Mart with seven kids, you are hurting us.
We have to start holding each other to a higher standard..
We cannot blame the white people any longer.'

So what is he doing with this, if he isn't going right back to that identity politics rooted in African imagery that he just said shouldn't be part of the conversation!

[Dantès]

So the white women discount what a black man who grew up in a seriously racist America has to say because he was 'middle class black'. That makes total sense

Does he get to speak for the whole black community by virtue of his blackness or by virtue of his wealth or his success or by virtue of his television series. What allows him to speak for everyone and tell Black people how they should wear their hats!

[christiefan915]

So the white women discount what a black man who grew up in a seriously racist America has to say because he was 'middle class black'. That makes total sense

The man is stereotyping, period. Am I missing context or something? And this has nothing to do with "white women" (or white men) discounting what he says.

[Celticguy]

I'm saying that he wasn't speaking for the entire black community anymore than someone who considers white-trash hillbillies to be the entire white community.

He's making a huge generalization but no one wants to address that.

If you mean that not every has no command of the language then fine and Dr Cosby would agree. If you dont realize that all too many either cannot speak otherwise or chose not to then you will, of course, have missed his point. And we all know there are whites, hispanics, asians etc who also have poor command of language but it is obviously important to the good doctor to effect positive change for those of his race both by personal example and shaming if needed. The president has chimed in on occasion aalong these lines. Is he out of line as well ? Perhaps if Jay Z or LeBron etal echoed these sentiments people would consider it. Till then, blacks hamstring themselves for no reason.

[Big Money]

I must have missed his claim to be speaking for the entire Black community.


Do you think he knows that's the exclusive domain of guilty white liberals?

[cawacko]

Much respect Prak for your love for white women

[Big Money]

this has nothing to do with "white women" (or white men) discounting what he says.

.

Cosby didn't grow up poor and isn't speaking from experience. So his opinion and $1 will buy a cup of coffee at McDonald's.

[cawacko]

The man is stereotyping, period. Am I missing context or something? And this has nothing to do with "white women" (or white men) discounting what he says.

Stereotyping? I was lucky enough to grow up in a middle class family but I also grew up in Oakland and witnessed plenty of what he speaks about. He is not stereotyping. He's speaking about a specific group of people

[Dantès]

Huge generalization? He's speaking to a specific group of people and he has the gravitas to reach them. He cares and is trying to create positive change yet white women are hating on him for it?

He appears to be saying that people who talk one way on the street can't also know and speak correct English in another situation. I think that is a general stereotype of Black youth and while it may apply to some, it certainly doesn't apply to all as he is here implying!!

[Big Money]

Because Pantès grew up poor in the ghetto, don't 'cha know.

[Celticguy]

Stereotyping? I was lucky enough to grow up in a middle class family but I also grew up in Oakland and witnessed plenty of what he speaks about. He is not stereotyping. He's speaking about a specific group of people

Right-o. And the fact is, if this is how you speak in public (he was referring to people he saw in public) then its moot if they can speak otherwise in private.

[Dantès]

With respect, Bill Cosby is not worthy to speak about the black community? That I find difficult to understand. And I don't mean this at you personally but white women are saying Bill Cosby can't speak about the black community?

With respect, he isn't speaking "about the black community," he is telling the "black community" how to dress, how to wear their pants, hats, and so on. If a white man of equal wealth went into the "black community" and said the same things he would be run out of Brooklyn or the Bronx or Harlem. So back we come to these questions, what is it specifically that gives Cosby the right to speak in such terms about the "black community" is it his blackness, hie wealth, his success, his television series or his recognizable visage, his celebrity; what is it that lets him say how the black youth should wear their hats!

[Big Money]

Only a guilty white liberal can lib-splain it...

[cawacko]

He appears to be saying that people who talk one way on the street can't also know and speak correct English in another situation. I think that is a general stereotype of Black youth and while it may apply to some, it certainly doesn't apply to all as he is here implying!!

Umm, there are many who have both street and business smarts. He's speaking to the streets smarts only. One might think you would support that

[Dantès]

Right-o. And the fact is, if this is how you speak in public (he was referring to people he saw in public) then its moot if they can speak otherwise in private.

He specifically says "They're standing on the corner and they can't speak English." How does he or you know this? You're confusing street corner talking between black youth; with all Black youth speaking in all other public places, which is the stereotype! Private doesn't enter into it. Certainly there are more public spaces than just street corners are their not, and certainly I have myself heard black youth on the bus carry on completely correct conversations with other passengers and then get off and see three other people and drop the English they were just speaking on the bus! So if I have had that experience why hasn't Cosby?