Bill Cosby.
Thursday, January 25, 2007 at 08:20PM 
People may be giving Bill Cosby standing ovations now but when Bill first started his “Blame the Poor Tour” many black people were pissed at Cosby because:
1. They didn’t think of going to the poor and telling the the truth first.
2. They are out of touch with the monumental accomplishments Cosby has made in helping black people over the decades. The millions of dollars he’s donated to HBCU’s, the g-rated comedy tours he’s held at rock bottom cost, his enlighting and informative T.V. shows and cartoons.
3. His philosophy of blackness wasn’t black enough for the hardcore black liberals (fuck them).
Bill Cosby may not have been throwing his fist up and marching in the streets or talking about how to get back at the 
man but he definately has influenced black people in his own way. Before there was Michael Jordan, before there was Oprah Winfrey, before there was Magic Johnson and before there was Tyler Perry there was Bill Cosby at the front lines doing whatever he could to fight for the cause. In the 70’s he loaned Melvin Van Peebles $50,000 in order that Peebles have the opportunity to finish one of the most contraversial black movies in the history of movie making: ‘Sweet Sweetback’s Badasss Song’ The movie went on to gross 50 million dollars, and thereby ignited the career of the most popular black black band of all time, ‘Earth, Wind, and Fire’. In 1991 Bill also helped to finance Willy T. Ribbs racing team making Ribbs the first black man to enter the Indianapolis 500. These 
contributions that I’ve noted aren’t even the tip of the iceburg of Bill Cosby’s long and illustrious career. If you are aware of Cosby’s other accomplishments, then you know that his contributions to black America and America’s children are limitless. Bill deserves props until the end of time. But now, back to the point of this entry:
How to reach those that don’t want to be reached:
1. Find a christian-oriented boys and girls type center in an inner city/ metro area.
2. Pitch the idea to help host a lock-in or if they already have lock-ins ask them if they will allow you to speak there.
3. Offer free food and reasonable entertainment.
4. Give them the reasonable entertainment first, THEN pitch them the word.
5. Feed them.
You must follow that formula for success in that order. You feed them before you preach to them they won’t listen. Personally, I feel people send the wrong message when they show up to places like this assuming they have to be “down” and look/sound hip to get their message across. These kids see black people dressed down in urban wear 24-7-365. They need to see black people dressed professionally. They need to hear black people speak proper english. They need to know what it takes to get in college, stay in college, and the successes that await them once they graduate.
The point of this whole matter is, first of all, to be real. Secondly, the point is to tell them the truth. You may not make millions of dollars but you sure as hell won’t have to worry about accepting whatever minimum wage some fast food chain, warehouse or manufacturing plant will give you. You’re guaranteed a certain level of salary no matter where you go.
There’s a myth among these people that people like me just ARRIVED at where we are by magic or because of where we live. While it may be true that our upbringing plays a significant role in our futures many of us didn’t have everything handed to us. You have to make the connection with these kids. Tell them how growing up wasn’t easy. Telling them little things like the growing pains you went through while you stuck to what you knew was right through school is important to them. Telling them how you dealt with peer pressure helps them. Telling them how important it is to make good grades in order to get scholarships and to develop a relationship with the counselor at their school is important.
A lot of people don’t understand you have to establish that bridge from poverty to success and be consistent in doing so. You may not reach everyone but if you’ve reached ONE you’ve done your job. I was holding seminars and speaking at lock-ins before Bill Cosby came out with his tour. You have to be real in telling them how they live their lives is wrong. Not only has anyone ever told them that how they lead their lives is wrong they also need to know what to do in order to do what is right. While establishing that bridge you have to make it clear how crucial time is. The hard work and dedication needed in order to be successful is very short but the benefits you recieve from hard work lasts a lifetime. They need to hear NUMBERS. going to a trade school, junior college or university will only last 2-5 years but the average age of a human being is 75 years. What is dedicating 2 to 5 years of your life to education when you may live another 50 or 60 years?
When you have children coming up to you to hug you or shake your hand or tell you they’re entering college because of you, then you know you’ve done your job. Sure, there have been times where I worked all day and been exhausted, then I traveled to an HBCU or a boys and girls club where I would speak for about 2 hours or I’d end up staying until 2am just to get the point across but it’s what you have to do to get to them. It’s so simple just to donate a little bit of your time and just telling your own COMPLETE story of how you made it, how you stayed out of trouble, how you sacrificed to get where you are.
You also have to understand that even in the process of trying to give black people hope there are just going to be some negroes you can’t reach because they don’t want to be reached because they’re comfortable right where they are. Yeah, I’ve been there before: You KNOW you’re doing the right thing by dropping some knowledge and showing a fool the right way but you see a blank stare on their face or two weeks later you see that same fool standing on the street corner in the middle of the night or knocked up by some fool or shot and killed for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s just their DESTINY and that’s somethign you can’t override.
I’ve been in situations where I can have a kid by a thread, thinking I’m making a difference and next thing you know the fool is parked in front of the WIC voucher office hunting for foodstamps and baby rations cards. Some of them are so stupid—hell bent on following their mama’s footsteps they don’t realize that the government won’t give you a DAMN thing—not even milk and diaper rations—if you’re under 16. I’ve had boys right in my hand and gotten their attention but the next thing I know I’m walking down the street and I see his face plastered on people’s t-shirts—killed for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You have to let that sh!t GO. Some negroes just have to waste a lifetime and learn the hard way. Perhaps it is what God has intended so they can be used as examples for what NOT to do for people that do have the common sense to pursue a dream, I know when I was a teenager working little jobs for spending money I worked along side grown ass people working like dogs trying to make a living off of what I considered just to be spending money. That sure as hell was enough insentive for me to take my ass to college, STAY in college and graduate.
I’ve been doing this for too many years.. I’ve done this long enough to see people that didn’t listen as teenagers grow up and hustle like some sewer rats just to get by. I don’t have any sympathy for those fools because they intentionally run away from right, they intentionally turn a deaf ear to criticism and better judgement because they think hustling and living at the bare minimum is so much more rewarding and BLACK. Those are the fools that listen to their parents and older relatives drum that garbage in their brains from the first day they could walk and talk and don’t have the will power to want to see life any other way.
If you know you’ve saved somebody, a few people, ANYBODY, then that’s all you should be concerned about. You can’t save everyone. You can’t beat yourself up about fools that REJECT what you know is right for them. You seriously have to let that sh!t GO. A person can go crazy—a person can go to an early grave worrying about some fool that’s comfortable right where they are and wondering what the fuck is wrong with YOU for trying to act WHITE and help them out. Your own peace and sanity is worth more than losing yourself over someone that doesn’t give a damn. Just keep doing what you’re doing and work with the ones that do appreciate what you have to offer them.
Reader Comments (4)
hi
ok
That was weird
RE:His philosophy of blackness wasn’t black enough for the hardcore black liberals (**** them) (to the **** edit : because I never know the ages of people reading my stuff, I usually avoid coloring my comments. I took liberties with that one by replacing it with asterisks... apologies)
What I really wanted to say was that I have long admired Bill Cosby for the very reason you mention. Your analysis and mine are on the same page. Mr. Cosby speaks honestly and truthfully to the issues about which many do not want to hear.
It appears his messages are an affront to his listeners who are ill-prepared to accept them and to learn from. It speaks volumes for Mr. Cosby and shows me there is a community out there unwilling to look inward, happier to harbor and espouse a more negative and hateful view - even against Mr. Cosby.
Mr. Cosby should be praised for his brave yet scathing assessment of the parenting skills, values and beliefs which persist within the low-income black community. Instead, his remarks have resulted in attacks from members of that community who accuse him of only fueling a negative racial stereotype and accuse him of supporting a conservative-based belief that some of the problems facing African Americans are self-imposed.
The only thing Mr. Cosby is trying to say is to stop playing the role of the victim and to take responsibility for personal actions. For many, that proves to be too difficult.