Cosby Has Harsh Words for Black Community
By DON BABWIN

CHICAGO (AP) - Bill Cosby went off on another tirade against the black community Thursday, telling a room full of activists that black children are running around not knowing how to read or write and "going nowhere.''

He also had harsh words for struggling black men, telling them: "Stop beating up your women because you can't find a job.''

Cosby made headlines in May when he upbraided some poor blacks for their grammar and accused them of squandering opportunities the civil rights movement gave them. He shot back Thursday, saying his detractors were trying in vain to hide the black community's "dirty laundry.''

"Let me tell you something, your dirty laundry gets out of school at 2:30 every day, it's cursing and calling each other n------ as they're walking up and down the street,'' Cosby said during an appearance at the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition & Citizenship Education Fund's annual conference.

"They think they're hip,'' the entertainer said. "They can't read; they can't write. They're laughing and giggling, and they're going nowhere.''

In his remarks in May at a commemoration of the anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education desegregation decision, Cosby denounced some blacks' grammar and said those who commit crimes and wind up behind bars "are not political prisoners.''

"I can't even talk the way these people talk, 'Why you ain't,' 'Where you is' ... and I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk,'' Cosby said then. "And then I heard the father talk ... Everybody knows it's important to speak English except these knuckleheads. You can't be a doctor with that kind of crap coming out of your mouth.''

Cosby elaborated Thursday on his previous comments in a talk interrupted several times by applause. He castigated some blacks, saying that they cannot simply blame whites for problems such as teen pregnancy and high school dropout rates.

"For me there is a time ... when we have to turn the mirror around,'' he said. "Because for me it is almost analgesic to talk about what the white man is doing against us. And it keeps a person frozen in their seat, it keeps you frozen in your hole you're sitting in.''

Cosby lamented that the racial slurs once used by those who lynched blacks are now a favorite expression of black children. And he blamed parents.

"When you put on a record and that record is yelling `n----- this and n----- that' and you've got your little 6-year-old, 7-year-old sitting in the back seat of the car, those children hear that,'' he said.

He also condemned black men who missed out on opportunities and are now angry about their lives.

"You've got to stop beating up your women because you can't find a job, because you didn't want to get an education and now you're (earning) minimum wage,'' Cosby said. "You should have thought more of yourself when you were in high school, when you had an opportunity.''

Cosby appeared Thursday with the Rev. Jesse Jackson, founder and president of the education fund, who defended the entertainer's statements.

"Bill is saying let's fight the right fight, let's level the playing field,'' Jackson said. "Drunk people can't do that. Illiterate people can't do that.''

Cosby also said many young people are failing to honor the sacrifices made by those who struggled and died during the civil rights movement.

"Dogs, water hoses that tear the bark off trees, Emmett Till,'' he said, naming the black youth who was tortured and murdered in Mississippi in 1955, allegedly for whistling at a white woman. "And you're going to tell me you're going to drop out of school? You're going to tell me you're going to steal from a store?''

Cosby also said he wasn't concerned that some whites took his comments and turned them "against our people.''

"Let them talk,'' he said.

again there are exceptions he was generalizing but he is right.

Bill Cosby was harsh with some of the things he said towards the Black Community but a lot if was true but he can't say that towards all black cause some has as much sense the white and the people in the White Community.

I want to fix something in my last post. I said this country but I forgot that people from alot of different countries are on this website. I didn't mean any disrespect to anyone. It just kinda slipped my mind. I hope despite that little mishap you kinda got what I was saying.

P.S. I'm from the United States.
P.S.S. again sorry

Sarah

I am white and I want you to know that before I said anything. I agree with Cosby. I just want to say also that I don't think that these words should be directed straight to Blacks. If a person of another race were to kind of change the words a bit to fit their language and culture but leave the same message behind it then it should apply to any race. All children should really try while their young and in school because that plays a BIG part in your life. Also, parents should try to watch what they say and how they act around their children to prevent from passing on anything negative on to the next generation. One reason that I think that this message applies to all races is because whether you think so or not all races depend on one another for the survival and greatness of this country. All different races help to the contribution of keeping this country going and keeping it together.

Sarah

Although some of Cosby's comments were a bit on the harsh side, I think he made a good point. The only thing I don't agree with, is the fact that these problems apply not only to the black community, but EVERY other community as well. But, he was adressing other black people, so I understand why he said what he said.

I agree with what Bill Cosby said for the most part, but it's not only black kids like that, there are many white and other races that are the exact same way. And for those of you who say if a white person said it it would be racism, duh it would be. Common Sense would tell anyone that a race would rather be criticized by someone else of their color, because they have live in their shoes and understand their issues. A white person wouldn't want Bill Cosy going around saying how lots of white kids learn racism from their parents would you??

Josh

Shoot, somebody needed to say it. I'm glad it was Bill Cosby.

well see if a white person would ahve said what cosby said, he probably would have been executed by now. (exxageration). i know of several black politicians that use the race cards against whites claiming that the whites are being racist. what cosby said was absolutely true. doesnt he have a degree in psychology anyway? isnt it his specialty? if so, then doesnt he know what he is talking about?

redrepublican Esq., HIS Secretary

this post has proudly been deemed racism free by the Honorable Coalition of Bushsupporter Marine 16, notsojoey, FreeMarketLover, Redrepublican, Jookly, Luvabug22, and RepublicanChick and their endless pursuit to cast out teh bigotry that has infiltrated youthNOISE.

I hope marine and the koalition write cosby angry letters about his racism towards "african americans" .

Stop whining. Truth hurts.

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the current youth sucks, and it doesnt take an old man to figure that out.

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Well a young one cant so maybe you can tell me why we "suck" anymore than a previous generation.

I know several friends of mine who are black, some of them makes the grades, some don't, and the ones that makes the grades, work hard for them just like everyone else, and the others don't; the same is true for my white friends, and i can tell you that the parental attitude in the home has a big influence on these kids. So, mr. cosby is right, it falls back to the parents.

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I agree with cosby. My teacher who was black said the exact same thing to all the black students in the class, it went something like this... "you cant blame anyone except yourselves(blacks) for why we live in such a crumby area, I see you all the time messing things up, I look at your grades and they are the lowest in the class." he went on for awhile, he was right and no one said anything.

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well, i think since blacks have the steryotype of being that way, they unconsiosly act like that. but not all of them are like that.

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I think Cosby is wrong. This is a classic case of an old man losing touch with the current youth.

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the current youth sucks, and it doesnt take an old man to figure that out.

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don't remind me of him dying, it's soooo sad

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i dont want to think of it either; hes one of my idols. but he's not exactly young.

-arianhorn

I agree with cosby. My teacher who was black said the exact same thing to all the black students in the class, it went something like this... "you cant blame anyone except yourselves(blacks) for why we live in such a crumby area, I see you all the time messing things up, I look at your grades and they are the lowest in the class." he went on for awhile, he was right and no one said anything.

i wouldn't call those words harsh...well actually i take that back because the truth does hurt...but at least ol' bill is trying to help his people..but not all of us are like that...i just got excepted to a prestigious highschool in philly. I live in an "inner city" area but because of my dad i am much better of than most of my peers around me. So i agree w/ ol' cos...its all the parents fault. then the grandparents and so forth and so on. well...to a certain extent...because if all your friends are like that chances are....birds of a feather flock together...you get me???

no cosby is 100% right, anybody who has ever been to oakland would agree with me.

I think Cosby is wrong. This is a classic case of an old man losing touch with the current youth.

don't remind me of him dying, it's soooo sad

say what???