For years know Bill Cosby has been spreading the same doctrine of black self improvement an that all of our problems stem from our own misguidance. They’re several flaws in this theory and I will hope to illuminate them. In a recent interview Bill goes on a tirade against ghetto names, pant sagging and many other stereotypes of Black people. My main issue with this philosophy is that it ignores the main issue of the material environment of black people in this country. I’m not disagreeing that jean sagging, and fathering different children by different fathers is wrong but he’s ignoring a much larger issue. Bill Cosby chooses to constantly address effects of a racist society but refuses to take the blame off black folk.
The reason a lot of teenagers in urban communities can’t read or write is because of the lack of proper schools in urban communities. Their bad decisions are made because they truly don’t have an understanding of how the world and specifically America is for black people. If we are going to talk about improving the material conditions for black people in America it must come from a place of love for our people. A constant criticism without a sufficient idea for improvement is going no where.
The second theory I would like to propose is that a lot of urban youth have become complacent to the system and products of their environment because of their lack of proper education. There were sixteen killings in ten days in Baltimore and fifty in the last month in Chicago. The terrible part is that a lot of these victims were innocent so the Bill Cosby esque philosophy of “Working Hard means living good” is invalid.
If we look at statistics white families receive more government assistance then black families but there are tons of stereotypes originating from black people taking government assistance. Bill Cosby is doing nothing but SUPPORTING every stereotype of black people. We don’t all have “Nine children by nine fathers” or “Aren’t in touch with our African Heritage”. The facts prove that they’re more black men in college than in prison but I don’t here Bill talking about that. I understand the importance of working hard and that some people do make it out of the ghetto but we can’t assume that people who don’t are lazy.
We as a people need to be bringing up more solutions! Bill Cosby continues to criticize black people without providing any solution other then working hard. Fredrick Douglass believed that the truth path for liberation for the negro was through education.
Tupac Shakur taught that we need to stop critiquing black people and need to embrace our people with love. The Black Panther Part For Self Defense offered the idea of helping to police our own neighborhoods and not to depend on the government for our survival.
The issue of the sagging pants is just another example of the broken windows theory. The media also continues to demonizing black men for sagging their parents but white people have been doing it for years.
The problem with Mr.Cosby’s idea against slang is another consequence of a poor educational system. Lets not forget that slaves originally used slang to identify themselves and for unity. This is why when I say “My Niggas” I’m speaking of the love I have for my fellow black men.
I cannot support any of his rants against black people anymore. If you don’t identify Anti Blackness and White Supremacy as the over heading factors of black survival in America, you are BLIND to the issues in our communities.
Lets work on some actual solutions, it doesn’t take any energy from him to criticize but it would for him to actually do something about it.
I am only addressing your “My Niggas” comment. One of the things that stood out to me about the Paula Deen incident is the realization that there’s no equivalent to the “N word” for other races. I sincerely believe that a major contributing factor to the fact that the N word won’t die is because black folks won’t let it die. You don’t hear and have never heard non-blacks talking among themselves and addressing each other as my crackers or my wetbacks , or at least I have never thet it. If we could let it go, stop addressing each other by it, stop recording it in songs, most of all stop emulating it and just let it die and fade away, then it might do just that.
I, frankly, support Bill’s comments.
Well said Ms Shannon Norman!!!! I applaud you!! I’m half Mexican and half Irish! We Hispanics and Irish don’t address each other as “spics” or the Irish as “Micks”!
Bill hit the nail on the head with everything he pointed out but that goes for ALL OTHER RACES too!
This person who wrote the opinion did not mention one important thing….PARENTING!
“Oprah, for instance, still can’t get past the n-word issue (or the nigga issue, with all apologies to Ms. Winfrey). I can respect her position. To her, it’s a matter of acknowledging the deep and painful history of the word. To me, it’s just a word, a word whose power is owned by the user and his or her intention. People give words power, so banning a word is futile, really. “Nigga” becomes “porch monkey” becomes “coon” and so on if that’s what in a person’s heart. The key is to change the person. And we change people through conversation, not through censorship.”
“Nigger” is not just a word, and while I yield to your assertion that it is, indeed, “futile” to suggest the word be banned, it is as well moronic to sashay into the 21st century thinking that one can automatically–with the wave of a wand–eradicate the historical fabric in which this allegedly mere word has been woven into the everyday language of the ancestors of those who were forced to endure this supreme insult on a daily, hourly, minute-by-minute basis. Have you ever asked yourself “why” hundreds of supposedly proud African-Americans would so cavalierly choose this world among so many others as a term of endearment? During the sixties when “brother” became the term of endearment du jour, I lauded that practice; I sensed a development of a certain connectedness among our community. I also appreciated being called “sister” by fellow sisters, and “brothers.” Presently, the brothers who have become niggers are referring to the sisters as bitches, and the sisters now call each other bitches, and their men niggers. You are so entitled to your opinion, Mr. McTeer; you may continue to use nigger at your pleasure. However, you duly lose validity points when you do so, and you certainly are not in a position to criticize someone such as Dr. Cosby who, in my opinion is trying to get certain members in our community to leave the plantation, while you languish in your slave quarters, continually denigrating your “brother.”
Spicks or micks have never been used to uplift a group of people so that’s were the difference is drawn here. Black people need to to be so quick to run away from our past culture as I say agin in the BP movement and many others the term nigga was used as a term of endearment and brotherhood
Mr Teer – I don’t think Dr. Benjamin Carson a famous pediatric neuro surgeon at John Hopkins would would use that word as a term of endearment.
I guess calling women “my bitch” is a term of endearment also?? I would NEVER call my wife that word. It’s degrading. Using the word “brother” is much better than using the “N” word. People using the “N” word don’t sound educated. Try having a conversation with a businessman using that word.
It may only be “acceptable” in the rap culture.
Nobody has ever used the term bitch as a term of endearment. So that’s just another irrelevant curse word. The word has power based off what we let it have. We define the word through its context and usage and if we can take a word and redefine it as a source of black male impowerment then let’s do it. And if we are in a businesses setting you won’t be calling people “brother” either( even though I support that word also). AND CAN WE STOP STEREOTYPING RAPPERS AS POSTER CHILDREN FOR IGNORANCE
Exactly.
I see the fight to improve the African American community as multi-faceted. It should be fought on many fronts simultaneously. Within the community we need to be more responsible for ourselves, in how we look, talk, get an education inferior or not, educate your children about their history and teach them to love themselves, after learning how to love your Black self and other Black people, marry before you have children, be financially responsible, Those who have made it such as Mr. Cosby, Ms. Winfrey and Magic Johnson should shore up our communities with support for education, businesses and positive media, they are doing that and the African American community should support them, those African Americans who do not operate in the best interest of the community should not be supported, Michael Jordan, BET’s Robert Johnson many rappers etc. The community should always vote and support those people who support our communities and interest. The government should make sure we have an even playing fiel in every area voting, judicial, and financial. The N word should never be used by anyone for anyone for any reason, it is highly offensive to some people and is never associated with anything positive. Find some other cool term to call your friends, maybe brother or cuz.
My usage of the term niggas is a claim to retake the word and reclaim it for our people. Since The Black Panther Party the term “Niggas” have been used as a term I represent our people and our struggle. Again my niggas is a term used to embrace the brotherhood of black men. Many social groups have used the term my niggas to help start a movement of black power. But again the issue here is not ONLY criticizing black folk but actively working to improve their material conditions. And there are equivalent words to the n word in other race but that’s not a path we should go down. And can we agree to stop criticizing rappers as ignorant, they’re lots of rappers who preach empowerment just because you don’t know about them doesn’t mean they don’t exist or aren’t popular.
Also if you support bills comments, something is wrong. He went on a tirade about black people on corners, having different children by other people, all black men are in prison, none of us are in contact with our heritage
I’m not surprised that Bill Cosby hit a nerve and it may be for those under 40-35, however nobody seems to show 1 artist or entertainer who has influenced 1000’s of African Americans to enroll in college and trust me the stats show. Although Hip Hop has been here over 20+ years gone are the days of X Clan, Tu Pac, Public Enemy. You can look into so many neighborhoods across the country and see young people doing nothing. I see young African American females going to the smoke shop early in the morning to get a blunt while wearing slippers and pajama pants, young brothers hanging out side of smoke shops in parking lots sagging. Now Bill might not visit the Hood however I do and I agree 100 with him. I see young boys going to the store & dropping litter on peoples grass, walking around with blunts behind their ear, just texeting & hanging in the Hood, getting girls pregnant & leaving and sitting around playing X Box or PS3. Now you can criticize Cosby and attack other but bring no solution to Our issue. There’s an Old Negro Spiritual We Shall Over Come but We standing STILL. What do we really own BET, MOTOWN, FAMOUS AMOS COOKIES, JOHNSON & JOHNSON ALL GONE. DON’T TEAR A BROTHER DOWN BECAUSE HE HIT A NERVE!
Well said Cochise!!!
It’s not about hitting a nerve here, it’s about not constantly critiquing and stereotyping your own race. We are to improve our race through our love for our people
Very well said !
Luciano Valdez – My response if “Exactly” was in response to your post.
Mr. McTeer, I know you are quite young, but females are using the term bitch as an endearment. Additionally, a bitch is a female “dog.” Care to guess the hidden meaning of being referred to this way? You can justify it all you want, but since you think “there is something wrong” with people who agree with Dr. Cosby, you must accept the fact that there are those of us who know something must be lacking in you since you don’t, and, to make matters worse, you have a nerve to justify the use of such a hateful term as nigger.
Shame on you, my brother.
First of all I would really appreciate if you would stop condemning and patronizing me for being young here. And let’s be completely real here the term I used was “Nigga as in my niggas” which again has been used in the past to uplift black men in a group struggle against society not nigger. Nigga originated with slaves as a way to reclaim a word to take away its negative context and two referring to us as brothers and sisters originated from Christianity and not everyone is comfortable with that link
I am not condemning you nor am I patronizing you, and I only mentioned your youth once.
Firstly, I would appreciate it if you would reveal your source referencing the use of “nigga” by slaves. Secondly, no matter how you spell, say it, or manufacture a definition for it, it is a poor choice as a term of endearment.
It is okay to leave the plantation, Mr. McTeer. I’m sure some of your niggas will follow you like blind sheep. Perhaps you are right, it probably is ok for you and your ilk to use this term.