Much of the core of the debate about the most helpful response to the dire circumstances of low-income African Americans lies in an opinion of syndicated columnist William Raspberry, who writes, “We have reached a point where what we do matters more than what is done to us.”
Bill Cosby brought his tough criticism of the behavior of many poor black Americans to St. Louis on Monday. We feel that he is sincere in his proclaimed love for “his people,” but take issue with an approach that is shortsighted and delivered in an unnecessarily mean-spirited tone that cuts deep.
Cosby, who himself grew up poor in public housing, has donated millions to black colleges. We respect his generous philanthropy and willingness to address the deep-seated crisis that plagues our people. Yet, the truth in his message is blurred by his stubborn insistence on being accusing rather than motivational in his approach.
His shock approach gains attention, but is belittling, destructive and does little to make things better via creative, practical solutions. Granted, we African Americans need to take more responsibility for ourselves, but we can’t ignore the fact of the particularity of racism and other structural forces that drive many to second-class citizenship and its woes.
While Cosby’s suggestion that African Americans are solely responsible for their plight ignores the total reality, much of what Cosby says is true. It is not helpful to summarily deny the facts he cites, because there is no way to avoid the accuracy of comments like Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Acel Moore’s observation: “Even those who live in darkness because of circumstances beyond their control can exacerbate those problems with their own choices and behavior.”
Still, it would be helpful if Cosby’s scathing critique of poor black young people extended to all of the kids, black and white, who can’t read, write or speak standard English. We need to uplift all of the young people who swallow uncritically the messages of hip-hop artists who glorify the acquisition of material success with no reference to the importance of acquiring real skills and education. Too many young people show disdain for learning to read, write, reason rigorously or debate intelligently.
The culture of sensual mindlessness, so acceptable among some in the hip-hop generation, crosses racial lines, even if no one speaks of this phenomenon and its consequences for the entire society. On Monday, Cosby said he was “preaching to the choir.” Both his message and its target audience need to be broadened if we are to address the crisis of the next generation.