Bill Cosby’s Rant
They’re standing on the corner and they can’t speak English. I can’t even talk the way these people talk: Why you ain’t, Where you is, What he drive, Where he stay, Where he work, Who you be… And I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk. 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. In fact you will never get any kind of job making a decent living.
People marched and were hit in the face with rocks to get an education, and now we’ve got these knuckleheads walking around. The lower economic people are not holding up their end in this deal. These people are not parenting. They are buying things for kids. $500 sneakers for what? And they won’t spend $200 for Hooked on Phonics.
I am talking about these people who cry when their son is standing there in an orange suit. Where were you when he was 2? Where were you when he was 12? Where were you when he was 18 and how come you didn’t know that he had a pistol? And where is the father? Or who is his father?
People putting their clothes on backward: Isn’t that a sign of something gone wrong? People with their hats on backward, pants down around the crack, isn’t that a sign of something? Or are you waiting for Jesus to pull his pants up? Isn’t it a sign of something when she has her dress all the way up and got all type of needles [piercing] going through her body?
What part of Africa did this come from? We are not Africans. Those people are not Africans; they don’t know a thing about Africa. With names like Shaniqua, Taliqua and Mohammed and all of that crap, and all of them are in jail.
Brown or black versus the Board of Education is no longer the white person’s problem. We have got to take the neighborhood back. People used to be ashamed. Today a woman has eight children with eight different ‘husbands’ — or men or whatever you call them now. We have millionaire football players who cannot read. We have million-dollar basketball players who can’t write two paragraphs. 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.
The full transcript of Mr. Bill Cosby’s Pound Cake speech at the 50th Anniversary commemoration of the Brown vs Topeka Board of Education Supreme Court Decision
Well the black man, or any minority, has reached the point where they “have to walk the last mile”. The last mile is where the man or woman have to do whatever it is to pull themselves out of poverty..get a new life…get a better job..go to night school…whatever it is to earn his/her’s self respect. Until you do it yourself, you’ll never respect yourself. No one can “hand it” to you. There will never be a law to give you respect for yourself. No school lesson given 10years ago is going to make your boss promote you. You have to earn the respect! Not so much to prove it to your boss, but to prove it yourself…your son/daughter…your family…your community. And when everyone can see it can be done, not just by one, but by many, every day in small and then big ways then the race will have achieved what it really needs.
I’m a white guy, and I’m in awe what courage people demostrated during the civil rights era. The guts to not “go back of the bus”, the march’s where people taunted you without fights, the loss of leaders such as Martin L. King, the threats and the courage to continue on…man where did you loose this and why? Do you think this effort is no longer needed? No! This is the time to do it again! You have only the last mile to walk. Start this now and people will cheer as it becomes a reality. Do this and not only will you make the race great, you”l make the nation great.
Don’t you see, this is not a call to help yourselves, but a call to help the nation. What better reason can there be? What better legacy can anyone hope for.
anyway my 2 cents.
This whole issue isn’t racial, it’s cultural. I have known and worked with folks from all over the world. A command of English and the normative American culture are requisite to participate and even succeed on a professional level. By my personal observation, it’s those who were born elsewhere and have come with their families or by themselves voluntarily, who have most easily grasped and applied this truth. As it has been for generations.
Most of the posters are racists and very ignorant about the cause of social problems. If it was easy as just “deciding” to look for a job then people would do it. Unless you think blacks really are genetically inferior…
Hey morons… WHY do so many black people just “happen” to make bad choices. You can’t just leave it on parents, because you still don’t get back to an original cause.
The posts here are typically of right-wing racist attitudes the predominate in this country. More to the point, they are typical of a population completely ignorant of the cause of social problems. Do you really think all it takes to solve these problems is a moron like Cosby telling his people to stop being knuckleheads? Yeah, that’ll work.
People improve their position when they have opportunities, and that takes smart social policy… which we don’t have.
People like Joe will use this rant to justify their prejudices.
Brian, your insults only help me to understand your ignorance about this entire issue. the resolution starts with accepting fault and not blaming all those around you. It is just as simple as “deciding” to look for a job instead of looking for an excuse and a handout. It is much easier to accept defea
Brian, your posts only help me understand you blatant ignorance of the issue we are talking about here. For you to insult us and call us racist is typical of an un-educated person not sure of the actual problem. The sad part of it all is it IS just as simple as “deciding” to look for a job but since that requires motivation and dedication it is ignored and mocked.
You can spend all day and night calling us “right-winged racists” but it will not change the facts at hand. It is much easier to stand on the corner and collect government assistance than spend the day making an honest living at a REAL job.
As far as your remark “WHY do so many black people just “happen” to make bad choices” it is just that, a CHOICE. Choose to get off your ass and do something productive in your community, CHOOSE to get an education and better your life, CHOOSE to speak properly and not have people think you are stupid every time you open your mouth, CHOOSE to raise your children with morals and values so they can help foster a better tomorrow, CHOOSE to make a difference in your own lives by denouncing the culture that helps keep you on the wrong side of these debates. So in answer to your original post “WHY do so many black people just “happen” to make bad choices”, it is called ignorance and laziness.
It takes more than “a moron like Cosby telling his people to stop being knuckleheads”, it takes people like you to wake up and take charge of your lives and communities and take them back and make them productive. It takes hard work and perseverance to make any change for the positive.
I am not saying it will be easy, you are proof positive of that with your negativity and blame on “right-wing racists” and failing social policy. There are more opportunities in America for the black community than anyone else. Just take at look and you may learn something. Channel your energy into something useful other than excuses and make a difference for the better. It is real simple Brian, you either stop making excuses and start producing results or move to another country that is better than this one. (Good luck finding one “bro”)
Brian and Omar show us exactly the attitudes that Mr Cosby is talking about. “It isn’t (or ain’t) my fault, the racist white man is holding me down!”
What a joke you are, Brian. The Black community in America began its long descent into the morass Mr Cosby decries, right after the passage of the 1964 “Civil Rights” Act. Mr Cosby is right when he says Martin Luther King would be ashamed of what’s become of Black America since then.
Until Black American males (in general) begin to take responsibility for the actions that keep them in the “hoods,” the only way for Black America is down. Once Black Americans start acting responsibly, hopes for Black America will begin to improve.
And Brian…YOU aren’t worthy of tying Mr Cosby’s shoes.
Many of those that disagree with Cosby mention “opportunity”, or the supposed lack thereof.
“Opportunity” isn’t a job handed to you when you’re 20. “Opportunity” is starting school when you’re 6, and finishing. Opportunity is a part-time job when you’re 15. “Opportunity” is a loan or grant so you can go to college (and for many — including anyone of any color that bothers to finish high school — they are certainly available), once you’re ready.
There are many people that are missing these opportunities because the world still seems to be telling them, “You shouldn’t waste your time because there are no opportunities”. If you choose to believe this, it is as good as true; you, yourself, create a world of limited opportunities by not bothering with the things that are freely available to you in the USA, the same things that usually lead to opportunity.
If your parents buy into this, or are too apathetic to tell you otherwise, you don’t have much chance of bettering yourself. I think Cosby just wants people to get off their “Why waste my time” asses, in a world where blacks fought and struggled to earn the opportunity to go school.
Or, maybe it is too late, and some of these people can no longer see the possibility in the world. In which case, I guess white people should carry the blacks until the end of time. To admit defeat, that there is no opportunity in the world for a black, is akin to saying, “You (white people) destroyed our (the blacks) ability to hope or dream for anything better. You have made us a subrace, and should carry us forever”. Fine. I guess we will.
I’ve used the word opportunity too much.
Joe,
You are assuming that the dominant culture that has been established in the U.S. is the one that has to be adopted by all individuals living in this country. Almost every system in this country has been estbalished by ‘white men’ throughout the last century (as you know, laws supressing African Americans were in effect until even the 1960’s). All institutions in this country have been established on that same foundation. This creates innate racism in the system… racism that cannot just be overcome by simply “choosing” to excell… racism that can only be changed with the help of everyone.
Lazyness and lack of motivation can be attributed to various factors, including the effect that living in society that has been build on someone else’s ideology has on you. Therefore we must analyze why people become unmotivated and attempt to fix it. You cannot simply ignore all other factors and assume that they actively chose to by-pass all opportunities in life. Furthermore, you can’t simply say that lazyness=black. There are plenty of white people who don’t take advantage of their opportunities (and frankly it would be even easier for them to take advantage of them).
As Bill Cosby stated: If you want to clean out a neighborhood of crime, call the Black Muslims, bean pies and all.
Why can’t black Christians clean up a neighborhood?
aaron, very well said.
Dear Brian,
>American blacks have no choice but to help themselves because no one else will.
Nobody helped me. My parents and I worked hard for me to enjoy the life I do. Why do black people believe they’re entitled? Because of slavery? I never had slaves. Going back as many generations as I can find we never had slaves. My family never benefited from the slave industry either. Because of racism? I’m not causing or supporting racism. Why am I paying for something I had no responsibility for? Grow up and stop blaming everyone else for your troubles.
>Do you really think most of your black brothers have just chosen to be “knuckleheads?”
Yes, they have. You always have a choice about how you act. They act the way they do because they choose to. They want to emulate ‘gansta rappas’ because it’s ‘cool’. Their parents are so uninvolved or stupid that they allow it.
>First off, most American blacks don’t fit the stereotypes described by Cosby. Blacks have the same social problems of other Americans, and at higher rates. But most are like anyone else, simply trying to get by in a nation without good opportunities for many.
I agree. So do something to make it better instead of blaming others.
>This country has shifted far to the right, and Cosby’s ignorant rantings legitimate that.
It’s always someone else’s fault. Stop complaining. Start making your life better.
>And why you’re at it, “Dr.” Cosby, go fuck yourself.
Fuck you too.
While I can udnerstand what Cosby is trying to do, merely telling people to stop doing this and that is not very helpful. In fact, I have seen almost no white writers or black writers who address core issues: the breakup or non-existence of black families stemming from slavery. This is not to say “I am a victim,” but rather to note causes. Additionally, there is a tradition of Stop Acting White Middle Class that has historically developed and also the simple fact that so many black males are in jail that those not in jail have many black ladies available and this in turn makes staying marred very uncertain.
In sum: the extended black family, conventions derived from slavery days, current stats etc are all needed to confron the prolem Cosby addresses.
God bless you Mr. Cosby
God bless you Mr. Cosby,
We are working in the inner city in Milwaukee, trying to teach good fatherhood. You are not alone, let us pray together that God gives us the power to change this destructive culture.
May God keep speaking through you Mr. Cosby!
GOD BLESS AMERICA — if you can read this, thank a teacher! If you can read English, thank a SOLDIER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you can’t read this or disagree with the way you are treated in AMERICA, go to ANOTHER country — pick one with different laws, thoughts, etc. !
Lori your such an idiot.
Maevele,
I think the point is that if you have aspirations to be a doctor you got to be able to read, write and speak English.
I’m taking a sociology class called “Diversity and Ethnicity in the US.” The professor tries very hard to convince us that the problem is with the upper-class WPM, or White-Protestant-Males. The supposed dictators of our society. The very interesting thing is that the statistics and anecdotes she shows, never addresses the process of how poor Asians managed to become a model minority. Asian poverty rates were near 0% in the US, due to a cultural emphasis on education. This is the key here! It is not so much that blacks are genetically inferior. In fact, first-generation Africans (from Africa) whom I’ve met on campus were generally much more amiable and motivated to succeed than the African-Americans with an overly indulged sense of entitlement.
Chinese immigrants were brought here AFTER the African slaves to build railroads, and were treated like crap. Yet, through all of the continued discrimination, and unequal opportunities, Asians have managed to rise to the top, without the need for social welfare programs. They don’t complain about the misdeeds committed onto their ancestors, and they don’t look for hand-outs.
My family immigrated from Taiwan with next to nothing. My dad worked two jobs in order to support us and eventually earn his PhD. My parents have always instilled a sense of opportunity within us. Education was paramount. My brother attended an inner-city school in St. Louis, where the graduation rate was less than 64%. He managed to graduate at the top of his class, and attend UC Berkeley’s School of Engineering on a full scholarship. My father managed to get a teaching position. Today, our annual household income is over $160K, we have a nice house, multiple cars, and live in relative luxury. Do you consider this to be an easy process? African-Americans have much to learn.
Again, it’s not a matter of genetics, or an oppressive upper-class. It’s a matter of modern African-American CULTURE. The culture propagates disdain towards law enforcement, and has made the jobs of the Oakland Police Department very difficult. Many African-Americans shun at providing the police with key information that could have helped catch murderers and solve crimes. Educated African-Americans are seen as “white-washed,” and traitors. With cultural ideologies like that, how do you expect to succeed? It’s a vicious downward cycle of self-pity and failure.
Are there greater social forces at work? You bet, it’s called modern hip-hop (old-school hip hop was fine), rap culture, and garbage like Snoop Dogg. Unequality? Give me a break.
James I appreciate your views and post on this subject however it seems to me that it is also filled with excuses and reasons why the black community cannot succeed. In your post you blame society and “someone else’s ideology” as reasons you are held back and oppressed. Once again it is a simple choice of “Do I make a better life for myself and family by accepting responsibility for my actions without blaming others and applying myself or do I finish this 40oz and stand on the corner all day blaming the white man?” How is this a product of someone else’s ideology when it is YOUR own ignorance fueling YOUR choices?
James, you are correct in you post where you stated “There are plenty of white people who don’t take advantage of their opportunities” however the major difference that sets us apart is the fact we do not blame society or the black man for our failure. We own up or “man up” and accept responsibility like any self respecting man would. You may ask why it is easy for the white man to do this and it is simple: This is the way we were brought up by our fathers who were indeed man enough to admit mistakes and never give up. They also never blamed someone else for their mistakes either.
“Lazyness and lack of motivation can be attributed to various factors, including the effect that living in society that has been build on someone else’s ideology has on you. Therefore we must analyze why people become unmotivated and attempt to fix it. You cannot simply ignore all other factors and assume that they actively chose to by-pass all opportunities in life.”
I grew up in a poor single parent home with 8 siblings, I’m the first to go to college in my family. No one in my immediate family or community had expectations for me to go to college. The only people that influenced me were two of my teachers.
Even though I’m somewhat intelligent, I had no hope of going to college until my teachers showed faith in me. There was simply no expectation for me to succeed.
I am white and I had trouble getting motivated and believing that I could become someone and be successful because I was poor and looked down upon for that. I can’t imagine how much more difficult it would have been for me if I had to also deal with racism.
No one here has any right to say ANYTHING about the situation of black people in the ghetto EXCEPT people who have risen out of those circumstances.
Comments by white posters are just as ignorant, if not more, than those by black posters who are actually in the situation.
It is no surprise to me that few black people are able to break out of such a hostile system.
Try actually listening to people to find out what their situation is before you judge them.