And, as kev and phasad have noted (but i'll extend a bit), many of these companies are actually profiting in various ways. It's a tough egg to crack.

ktsnake:

Viacom also owns BET (Black Entertainment Television)...

It you watch some of the shows, you can see what Bill is talking about...

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On that note:

I could say many a thing and it would be too long to explain. So I will break it down to just this:

I think Bill Cosby is full of shit.

It has to do with a cultural asili and the utamawazo.

Bill has gotten too bourgeoise for "us"...

Is he a sell out, yet? I wouldn't go far as to say that.

Would I say, condemn the "white man"... I wouldn't say that either.

Of course some negroes need to own upto their problems like Bill is describing.

But the question is, how would he know what is going on in the "hoodie-G" when he ain't livin' in one???

I could write something glib, but I would rather not 'cuz I just do not want to go "there" right now...

I can write this as pithy as you'd like... But, I really would like to keep it civil...

I guarentee if this thread loses civility, it will get locked up--more than likely due to what I could say...

So let us ponder my comments--especially if you have seen them before and know how I write--and PM me if you want to further discuss...

It's McDonalds, not MacDonalds.

So the conspiracy theory grows....

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What are the cultural asili and the utamawazo if you wouldn't mind explaining? Those are terms I've never heard.

The black "community" still has a sense of "us". Which to me is a foriegn concept. So I'll admit that any understanding I have of this is obviously not first hand.

My personal outsider opinion is that Cosby has some legitimate concerns about his race. He's put his money where his mouth is and has donated millions of dollars to charities like the NCF other important programs that help AA young people become upwardly mobile.

When whites and other races reply to Cosby's remarks as "Not my fight, not my concern", I think it's a problem. Not just the plight of one race, but poverty in general is everyone's problem. When we see poverty so concentrated on one segment of the population, we really need to look at ways we can fix that.

What Cosby is saying is that ultimately, the problem will not fix itself and folks have to start clawing their ways out of the inner cities. They have to fight for what they want and they have to conform to the norms of society in order to succeed. I really think his message is on-point and needed. To my ears, it's a welcome substitute for the messages of victimization and entitlement that have become far too common.

His message is tough, but it's empowering. It leaves the outcome up to the individual. If you work hard, you can succeed. Much better than messages of victimization and entitlement that tell people that there's no point in trying because success is impossible.

Who have you heard say this?

-and I want names.

That's my personal take on it.

If someone else agrees with me, then I think they're very astute:D

So basically, you made yet another generalization. That is going to be your downfall buddy. I hope you get that together.

I agree with him and I am very astute.

If you want to sum up the messages of the "Rev." Jesse Jackson and the so-called "Poverty Pimps" (a name given to them by right-wing folks that I think is very descriptive), yes, that is fair. You don't have to look very hard to find examples of Jackson taking the side of a "victim" who is clearly not the victim.

How about the messages that pop culture sends to our young people? Modifying their speach patterns, etc. to be different than those of successful people?

Do I think that Jackson is a speaker for the entire black race? Nope. I don't think anyone really is. Do I think Cosby's message is more positive, empowering and uplifting than Jacksons or what you'll find on MTV/BET? Yes.

Consisder yourself lucky. They're terms that were brought into the African American/Africana studies lexicon by Dr. Marimba (Richards) Ani, in her book Yurugu. In a nutshell, the asili represents culturally structured thought. Ani would say that the idea of European cultural supremacy is an example of the Caucasian/European asili. The utamawazo is the act/state of putting the asili into action. It's how a culture -- European, African, or otherwise -- structures its collective thought patterns and influences the culture so that all within it adhere to it.

If you're not a student of philosophy, they're kind of dense concepts. Even if you are a student of philosophy, it's some chewy stuff.

ktsnake, are you sure you're not a closet Liberal? :D Seriously - this is probably one of the better responses I've seen to this whole issue about "their" issues versus "our" issues. If you're human, it's your concern. If you're a citizen of the world (or even a Citizen of the United States), you should be concerned that there are more African American men in prison than in University -- no matter what your skin color/race. I should be just as concerned about the poor whites in Appalachia as I am about the poor blacks in public housing projects.

Mine too. I'm not blind enough to say that we can ignore the effects of history and economic/social discrimination, but dammit -- we're (meaning Black Americans) are decendants of people who chose to survive. We're stronger than we realize - and that's what I get out of messages like Cosby's and others. We need to start looking in the mirror and asking ourselves what we can do to better our individual -- and thus, our collective --realities. Like MJ said, start with the man in the mirror and ask him to make that change.

I don't really have much to add, just that I think yours was an excellent post.

In general, I think that people who attended AUC schools (esp. Morehouse and Spelman) do not view Cosby in a very postive light. But, maybe it's just me.

I don't know. Depends on your definition of liberal. I don't think liberal always means that you value common sense and empathy. I don't think either side of the aisle has a monopoly on that.

Thanks for your explanations of those concepts by the way. They are pretty worthy concepts, however, they just don't seem right. Perhaps because they don't fit too well with my preconceived notions. Interesting concepts nonetheless.

Cosby is giving a pep talk to folks that need to wake up. I don't think it's just blacks he's speaking to either. I think he's speaking about what America's culture has become over the last few decades. If someone disagrees with his speach, I'd like to ask them, which part, exactly, do they have a problem with?

I think you're on to something here. I know he was speaking in front of a black audience when he made those comments, therefore, he tailored his message somewhat, but his basic message crosses all ethnic/cultural boundaries. What I got from his message is that Americans should learn to expect the best of ourselves (and of each other) and that we need to stop paying homage to mediocrity.