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Bill Cosby or Michael Eric Dyson
Having read Dyson's book ' Is Bill Cosby Right or Has The Black Middle Class Lost Its Mind?", I was wondering if anyone has any thoughts on this treatist? Professor Dyson has always been an eloquent and loquacious speaker on Black America. I have very strong thoughts on the book and what he says in retort to Cosby. What are yours?
Personally, I am not a fan of Dysons. Mostly because while he can speak truth to power and call people and institutions out with a beautifully worded savagery, he rarely has answers other than to play the blame game or explain why things are sub-par for minorities. Once you have told me that I am sick and have told me the cause, what is the prescription? Too much of his attack on Cosby is New Millenium intellectualism buttressed by a 70's sensibility and outlook on the Black Condition. It leaves me cold because it is not pro-active, nor self-affirming, nor builds on the innate strength of Black People and Black Culture. He revels in Victomhood and explains away negative Black pathologies as some kind martyrdom that we can not overcome with the will of the individual nor the will of the community.
In a perverse way, he is really saying that as victims of white supremacy, our only hope is more largesse from our white patricians. In other words, just another cycle of imbedded white supremacy. He buttresses many of the institutionalized racists arguments of the white man's burden....that we are not responsible for our lack of self control, our ignorance, our criminal activities, our dislike of education, hard work, and intellectual endeavors, 70% fatherless children etc. We can't help it and the only way out of it is by the white government providing money & resources for that which we will not do ourselves.
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