Cosby Drama

May 30, 2006 by Marc Lamont Hill

As a public intellectual, I frequently speak and write about issues that ruffle the feathers of many people, irrespective of race, class, gender, sexuality, etc. For the past six months, I have received a letter or two every single day telling me how stupid, racist, unqualified, or even unattractive I am. After I penned my most recent op-ed in the Baltimore Sun, however, things moved to a different level.

For the past 4 days, literally dozens of letters have come across my inbox telling me the various reasons why I’m wrong to critique Cosby in public, or why my critique was flawed. Even wilder, I walk into my office on Friday to find out that Bill Cosby had called to express his concern about how my writing was “misguided,” and was “demonizing him” and “preventing him from providing directives to Black people.”

Dr. Cosby, if you are reading this, please note the following:

I am not attempting to demonize you or your cause. Rather, as I’ve mentioned several times, I sincerely acknowledge and respect your love for Black people. My issue, however, is with your approach. My fear is that your self-help message is being offered in such a way that it appears to be shrouded in class-arrogance, condescension, and social distance, rather than the love and care that I know you posess. I don’t have a problem with “tough love,” but the love MUST be apparent. Hopefully, a public space can be created for you to discuss these issue with people who offer a different persepctive. It doesn’t have to be me, just someone with a different view.

Categories: MLH
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10 Comments

1. omodiende wrote:

Well put Marc. I always believed that things must be challenged in the same arena, venue, or domain they were put out.

Speaking of which, what happened to the tree-climbing Africans incident?

May 30, 2006 @ 1:43 pm

2. SammyBee wrote:

LMAO!

May 30, 2006 @ 2:13 pm

3. ting wrote:

Dam, I guess Dr. Hill done messed up our hook-up on puddin pops….

May 30, 2006 @ 8:59 pm

4. RAD wrote:

Unattractive? WTF? What does looks have anything to do with anything? ( and for the record, I disagree).

Hal, DC, I guess we all work in similar fields. I know in juvenile justice, I see more Black men in CO (Corrections Officers) positions than anything. And there’s nothing wrong with that, however, we are certainly lacking qualified therapists, teachers, and MENTORS! I applaud anyone working with our young Black children, and Hal, you certainly have some guts. I’m surprised one of them didn’t tell you to go somewhere (in so many words).

Cosby’s comments are certainly points of contention within the Black community and will continue to be. We’ll never be on one accord with this…

May 30, 2006 @ 9:36 pm

5. ting wrote:

OOOoOOOoo, ok. it took me a minute to figure that out. gotcha. now marc thank he all fuine and stuff. i bet monkay gone be out of control now too.

May 30, 2006 @ 11:47 pm

6. Tom wrote:

Just thinkin’ out loud here … Dr. Cosby has a loooooong relationship with Temple University. Isn’t Bill considered to be the school’s biggest supporter? Dr. Hill is an untenured new professor at Temple. Could there be any connection between the status of those two gentlemen with said university and Mr. Cosby’s phone call to Temple? … jus thinking out loud …

May 31, 2006 @ 12:00 am

7. Naomi Christine wrote:

wow. I feel all late…

*sitting back watching*

May 31, 2006 @ 9:10 am

8. RAD wrote:

sorry, that was to BigVic, not DC, I tried to stop it before it was sent.

May 31, 2006 @ 8:29 pm

9. SammyBee wrote:

And this time I feel as if you are in my head, Afrikabelle!

May 31, 2006 @ 11:44 pm

10. ting wrote:

and just when i thought this blog had died down….

May 31, 2006 @ 11:49 pm

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