So, while I don’t appreciate Don Lemon using Bill Cosby to further his agenda to prove that he is superior to the rest of us, I can respect Cosby’s effort to share his ideas with those who are willing to listen. But I would hope that we understand that the same way marches and yapping won’t solve problems in the black community, bashing our people is also a played out strategy that is not likely to yield productive results. I’m not entirely sure who was listening to Cosby and Lemon’s joint criticism of black America other than Bill O’Reilly and others who love justifying systemic racism by implying that we are a pack of senseless monkeys.
A more appropriate path to progress might be listening to one another, loving one another, and seeking to understand each other. It also means being just as courageous when we fight oppression as we are when we criticize the choices of babies mamas in the projects. You can’t be bold and bad when attacking black people, yet meek and obedient when white men walk into the room. Our tactics must be well-rounded.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the author of the lecture series, “The 8 Principles of Black Male Empowerment.” To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.
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