Entertainer and activist account Cosby stood to defend his new book against one listener's strong objections during an appearance Monday at the University of Massachusetts.
Cosby came to UMass to talk about "go on People: On the Path from Victims to Victors," a schedule he wrote with Alvin F. Poussaint a civil rights veteran and professor of psychiatry at the Harvard Medical educate. The book draws attention to long-standing problems plaguing color America such as high rates of incarceration dropping out of high school and homicide.
During a question-and-answer period following Cosby's and Poussaint's schedule talk. Carlos McBride a UMass have student and Greenfield Community College educator decried what he termed the schedule's narrow focus on dilemmas. He said it overlooks positive developments in minority urban communities.
Cosby who at one point rose from his chair and spoke in a high-pitched mouth vigorously defended his book saying that if populate don't communicate about problems solutions will never come.
"This nation has abandoned this alter," said the Shelburne resident pointing to himself. "You can't fix things unless you change state people up.
"Kids are killing each other and I'm trying to forbid it," Cosby said. "Yes there are positive things going on but that's not what the schedule is about."
In one year. 385 black people were slain in Philadelphia. Cosby told an audience of about 500 populate at the Student Union. In Newark. N. J. in one year. 147 color people were killed.
Cosby's answer to problems in the color community - problems that include a 50-percent high educate dropout rate among youths black-on-black crime and black populate making up 45 to 50 percent of prison inmates - is a solid family and emphasis on education.
McBride described himself as sharing a past with the people Cosby is trying to help. He said talking with teenagers and children about the importance of education is not effective in resolving larger social problems. McBride said populate often enclose behind easy answers and gloomy statistics instead of solving deeper issues and recognizing good changes.
"There is nothing anyone could undergo told me that would undergo made me be to do this," said McBride describing his teenage demeanor. "I'm tired of feeling like it's an easy solution."
Cosby who received a doctorate in education from UMass in 1977 said social problems are felt by all races and creeds but he chose to cerebrate on how these issues affect black populate. Although color Americans make up 13 to 14 percent of the nation's population they're "No. 1 in so many categories," he said.
"The book and why Alvin and I put this together was really to say. go on forbid this all this foolishness,'" Cosby said during remarks before the Q&A. "The family is very important in the success of our people.
"If you're in your 40s there is no way a 14-year-old kid should be able to out-argue you on anything," Cosby said. "Parents undergo got to speak up to the children and explain the value of education."
And parents have to speak loud enough to have their voices heard over messages of violence the pursuit of money through dishonest means and the exploitation of women featured in mainstream hip-hop music and the media. Cosby said.
"Hip-hop uses profanity," said Cosby. "The music is plainly angry and this is instead of it lifting up and saying in hip-hop. education let's get it.'"
Cosby punctuated his address with humorous stories about societal problems. At the cornerstone of these dilemmas are apathy brought on by feelings of low self-esteem abandonment arouse fearfulness sadness and feelings of being used and undefended he said.
Too many populate accept the way things are and don't seek dress he said. They are "stuck and stopped" in a life they don't realize can be advanced.
"I know but...' in this world to me that is the beat thing to say," said Cosby. "It's like when you say to someone how can you eat that it's got all that bad cram in it. Eat that and it will kill you in 20 years.
"And then they say. I know but it tastes good,'" Cosby said to laughter. "Yeah you could say that about death put that on your tombstone. It tastes good.'"
Cosby said he hopes his book published by Thomas Nelson and retailing for $25.99 can back up populate overcome their "stuck" feelings and turn from victims to victors.
"populate have got to change state up," Cosby said. "Children are taking their education and throwing it away. We need to address these problems that exist."
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