Editing Bill Cosby (section)

==Personal life==
[[File:The World Affairs Council and Girard College present Bill Cosby (6343666943) (cropped to Cosby).jpg|thumb|266x266px|Cosby in 2011]]
Cosby has been married to the former [[Camille Cosby|Camille Hanks]] since January 25, 1964. Together, they have five children, two of whom are deceased: [[Erika Cosby|Erika]] (born 1965), Erinn (born 1966), Ennis (1969–1997), Ensa (1973–2018), and Evin (born 1976). Their only son, [[Murder of Ennis Cosby|Ennis, was murdered]] on January 16, 1997, while changing a flat tire on the side of [[Interstate 405 (California)|Interstate 405]] in Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite news |author=B. DRUMMOND AYRES JR.January 17, 1997 |date=January 17, 1997 |title=Bill Cosby's Son Is Slain Along Freeway |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/17/us/bill-cosby-s-son-is-slain-along-freeway.html |access-date=January 31, 2019}}</ref> Cosby's daughter Ensa died of [[renal disease]] on February 23, 2018, while awaiting a kidney transplant.<ref>{{cite news |date=February 26, 2018 |title=Bill Cosby's Daughter Ensa Cosby Dead At 44|work=US Magazine|first= Nicholas |last=Hautman  |url=https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/bill-cosbys-daughter-ensa-cosby-dead-44/ |access-date=February 26, 2018}}</ref> The Cosbys have three grandchildren.<ref name="filmref" /><ref>{{cite news |date=January 20, 2012 |title=Bill Cosby Comes Clean |work=[[News Observer]] |url=http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/01/20/1788049/bill-cosby-comes-clean.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309093350/http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/01/20/1788049/bill-cosby-comes-clean.html |archive-date=March 9, 2014}}</ref> Cosby, a [[Protestant]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Q&A: Bill Cosby Talks Family, Faith and Tim Tebow |work=[[The Christian Post]] |url=http://www.christianpost.com/news/qa-bill-cosby-talks-family-faith-and-tim-tebow-64962/}}</ref> maintains homes in [[Shelburne, Massachusetts]], and [[Cheltenham, Pennsylvania]].<ref name="LA Times">{{cite news |date=November 9, 2006 |title=Bill Cosby settles lawsuit in drug, sexual assault case |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |agency=Associated Press |location=Los Angeles, California |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-nov-09-wk-cosby9-story.html}}</ref>

Cosby hosted the Los Angeles [[Playboy Jazz Festival]] from 1979 to 2012. Known as a jazz drummer, he can also be seen playing bass guitar with [[Jerry Lewis]] and [[Sammy Davis Jr.]] on [[Hugh Hefner]]'s 1970s talk show. His story, "The Regular Way", was featured in ''[[Playboy]]''{{'}}s December 1968 issue.<ref>{{cite news |last=Cosby |first=Bill |date=December 1968 |title=The Regular Way |page=115 |work=[[Playboy (magazine)|Playboy]]}}</ref> Cosby has become an active member of The [[Jazz Foundation of America]].<ref name="Cosby and the JFA">{{cite web |date=October 13, 2009 |title=Bill Cosby |url=http://www.famegame.com/person/Bill_Cosby |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170719073248/http://www.famegame.com/person/Bill_Cosby |archive-date=July 19, 2017 |access-date=October 13, 2009 |publisher=famegame.com}}</ref> Cosby became involved with the foundation in 2004. For several years, he has been a featured host for its annual benefit, [[A Great Night in Harlem]], at the [[Apollo Theater]] in New York City.<ref name="Cosby at the Apollo">{{cite web |date=September 25, 2001 |title=Bill Cosby |url=http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/233021 |access-date=October 13, 2009 |website=bmi.com}}</ref><ref name="Cosby Hosts">{{cite news |last=Lee |first=Felicia R. |others=Compiled by Lawrence Van Gelder |date=May 17, 2007 |title=Arts, Briefly; Jazz for the Sake of Jazz |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C05E5DB1031F934A25756C0A9619C8B63 |access-date=March 22, 2016}}</ref>

Cosby and his wife have collected more than three hundred works of [[African-American art]] since 1967. The works went on display in "Conversations", an exhibit at the [[National Museum of African Art]] in 2014.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kennicott |first=Philip |date=November 9, 2014 |title='Conversations': Museum's African art outshines Cosby's African American art |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/museums/conversations-museums-african-art-outshines-cosbys-african-american-art/2014/11/09/89b2b1f6-682c-11e4-b053-65cea7903f2e_story.html |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> The show was controversial because of the sexual assault allegations made against Cosby.<ref name="WaPo: Cole at 80">{{cite news |last=McGlone |first=Peggy |date=October 27, 2016 |title=At 80, Johnnetta Cole reflects on her career and the controversial Cosby exhibition |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/museums/at-80-johnnetta-cole-reflects-on-her-career-and-the-controversial-cosby-exhibit/2016/10/27/e736a33a-9ae0-11e6-b3c9-f662adaa0048_story.html |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>

Cosby is a supporter of his alma mater, Temple University, particularly its men's basketball team, the [[Temple Owls]], whose games Cosby frequently attended prior to his arrest. He is also a member of the [[Omega Psi Phi]] fraternity; he was initiated in the fraternity's Beta Alpha Alpha graduate chapter in [[White Plains, New York]], in 1988,<ref>{{cite web |title=Beta Alpha Alpha Chapter Lines |url=http://www.omega-baa.org/chapter/chaplines.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928200918/http://www.omega-baa.org/chapter/chaplines.html |archive-date=September 28, 2018 |access-date=March 7, 2013 |publisher=Beta Alpha Alpha chapter of Omega Psi Phi fraternity}}</ref> and served briefly on the board of directors for the [[CDC Foundation]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Stokes |first1=Charles |last2=Jacobs |first2=Phil |title=Fiscal Year 2008 Report to Contributors |url=https://www.cdcfoundation.org/sites/default/files/upload/pdf/ReportToContributors_FY08.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220806034654/https://www.cdcfoundation.org/sites/default/files/upload/pdf/ReportToContributors_FY08.pdf |archive-date=August 6, 2022 |access-date=August 9, 2022 |website=[[CDC Foundation]]}}</ref>

In 2016, Cosby's attorneys reported that he is now legally [[Visual impairment|blind]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Montero-Hernandez |first=Ricardo |date=October 28, 2016 |title=Bill Cosby is legally blind, according to defense attorneys |publisher=[[CNN]] |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/28/us/bill-cosby-blind/ |access-date=February 18, 2017}}</ref> In April 2017, Cosby agreed to be interviewed by the [[National Newspaper Publishers Association]], because, as Andrew Wyatt, his spokesman, stated, "they grew comfortable that the NNPA Newswire would be more interested in 'facts over [[sensationalism]]'." In the interview, both Cosby and one of his former publicists confirmed the loss of eyesight, noting that it occurred at some point in 2015.<ref>{{cite web |last=Shnurr |first=Samantha |date=April 26, 2017 |title=Bill Cosby Breaks His Silence to Confirm He's Blind |url=http://www.eonline.com/news/846166/bill-cosby-breaks-his-silence-to-confirm-he-s-blind |access-date=August 17, 2018 |website=[[E! News]] |publisher=[[E!]] |location=Los Angeles}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Brown |first=Stacy |date=April 26, 2017 |title=NNPA Newswire Exclusive: Bill Cosby Finally Breaks His Silence |url=http://www.blackpressusa.com/nnpa-newswire-exclusive-bill-cosby-finally-breaks-his-silence/ |access-date=August 17, 2018 |website=BlackPressUSA}}</ref>

Following his release from prison in 2021, Cosby was reported to be attempting to make a post-prison comeback. Plans for the comeback included a comedy tour that would go from the United States to Canada to London, with Cosby's team having contacted a number of promoters and comedy clubs about performance opportunities. It was also reported that Cosby was working on a five-part docuseries that covers his legacy and his experience in prison, and that he was planning on releasing a book.<ref>{{cite web |last=Sanfiorenzo |first=Dimas |date=July 7, 2021 |title=Fresh Out of Prison, Bill Cosby is Allegedly Planning a Comeback Tour |url=https://www.okayplayer.com/news/bill-cosby-prison-tour.html |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210707232025/https://www.okayplayer.com/news/bill-cosby-prison-tour.html |archive-date=July 7, 2021 |access-date=November 24, 2022 |website=Okayplayer |language=en-US}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Later in September, it was reported that Cosby put his plans for a comeback on hold due to ongoing legal problems.<ref>{{cite web |last=Lampen |first=Claire |date=September 9, 2021 |title=Apparently Bill Cosby Finally Read the Room |url=https://www.thecut.com/2021/09/bill-cosby-cancels-comedy-tour-ahead-of-sexual-assault-suit.html |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920032757/https://www.thecut.com/2021/09/bill-cosby-cancels-comedy-tour-ahead-of-sexual-assault-suit.html |archive-date=September 20, 2021 |access-date=November 24, 2022 |website=[[The Cut (New York)|New York (The Cut)]] |language=en-US}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

=== Politics and views ===
Cosby received an award at the celebration of the 50th-anniversary commemoration of ''[[Brown v. Board of Education]]'' ruling—a ruling of the [[Supreme Court of the United States|U.S. Supreme Court]] that outlawed [[racial segregation]] in public schools. Later, in May 2004, he made public remarks critical of African Americans who put higher priorities on sports, fashion, and "acting hard" than on education, self-respect, and self-improvement. He pleaded for African American families to educate their children on the many different aspects of [[Culture of the United States|American culture]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Brownfeld |first=Alan |date=June 17, 2013 |title=Father's Day with Bill Cosby, an American Original |url=http://www.salem-news.com/articles/june172013/bill-cosby-ab.php |access-date=June 26, 2015 |publisher=Salem-News.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Bill Cosby: Charity Work & Causes |url=https://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/bill-cosby |access-date=June 26, 2015 |website=LooktotheStars.org}}</ref> In the [[Pound Cake speech]], Cosby asked that African American parents teach their children better morals at a younger age. As reported in ''[[The Washington Times]]'', Cosby "told reporters during a special session of the [[Congressional Black Caucus Foundation]]'s 34th annual legislative conference [that] parenting needs to come to the forefront. If you need help and you don't know how to parent, we want to be able to reach out and touch you."<ref>{{cite news |last=DeBose |first=Brian |date=September 9, 2009 |title=Cosby urges leaders to aid black families |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2004/sep/9/20040909-121926-4474r/ |access-date=June 26, 2015 |work=[[The Washington Times]]}}</ref> Richard Leiby of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' reported, "Bill Cosby was anything but [[Political correctness|politically correct]] in his remarks Monday night at a Constitution Hall bash commemorating the 50th anniversary of the ''Brown v. Board of Education'' decision."<ref>{{cite news |date=May 19, 2004 |title=Publicists With a Cannes-Do Attitude |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37869-2004May18.html |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref>

[[File:BillCosby.jpg|thumb|Cosby at [[Douglass High School (Atlanta)|Frederick Douglass High School]] in Atlanta, in 2006|left|264x264px]]

Cosby was again criticized, and was largely unapologetic, for his stance when he made similar remarks during a speech at a July{{nbsp}}1 meeting of the [[Rainbow/PUSH|Rainbow/PUSH Coalition]] that commemorated the anniversary of ''Brown v. Board'', where he said: "...{{nbsp}}you've got to stop beating up your women because you can't find a job, because you didn't want to get an education and now you're [earning] minimum wage."<ref>{{cite news |last=Williams |first=Juan |author-link=Juan Williams |date=2007 |title=Enough: The Phony Leaders, Dead-End Movements, and Culture of Failure That Are Undermining Black America – and What We Can Do About It |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D2LjLL8YYXUC&pg=PA19 |access-date=August 22, 2019 |publisher=[[Crown Publishing|Crown]]/Archetype |location=New York City |page=19 |isbn=9780307395191}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=July 15, 2004 |title=Tough Talk: Bill Cosby |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/tough-talk-bill-cosby |access-date=August 22, 2019 |publisher=PBS}}</ref> During that speech, he admonished blacks for not assisting or concerning themselves with the individuals who are involved with crime or have counterproductive aspirations. He further described those who needed attention as blacks who "had forgotten the sacrifices of those in the [[Civil Rights Movement]]".<ref>{{cite web |date=October 26, 2009 |title=Fattah Lauds Bill Cosby as 'Hometown Hero' |url=http://fattah.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=34&sectiontree=32,34&itemid=510 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110602102013/http://fattah.house.gov//index.cfm?sectionid=34 |archive-date=June 2, 2011 |access-date=December 6, 2011 |website=US House of Representatives |publisher=Congressman Chaka Fattah |location=Washington DC}}</ref>

{{external media| float = right| video1 = [https://www.c-span.org/video/?186657-1/after-words-michael-eric-dyson ''After Words'' interview with Michael Eric Dyson on ''Is Bill Cosby Right: Or Has the Black Middle Class Lost Its Mind?'', May 15, 2005], [[C-SPAN]]| video2 = [https://www.c-span.org/video/?191465-1/is-bill-cosby-right-book-group-discussion Book group discussion on ''Is Bill Cosby Right: Or Has the Black Middle Class Lost Its Mind?'', February 28, 2006], [[C-SPAN]]}}

In 2005, [[Georgetown University]] sociology professor [[Michael Eric Dyson]] wrote a book, ''Is Bill Cosby Right? Or Has the [[African-American middle class|Black Middle Class]] Lost Its Mind?''<ref name="Dyson">{{cite map|title=Is Bill Cosby Right or Is the Black Middle Class Out of Touch?|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4628960|publisher=[[NPR]]|access-date=July 23, 2009}}</ref> In the book, Dyson wrote that Cosby was overlooking larger social factors that reinforce poverty and associated crime; factors such as deteriorating schools, stagnating wages, dramatic shifts in the economy, [[offshoring]] and downsizing, chronic underemployment, and job and [[capital flight]].<ref name="Dyson column">{{cite map|last=Dyson|first=Michael Eric|title=The Injustice Bill Cosby Won't See|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/20/AR2006072001631.html|work=The Washington Post|date=July 21, 2006|access-date=July 28, 2009}}</ref> Dyson suggested that Cosby's comments "betray [[classist]], [[elitist]] viewpoints rooted in generational warfare".<ref name="Dyson" /> However, [[Cornel West]] defended Cosby and his remarks, saying: "He's speaking out of great compassion and trying to get folk to get on the right track, 'cause we've got some brothers and sisters who are not doing the right things, just like in times in our own lives, we don't do the right thing{{nbsp}}... He is trying to speak honestly and freely and lovingly, and I think that's a very positive thing."<ref>[https://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200405/20040526_cosby.html Cornel West radio clip] played on ''[[Tavis Smiley]]'' edition "Bill Cosby: Airdate May 26, 2004" {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100420024934/http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200405/20040526_cosby.html|date=April 20, 2010}}</ref>

In a 2008 interview, Cosby mentioned Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, [[Oakland, California]], and [[Springfield, Massachusetts]] among the cities where crime was high and young African American men were being murdered and jailed in disproportionate numbers. Cosby stood his ground against criticism and affirmed that African American parents were continuing to fail to inculcate proper standards of moral behavior.<ref>{{cite news |date=June 2, 2008 |title=Cosby to blacks: Come on people, it's time for change |url=http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/race/2008/06/four-years-ago.html |access-date=November 9, 2013 |work=[[Chicago Tribune]]}}</ref> The Obama presidency had the potential to affect television shows, but people had differing reactions to that.<ref name="Obama effect">Chuck Barney, "Will the ‘Obama effect' bring change to TV?" 26 January 2009, ''Contra Costa Times''</ref> After [[Barack Obama]] was elected president, Cosby said he was "not all that optimistic that Obama's presidency will make a major difference in terms of onscreen diversity", saying "they would die before putting another show on about a black family and black pride."<ref name="Obama effect part deux">"Some believe that impact (of having a black president and first family) will take on additional power as the nation - including Hollywood - is exposed to countless images of Obama along with wife Michelle and daughters Malia and Sasha as they hold court in the White House." Chuck Barney, "Will the ‘Obama effect' bring change to TV?" 26 January 2009, ''Contra Costa Times''</ref>

Cosby has also been critical of [[Conservatism in the United States|conservative]] [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] politicians in regard to their views on socioeconomic and racial issues. In a 2013, [[CNN]] interview regarding [[Voting rights in the United States|voting rights]], Cosby stated "this Republican Party is not the Republican Party of 1863, of [[Abraham Lincoln]], [[abolitionism|abolitionists]] and [[slavery]], is not good. I think it's important for us to look at the underlying part of it. What is the value of it? Is it that some people are angry because my people no longer want to work for free?"<ref>{{cite news |last=Jones |first=Joyce |date=March 6, 2013 |title=Bill Cosby Sounds Off on the GOP |url=https://www.bet.com/article/27yiyv/bill-cosby-sounds-off-on-the-gop |access-date=June 26, 2015 |website=[[BET.com]]}}</ref> Cosby's social commentary led to the unsealing of documents in a previous civil suit by a woman who had accused Cosby of sexual assault, which in turn sparked renewed interest in older allegations. The judge ruled that releasing the sealed documents was justified by the "stark contrast between Bill Cosby, the public moralist and Bill Cosby, the subject of serious allegations concerning improper (and perhaps criminal) conduct".<ref name="MDale">{{cite news |last1=Dale |first1=Maryclaire |date=July 7, 2015 |title=Cosby admitted in 2005 to getting sedatives to give to women he sought sex with |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/cosby-admitted-in-2005-to-getting-quaaludes-to-give-to-women-he-sought-sex-with/article25330387/ |access-date=July 9, 2015 |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |location=Toronto}}</ref>