Editing Bill Cosby (section)

=== 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>