Cosby's NAACP spankin'...

Bill Cosby isn't exactly the name that you expect to find listed under "historical pivot point".

But sure enough, the guy who voiced Fat Albert made a little history earlier this month when he gave a speech at the Howard University 50th anniversary celebration of the Brown v. Board of Education decision.

Cosby, who will be 67 in July, has apparently reached an age where he is quite comfortable sharing what's on his mind. The genial Jell-O spokesman's candor was on full display at Washington's DAR Constitution Hall, where various African-American notables had gathered to laud him, his wife Camille and others for honoring the legacy of Brown.

Of course, I don't think any of them were expecting the man to use that podium to criticize the failings of black America -- especially its underclass. He spent a significant amount of time in a reportedly biting tone, that at times seemed to be dripping with humanity and genuine compassion. (kind of an odd mix) Cosby seemed to be focusing the need for progressive efforts to be pointed towards the behavior and education of young African Americans, as opposed to continued emphasis on special provisions.

Howard University administrators, who won't release a transcript of Cosby's speech, are still not prepared to have a public discussion of what happened, but I'm hoping to get the full text soon.

The really interesting part of his speech, was the aftermath. If you simply do a few searches on the Coz' himself, you'll find much of black America, especially its middle class, is ready to have this conversation.

In that sense, Cosby's speech was a watershed event -- a sign that black America is now comfortable enough with its accomplishments to discuss its shortcomings.

"Perhaps Bill did us a favor, and more people will now be prepared to step forward. It'll be a tough-love conversation, whether or not people want to have it. And it will take opinion leaders to say those things that should be said." - NAACP President Kweisi Mfume (attended the event)

Of course not all black Americans agree with everything, or anything, he said. Indeed, his criticism of everything from speech patterns to spending habits among the black poor was tremendously politically incorrect. There was nary a W. B. Duboise quote to be found anywhere. Instead, this was good old Booker T. Washington-esque "Integrity comes from within" kind of talk....just kind of phrased funny-like.

Quotes from Bill:

"Ladies and gentlemen, the lower economic people are not holding up their end in this deal. These people are not parenting. They are buying things for kids -- $500 sneakers for what? And won't spend $200 for 'Hooked on Phonics'."

Of the disproportionate number of blacks in prison, Cosby had this to say:

"These are not political criminals. These are people going around stealing Coca-Cola. People getting shot in the back of the head over a piece of pound cake, and then we run out and we are outraged, saying, 'The cops shouldn't have shot him.' What in the hell was he doing with the pound cake in his hand?"

After the speech, Theodore Shaw, head of the NAACP legal defense fund, rushed to the podium to serve up a rejoinder, noting that larger (read "white") American society still bears some responsibility for the failure of so many black Americans to join the economic and cultural mainstream.

That is clearly so. But isn't it about time that black Americans acknowledge that, at the dawn of the 21st century, personal responsibility has at least as much to do with success in modern America as race? Isn't it only fair to note that the landmark Supreme Court ruling of 50 years ago did roll back much of systemic racism? Sure it took a generation to really enable and empower the white American parent with the tools to eliminate hate from their house, but white America did make the change.

After all, if you believe that racism continues to largely limit black success, that will certainly prove itself true.

"There is no reason that black students have to do poorly in math and science, in speech, in cognitive abilities. When you're quiet about those (shortcomings), young people notice, and it sounds like you're giving your approval." - Kweisi Mfume

Some blacks have recoiled from Cosby's pointed remarks not because they disagree but because they don't want to discuss certain ignominious truths in front of white folks. They fear such painful self-analysis will only provide fodder to the race-baiters -- the Neal Boortzes and Rush Limbaughs -- who work hard at stoking a white backlash. I'm sure Boortz and Limbaugh have already made ample use of Cosby's speech to stir up rants among a certain segment of their listeners. So what? They'd look for excuses to poke the tender wounds of race, no matter what Cosby had said.

They're racists, that's what they do.

It is more important that black Americans have a spirited debate about the challenges of the post-civil rights era: How do we raise the academic achievement of black students? How do we curb black-on-black crime? How do we attack the AIDS epidemic spreading like wildfire in black America?

In a way, Cosby's speech was an eloquent reminder of the stunning success of the civil rights movement that followed the Brown decision: Black America is strong enough and successful enough to admit its shortcomings and gird itself for the work ahead.

This is big news. This is one of the first times in 30 years that an African American of notoriety publicly outcries the concept that behavior, not skin color, is one of the main contributing factors to the downfall of our African American society.

On a sidenote however, it would have been a little easier for all Americans to swallow that jagged little pill if he hadn't specifically pointed the vast majority of the comments towards the poor. He's a multi-millionare and even though he spoke the truth, it doesn't really fit that well. Maybe that's the good thing about someone just opening the door to a discussion...

...someone else gets to walk in and speak up next.