States the article:
"'They put the word 'nigga' in a song, and we get up and dance to it,' Cosby said.
"The two-hour Coppin State University-hosted event dubbed 'Fatherhood Works,' was the last stop on the entertainer's day-long visit to the city.
"In addition to hip-hop, Cosby expressed his views on teenage pregnancy, re-emphasized the importance of a good education and urged fathers to take a more active role in raising their kids, as he visited three West Baltimore elementary schools and the church."
So here was AllHipHop respectfully passing along Cosby's message. Meanwhile . . . to the right of the Cosby article is a column with links to the latest news from the hip hop world. But while reports of new record deals and other doings were mixed in, much of it read like a 'rap' sheet of an altogether different sort. Examples:
- Foxy Brown Misses New Jersey Court Date, Must Attend Next Hearing
- Estate of Slain Man In CCC Club Files Lawsuit Against Proof Estate
- Man Who Was Allegedly Beaten By Busta Rhymes Planning Civil Lawsuit
- Busta Rhymes Arrested After AmsterJam
- Young City Appears In Baltimore Court, Bail Set At $75,000
- C-Murder Back On House Arrest
- Judge Defends Decision in C-Murder Case
- Lil' Wayne Arrested In Atlanta For Drug Possession
- Young City Jailed On Armed Robbery Charge
- Police Seek Suspects In Skanbino Mob Murders
- Lil' Kim Off House Arrest Aug 3., Preparing Season 2 Of 'Countdown To Lockdown'
If proof were needed that the problem that Cosby spoke of is very real, here it was.
Juan Williams has recently written a book whose title tells it all: "Enough: The Phony Leaders, Dead-end Movements, And Culture of Failure That Are Undermining Black America." Interestingly, in his column of this morning, A Triumph of Felons and Failure [subscription required], NY Times columnist Bob Herbert praises the book and reiterates its message in these terms: "It is up to blacks themselves to embrace the current opportunities for academic achievement and professional advancement, to build the strong families that allow youngsters to flourish, and to create a cultural environment that turns its back on crime, ignorance and self-abasement."
Could Cosby's message be part of a hopeful trend among black leaders?
Finkelstein lives in the liberal haven of Ithaca, NY, where he hosts 'Right Angle,' an award-winning public-access TV show. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net
