Agree with Michael Eric Dyson

In my opinion, Dr. Dyson skillfully and passionately argued in defense of poor people. Indeed in Is Bill Cosby Right, he took the irresponsible ones to task for their inability or refusal to "straighten up and fly right".

But at the same time, he, like Malcolm before him as well as Minister Farrakhan today (and many others that Bill Cosby overlooked) did not ignore the societal pressures heaped upon poor people. Nor did he dismiss and/or overlook the same ugly behavior in other classes of people.

Dr. Dyson showed great compassion and empathy, while at the same time dissected Bill Cosby's ugly, vitriolic remarks. The book is another excellent offering from an intellectual force within our struggle.

I highly recommend this book.

Dr. Dyson, I think you're right!

Also, I listened to your speech at the Commonwealth Club, which was excellent, and when at the end, the host said, "You're truly a Baptist preacher", I thought that was a thinly veiled insult.

I listened to your interview on CSPAN’s Afterwords (which is how I sort of discovered you) and then I listened to a lot of your interviews and commentary on NPR w/Tavis Smiley. I think the historical, structural problems that keep poor blacks in poverty need to be addressed, and it seems like nobody is doing anything about it, even after Katrina. It really upsets me.

I also really appreciated your testimony before the Senate about hip-hop music. My boyfriend loves hip hop, we listen to it a lot, even though we are white, and we discuss its dynamics, appreciate its depth, and the fact that in hip-hop there is a lot of discussion about moral dilemmas and spiritual issues. That gets by a lot of people who don't listen to it, or just have a little exposure to it, but are quick to criticize before they've seen the whole picture.

We listen to a lot of Jamaican music, too, and there are similarities because in Jamaican music there are gangsters who sing about God, who are very religious, and I think that in both Jamaican music and in hip-hop gangsta rap you get music that is very real, where people sing about confronting real issues and moral dilemmas that are deeply felt.

So it's very complex, and it's not accurate to paint hip-hop as all evil or all good, just like no person is all good or all evil. In spite of its dark side, I think hip-hop music has, perhaps ironically, done an enormous amount of good because it has brought many aspects of African-American culture into the mainstream, so that many whites listen to and are influenced by hip-hop, (whether that's a bad thing or good, it's like the blues, which many once considered evil but which many now nostalgically practically worship as the origin of white rock, including myself - although the blues wasn't associated with so much killing) and you see white girls with braids and extensions, etc. and white boys in baggy pants. So it's very ironic, because gangs are a bad thing in so many ways, but I have an enormous amount of respect for their culture, language and their art, and integration of cultures they have brought to us through music, not of blacks becoming like whites, but of whites becoming like blacks.

(I've also been aware of that there are many other influences of African-American culture on the mainstream/white culture, but I'm not so clear on what is going on in the rest of the culture to speak about it).

I am an African-American student at Rice University and I thoroughly enjoyed the dismantling of Bill Cosby's assault on the black poor in America.

I have turned several others on to the book as well. I am an avid follower and appreciator of Dr. Dyson's work and I admire his passion, intelligence, and eloquence.

I wish him all the blessings he has room enough to receive and may God keep his house and family in peace.

I wholeheartedly agree with Professor Dyson.

If you're going to attack poor blacks then those attacks or "airing the dirty laundry" as it were, must be situated within the greater social circumstances in which the poor find themselves.

I really have a hard time understanding why people, especially black folks, can't seem to understand this. As Dyson has eloquently pointed out, personal and social responsibility must go hand in hand. I've read the book at least five times and it's absolutely wonderful, just what poor people like me need these days, a little positive reinforcement. The easiest thing to do is what Cosby did. I believe that what Cosby did was not rooted in a love ethic. Let us remember that love is the will to extend oneself for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another spiritual growth. If one is going to criticize, let the critique come from a place of compassion, not bitterness, disdain, and outright anger as Cosby has exemplified.

Thank you for the love Dr. Dyson!

I would never have expected to hear utter meanness from Bill Cosby.

Perhaps he's been corrupted by the many years of comfort and plenty that he has enjoyed.

I am surprised that he, a well-educated person, and a black man who grew up in white America, can think he has done well to judge people as a group solely based on appearances.

I believe Cosby has a severe case of amnesia, but he is not the only one.

Lately it's fashionable to attack the lower-class American, who is simply the working class. I know Mr. Cosby is wrong and I appreciated that someone such as Dr. Dyson responded to him. I just finished this classic book, Is Bill Cosby Right? NO is my answer.

As an immigrant to the USA from Somalia, I am shocked the way upper class Black and White communities accept me as a brother, but when they see fellow American, Black or Hispanic, they reject them and have antipathy towards them. It's strange.

Thank you Dr. Dyson for defending the voiceless in America: the real working Americans.

Pointing out Cosby's hypocrisy is, I think, an important part of this debate.

Listening to Cosby's early comedy routines will reveal his extensive use of "Ebonics", slang, and black vernacular. I have early, lesser-known tapes of Cosby where he curses continuously and talks about smoking marijuana and gambling…correction: smoking marijuana WHILE gambling.

Fat Albert is an obvious direct precursor to the very "styles" and cultural specifics of the poor black youth he now clearly despises and about which he feigns being perplexed by. If he considers the way poor young blacks speak and dress to be so offensive, how could he have made his substantial fortune on characters who by his own critique, should be considered vulgar displays of ignorance and dysfunction?

What about "The Junkyard Band?" These were Black children playing in the squalor of a poor neighborhood and creating musical instruments from the trash and debris littering their streets and back alleys. There was no perfect English. Pronunciation of the language was far from perfect. The clothes worn by the Cosby Kids were not even as presentable as the "baggy" clothes that seem to concern Cosby today. And most ironically, when Cosby presented these characters and their world to this nation he was lauded for bringing the specifics of black language, styles and the circumstances of the poor black community to the fore.

I am not certain if the black middle-class has lost its mind, but Cosby certainly has. He is no longer mindful of the social conditions that create the circumstances and the victims that he is so quick to blame. He is no longer mindful of the family and friends of his youth, on whom he based the Cosby Kids. He is no longer mindful of the community that birthed him.

Cosby is confusing his natural generational disconnect and his un-natural class distance with what he thinks is some new dysfunction of the black community. The black community is no more and no less dysfunctional or distinct than it was when he practiced its vernacular and styles and appreciated its idioms and idols and idiosyncrasies. The black community has not changed…Cosby has.

Recently I watched an old movie that Mr. Cosby starred in along with Sidney Poitier (the title escapes me). The setting of this movie was the 70's and the dialogue of the movie used 70's jargon like... Dig this & Dig that...that crazy cat...and so on.

The poor language that Mr. Cosby accuses lower class African-Americans of using is just an evolved form of slang that was used in the 70's. Nobody accused them of being ignorant or down-trodden. For generations we have taken words from the English language and made them our own. This is our culture, our heritage.

I admit I've cringed when some one of African-American decent is interviewed on television and they split verbs, nouns, dangling participles and prepositional phrases right down the middle. But their use of poor English does not give me or anyone else the right to pass judgment. I am grateful for a single parent that demanded the best of me and pushed me to excel. I managed to get a college education. I have a B.A. and an M.B.A., imagine that! But for my brothers and sisters that didn't have that I do my best to help them, not degrade them.

Instead of making a mockery of our people I challenge Mr. Cosby to have reading centers built, computer labs in poor neighborhoods, have book drives at inner-city elementary schools or Donate scholarships to HBCU's.

Because if we are not apart of the solution then we are apart of the problem!

This post is in regards to Bill Cosby’s comments on the style of dress practiced by black youth and behaviors associated with it.

I would like to ask your readers: Is wearing baggy jeans, jewelry, loose shirts, etc, or a style of dress referred to as (hip hop) really degrading to black people? Or is this simply a style of dress some of us would rather not gaze upon? No one has given solid reasons how this (hip hop) style of dress is a precursor to failure and if you are going to convince others that it is, you need solid proof to back your claims. In my opinion, clothing and jewelry do not denote a lack of manhood or intelligence, an affinity to commit crimes, ones history of being incarcerated nor is the road to the aforementioned paved on such. I believe our actions towards black youth who dress this way play a bigger role in rather or not a child fails. I asked a group of young black males once, why did they wear their clothing that way and I was told, "It's just the style." Let me add that these young men were on their way to school adorned with all the necessary tools to learn, i.e. books, backpacks, and most importantly the will to get up on time and make the trek to classes.

Personally, I'd rather not see a lot of the clothing that young blacks wear, though I will not condemn them for making a choice to dress as they do. If we want to convince them that a different style of dress will be beneficial, words like stupid, nonsense and degrading cannot be part of the vocabulary used as our argument will fall upon the deaf ears of a child whose on the defense. Simply saying "Don't dress like that" will not be productive, reasons why they shouldn't, must be given. Remember, they will be adults soon, and we want to productive, THINKING, good decision making black adults not adults who look for others to tell them what they should do without asking questions. If we take on the attitude that this style of dress leads to demise, will this end up being the truth? Whose fault would that be, ours or our children’s? Point is, as parents, we have an advantage when it comes to influencing our children and we should take full advantage of it through reasoning and not through demand or belittling.

In regards to the NBA's implementation of the new dress code...Businesses do have dress codes that should be respected while at work. What someone wears off hours should be their choice. Any time you implement a rule to curb a style embraced by a group of individuals who are similar in ethnicity, religion, sex etc, you have made that group a target since your new rules directly affect that group primarily....therefore it is a form of discrimination.

It would be ideal for black entertainers to view themselves as role models to black children and adhere to a lifestyle we deem appropriate. Needless to say, the responsibility of such ultimately falls on the parents. If you do not feel someone’s behavior is conducive to your child’s success, as a parent you must completely remove or counteract any negative influence one’s actions may have on your children.

We don't have to agree with what other blacks choose to wear, but we must respect and protect their right to make a choice.

**Fact: Contrary to popular belief, Jewelry is very much a beloved part of African Culture, I am not surprised that some of us enjoy wearing it**

I've only recently discovered Dr. Dyson thanks to a speech he gave that was broadcast on Democracy Now.

After hearing him speak on that show and on this website, I have to tell you, I am deeply inspired by his message.

It is my opinion that he is a refreshing and exciting new voice for the common person.

Good luck to you sir.

Quite frankly, this day -- October 14th -- was the first I heard about Michael Eric Dyson.

It was during the Democracy Now! show, hosted by Amy Goodman that I had the incredible privilege to listen to the speech of this amazing gentleman.

Enraptured by his piercingly articulate soliloquy on the show, I figured he was somebody I had to find more about. I thenceforth visited this website, where I have found a truckload of information, which confirms what I had suspected: that Mr. Dyson is a fearless, articulate, and honest commentator.

Let me say that having not heard Mr. Cosby's words or read them anywhere, I will give him the benefit of the doubt (albeit a razor-thin benefit) and say that let us not rush to judgment. Let us not engage in a “who's right vs. wrong” debate. Let us rather celebrate the fact that we have intelligent and honest people like Minister/Professor Dyson, whose words have a sonorous similarity to a gentleman whose last name bore a single consonant.

That, I believe, is a more rational and productive way to go. Nonetheless, I echo many of Dr. Dyson's supporters in stating that I agree with the general context of his words and there could not have been a more auspicious time for such a gifted human being to goad us a people to the path of enlightenment.

When this book was first published, I brought it up in an online discussion with one of my graduate school professors who often shares the sentiments expressed in Dr. Dyson's critique of the Cosby comments.

I believe that Mr. Cosby, like many wealthier African-Americans, has lost touch with what being African-American is about. His comments are also indicative of the divide within the African-American community. Many older African-Americans believe that the younger poor of our community are the thorn in our side that they would rather not see. They think," all they want to do is have babies, live off welfare, not go to school, not work and cause problems." These comments are made without a significant critique of the socio-economic structures that help the poor among us remain as such.

It is imperative that we as a community continue to evaluate and discuss the problems among us. This can not be done without an informed social critique surrounding what is causing our youth to become incarcerated, teenage parents, and high school dropouts at a rate that is higher than others. Comments such as those made by Cosby do not help the situation, they hurt.

I'm originally from San Diego, California and it's funny to me that it takes a black man or woman to reach a certain level before white America seems to accept you.

All of a sudden you can understand what it is like to be poor and black. You now have to date or marry a white woman or man and look down at your brotha or sista...I'm sorry, I mean black male and female.

Cosby is the type of black man I hate. How can you ever take stock in a man who carries such disdain for his own?

Thank God for Mr. Dyson.

I think that Michael Eric Dyson is right.

But what is it worth coming from a black, 14 year-old, middle class teenager? It's worth a lot.

Yet what Cosby said, that black fathers need to take a more active role in their children’s lives, was not a lie. He never lied. My father walked out of my life when I was 1 year-old, but I had a step-father who's been in my life since I was 2. I know having him has made a big difference in my life.

I saw the broadcast you did at the Chicago Public Library. It was wonderful. You are deep brother and I look up to you for what you have said, are saying, and what you will continue to say.

One Friday morning I pulled into work and was thanking God for it being Friday and feeling ok that life is good. I was listening to KPFA and hearing the talk show host speak on some racist comments that were said. I was half way listening because being Black and female, it is rare you go through the day with out hearing some sort of "ist" thing, be it racist or sexist. Nevertheless, I continued to listen. I then hear them play the person's actual comments, where he said "you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down." The person was William Bennett, former Secretary of Education. His comments were said on his radio talk show. At this point I was frozen. My mind was numb and I heard a voice say "Breath, Leah, Breath.” I then took a big gulp of air and with that breath I felt a multitude of feelings rush though my body from shock, hurt, anger, despair, and enragement!!! This man was talking about aborting my child, Desmond, your child, your nieces, nephews, grandchildren, every Black American child!!!

I begin to realize that I have been recently living in a falsehood; I have become some what complacent, getting caught up in my day to day life, thinking things are OK. I have been looking at life from a very narrow perspective and it was time to take a step back and realize the alarm is going off. WAKE UP!!

This man is allowed to make these blatant, hateful, vicious remarks with such ease and confidence, and why? - Because he can. He can because America has given him the platform to speak such ugly hatred and ideas of genocide and suffer no repercussion. America has given him the go head, it is OK. America has given the world permission to speak of Black Americans in such an inhuman, reprehensible, ill manner.

Remember, it was only this year that the President of Mexico made his derogatory remarks about Black Americans and nothing was done. America continues on with Mexico just as they had before. No one is fighting for us or defending our honor. If these comments were said about Jewish people, William Bennett would be off the airways. Why, because the Jewish people own the airways and they use their power. We have to come together collectively to exercise our power: power of numbers, power of unity. We need to write Bennett's radio station demanding he be taken off the air, write our congressmen, our government.

My mother, who is 68 and has marched in the 1960s is still fighting. She has written her local newspaper, Oprah, and Bennett's radio station, making sure this issue does not die and is dealt with unlike Barbara Bush's comments.

America has our youth chasing these carrot dreams of "PDiddy, Diddy, DoDo (whatever) Bling, Bling" success while people like Bennett and his peers are planning our children's demises… no correction, executing their plan. Their plan is going smoothly, numbers don't lie. Black people are approximately 12% of the US population but in over 70% of the prisons. Do the math. We have more of a presence in the prison system than we do in higher education system.

Plan on schedule! People we have got to start being proactive, before being reactive is too late. Please, this is a wake up call; do not hit the snooze button, because you may wake up too late.

Peace and Blessings.

I totally agree with Dyson.

I think that Cosby was very insensitive to the subject and sometimes was just down right ignorant. What did Cosby accomplish with this so called "positive encouragement?'' All Cosby did was put down the poor and totally run his mouth on a subject he really didn't know too much about.

It is real easy to play the blame game and point the finger at the community, for all the things they should and shouldn't do, but what is Cosby going to do about it? I'm Latino, and my people go through the same struggles as Black people, so that is why I can identify with the issue even though I am not Black. In other words, Blacks and Latinos are in the same boat.

Cosby makes it sound so easy. All we have to do is start going to school, get a job, stop naming our kids after alcoholic beverages, start having some self determination, and go out and get ours. Oh really? Is it that easy? Well, I got a better solution to the problem: Lets stop being poor! Obviously, I am being sarcastic when I say that, but it is properly put in context.

We need to stop bashing our people and community and start dealing with the real issues at hand. Issues such as; poverty, racism, and classism, and why these things continue to play a part in our communities. Then, and only then, we will start to make positive advancements in our communities.

Michael, you are the man, and I hope you continue to stand up and fight for poor minorities. You are doing a good job.

As a brown, conscious person, I see and understand the critical need for all people of color to come together, support one another, and not play into the divide and conquer techniques of White America.

But the brainwashing goes deep. Hearing what Bill Cosby said about his own folks, the Black community, made my jaw drop with such anger and disbelief. I couldn't believe how ignorant and how far he was from the root of the issues he brought up, i.e. Ebonics, broken families, high crime rate, etc.

I mean here was this great man, a comedian, who had come up and made something great of himself. He could have used his power and fame to talk some truth, not cause a huge division between poor Blacks and non-poor Blacks. And certainly not to invalidate the lives of the poor Black community as if they would rather get shot by the cops for stealing pound cake then be in an excellent school getting a real "honest" education and be happily employed.

Mr. Cosby has lost his mind.

Has anyone else read these peoples' opinions who agree with Cosby?

They all wish with all their heart that it is totally up to the individual's choices in life as to whether or not they become a “success.” For every one example of a black that made it, i.e. Cosby, there are thousands of blacks living in economic circumstances that are simply TOTALLY UNEQUAL to what the average white faces.

The disparity in quality of education is stifling, and something that these racist apologists will not admit. And although it is true that blacks who overachieve face criticism for acting white, this is a result of lower class attitudes IN GENERAL, not a distinct racial phenomena only in black culture.

Poor whites hate one of their own just as hard if he starts to be a bookworm. The real issue is that poor people are extremely skeptical of book smarts: because most of the people who “make it” turn their back on the poor and blame them as Cosby and most of the letters supporting him do. OF COURSE SELF-HELP is necessary, but don't start picking on the poor for God's Sake! Blaming the poor is just what everyone has always done. It is the same as labeling people “deviants” as white sociology has done for so long, instead of looking at the real cause of the problems we face as a society: which is rooted in capitalism.

Bill Cosby really turned his back on his people. Luckily for us, America, and the poor everywhere, we have someone like Dyson to call him out and expose his antiquated-yet-oh-so-original-out-of-Cosby's-mouth ideas. It is nothing new to blame blacks for their problems. There could be NOTHING LESS ORIGINAL.

Taken quote by quote I would have believed that Cosby's comments were made by a white racist. And even though Jim Crow and institutionalized racism is “officially” over, that doesn't mean it's gone, and it certainly doesn't mean that we should start blaming poor people (of any race) for their condition without looking at the society that engenders such disparity in wealth and power.

I'm with you Michael...

I feel that Cosby's comments came from a place of frustration and anger.

Having said that I will also point out that a highly public figure should be screening what they’re going to say for the media. I don't really see his purpose if it was more than to simply motivate a group by isolating and angering them.

As a society we need to work towards a system of complete equality in regards to educational opportunity, health care, jobs, and anything else that I might have left out. I feel that Cosby's statement was too simple when you can see the massive inequality of opportunity out there in regards to class, not race.

I now plan on reading all of Dr. Dyson’s books.

Mr. Dyson, please, PLEASE, run for office.

I am a white, 40 year old male who believes, wholeheartedly, that I have more in common with you, than any white politician (sans Ralph Nader). My point is simply our nation has waited long enough for an intelligent, articulate, and most importantly, honest man in public office. I for one would like to see you as our first Black President. I'm not kidding.

I would do anything you ask, to assist with your bid for rational thought in our nation. Anything. Sir, you may be our only hope. I respect your opinions, and most of all respect your passion.

Black, white, red, or yellow, we are all humans and we need someone who understands us as human beings.

Thank you for all you do and for all the TRUTH you speak.

Dr. Dyson, I watched your performance on the Bill Maher show and you have hit the nail directly on the skull.

The only thing I want to say is that you seem to have the power to stand up and shout your well-conceived ideas. If YOU decide to run for office and take on any of these jackasses, YOU would beat them hands down.

YOU have the oratory power to move people. It's all about charisma during an election. There are people on both extremes, leaving it to the people in the middle to decide who runs the country. We need someone like you who can convince the middle to sway back in our direction.

You said it perfectly on Bill Maher.

Best regards and best of luck.

I want to write and thank Dr. Dyson for the wisdom and eloquence I just watched him display on the September 2nd episode of Bill Maher's "Real Time".

I saw the Dr. on an episode of "Real Time" last year, and thought the same thing. I wish that he would consider politics as an option, because I believe that we need brilliant minds like his in office.

Thank you Michael E. Dyson!

I agree with you and I'm so glad that you had the gall to "check" Cosby because indeed, he has lost his mind along with all the other folks in the room who clapped and laughed at his comments.

I'm financially challenged (yet I bought this book, they were fresh out of "hooked on phonics") but it's not because I've bought expensive gym shoes, named my child a long name or refused to get an education. It hurt to hear Cosby take the most stereo-typical example of black people and blow it completely out of proportion. When some Negros get a few dollars, they automatically forget what it's like in real neighborhoods.

Many (not all) black elite folk are so far removed from the struggle and day-to-day life "in the hood" that it becomes easy for them to demonize those who are of a different class. Lord help us all. There is no such thing as a "self-made man." Everyone who made it did so because somebody, some where, believed in them, took an interest in them, and helped them become successful.

Thanks again Michael for speaking up and telling a more complete story.

Loving and appreciating you in Chicago.

Surely, Dyson is correct.

My wife and I work at a social service agency in Detroit on Tuesdays each week. We are now in our sixth year there. It is called Crossroads of Detroit and was started 35 years ago by a priest in the Episcopal Cathedral. Week after week we have dealt with the poor, the homeless, the hungry, the ex-prisoners, the weak, and the extremely needy. The organization also has an employment agency and a Sunday soup kitchen (the only Sunday kitchen in the city). We’ve worked there as well.

We have seen the dress styles and learned the names and observed all the things Cosby frowns upon. But, unlike with Cosby, Crossroads of Detroit does help and does make a difference in a positive way, even with its relatively small budget, probably a small fraction of Cosby's income.

We are going to recommend that Dyson's book be mandatory reading for the personnel, to help all of us do our jobs even better.

Thanks for it.

I think Cosby doesn't understand the implications of either internalized racial oppression or internalized inferiority.

There have been many well spoken people of color who have gotten their heads bashed in, both literally and figuratively, by a dominate society that cannot let go of their internalized superiority complex. Just like a lot of people in the educational system, Cosby can't see that giving up one’s culture isn't the solution. The understanding and respect of cultures other than the dominating one is the key to unlocking the doors to the store house where all may eat of the harvest.

Not once has he mentioned the dominate culture's role in the plight of African-Americans in this country. Yet he follows their recipe for success, "don't talk about racism while you're trying to make it", speaking out now that his bank account is full. Where was his voice 10 or 15 years ago? Wealthy blacks have to want to look back and pull others along. They must talk to each other about doing so. We need wealthy black people who can show the young wealthy blacks how to be responsible wealthy African-Americans.

We need wealthy black people who care enough to want to help make changes, rather than criticize. We need the kind of wealthy black people who told Dr. Martin Luther King, "Do your thing and we'll take care of your family".

Cosby the great entertainer should entertain and if he wants to help African-Americans, he should use his money to help promote those who have the acumen, training, desire and communication skills to do what is needed to undo what has been done, by the dominate culture. Once an African-American is rich, it's time for he or she to enrich.

Lastly, about 85% of all public school teachers in America are white. About 40% of the students in the public school systems are students of color. What's wrong with this picture? We either have to find more teachers of color or we have to educate white teachers to communicate with students of color. If education is the key, then until this situation is addressed it doesn't matter what Cosby says.

I saw the Harlem Book Fair on CSPAN and wanted to thank you for all that you do to get the truth out.

I actually didn't see Cosby's speech but I remember reading an article about it that same week. From what I remember about the article, it seemed to back up Cosby and reinforce the typical news stereotype about African-Americans.

For example, the article quoted Cosby as saying that activists had rocks thrown in there faces to give African-Americans the opportunities they have today but that today’s African-American youth is just throwing that away. Then the article gave the impression that African-American rights activists who disagreed with what he said were crazy.

Sure we can talk about the opportunities, but what about the "rocks" that are still being thrown in the faces of the people that try to get to those opportunities? There may not be physical rocks being thrown today but there are still major political and economic barriers that are blocking many of the African-American communities in this country.

The major problem in America today is that most people believe that we have a fair and equal society. Most people are living in a false reality constructed by the television and other media. People simply do not know the truth. They are not even willing to acknowledge the truth but would rather deny it. Anytime anyone tries to speak out they are made to be a crazy person or swept under the carpet.

One thing I think is very important in our struggle against the elite manipulating us into believing in this false reality is that all Americans of all races and religions need to stand strong together. There is a bias in the media that makes African-Americans out to be monsters. For example, they love to put an African- American on television and say that he killed someone or raped someone. They do this with Hispanics and Arabs as well. What this does is put into our mind that these people cannot be trusted. It is these stereotypes that divide our country. It does not stop with race or religion. If your beliefs are slightly off from the right wing’s portrayal of our society, then you are made out to be the bad person.

Again, I wanted to thank you for everything that you do. I think your efforts definitely put a heavy blow in the face of the propaganda that destroys our nation. We need more people like you to help point out to everyone the lies that divide Americans.

I feel that Bill Cosby should be ashamed of how he degraded our race.

I disagree with anything and everything Bill Cosby has to say because he is wrong and he knows he is wrong.

He acts like he didn't have to struggle growing up as a kid.

Prior to reading Dr Dyson's book I could really feel Mr. Cosby's reason for lashing out.

But now after viewing it objectively, I totally agree with Dr. Dyson.

I only ask what you do with a situation like this where so many African-Americans are too impatient to understand the black man's struggle.

Thank you for opening my eyes wider.

Please continue doing what you do!

Much respect.

I believe that Bill Cosby is so enmeshed in corporate America that he could not possibly understand what it is like to be a lower-class Black American. Simply stated, "the brother is out of touch."

I am a well educated black man pursing my graduate degree in sociology, and I still encounter racism on a regular basis. Oftentimes I wish that I did not see the subtle forms of discrimination that I experience. Many empirical studies vividly demonstrate how difficult it is for black Americans of both genders to receive a fair-shot at the so-called American dream. I think some upper and middle-class blacks are satisfied to receive their paltry salaries and could care less about their disadvantaged brothers and sisters.

Black elites often turn a blind-ear to actual racism and discrimination that they experience in order to not upset dominant group members. I have observed middle-class minority students who look at me with disdain due to the fact that I welcome racial discussion in academic settings, and I let all who will listen know that racism, discrimination and racial profiling are very much a part of my everyday experience. I am always well mannered and groomed in fact my garb is far more aligned with conservative dominant group members than that of my beloved inner-city brothers, yet in spite of my attempt to blend in my black skin and my even blacker ideology prevent me from assimilating into corporate America. I am far too black in thought for most dominant group members and many of my own middle-class black Americans.

As the late-great Tupac Shakur indicated "the most feared thing is an educated black man."

Holla if you hear me!

Bill Cosby just wants to shove another poisonous dose of Capitalism down the throats of those of us at the bottom of the economic pyramid.

He is no role model to look up to. He was nothing but a shill for corporate interests, selling us junk that we don't need.

The poor in this country and around the world have enough problems without adding more guilt on top of everything.

I just want to say that I am so, so thankful for Dyson's book Is Bill Cosby Right.

I am a black woman and it is so refreshing to read the thoughts of a brother who addresses racial issues in such a fearless and accurate way. I think Bill Cosby is way off base with his comments, and agree with the idea that Cosby is attacking black young people.

It is amazing to see how white and (black elite) commentators and reviewers are taking such efforts to discredit Dyson's work. White racists are also running to the defense of Bill Cosby because it benefits them to have blacks such as Cosby do their work for them.

Keep up the outstanding work Mr. Dyson! You are making a huge difference for us young people. You are challenging the black elite establishment to look at itself and make real changes for the better of our community.

Bill Cosby and the Black Middle Class have lost its mind!

From reading the Cosby vs. Dyson excerpt that is on the web page I must agree with Dyson 100%.

As a people who have to face so many obstacles within our society, it is important that we understand class and race structure. I will echo Mr. Dyson by saying that basic cultural and social studies shows that blaming the victim does not in any way help the situation or encourage African-American people to uplift themselves, rather it defends and justifies a system that a very small percentage of society benefits from.

I have a great deal of respect for Mr. Cosby however I must state that his comments were not fully thought through and that if a highly educated African-American man can be used as a puppet to undermine his own people I must really question the progression of our people. I guess the old divide and conquer scheme continues to be strong.

I think that Bill Cosby should have thought about the way he said that speech.

Putting that burden on poor blacks in this country sickens me. Just to think all of the positive things people do in that situation and he didn't mention anything in that nature.

Of course, there are very few points that I do agree with as of taking back the community. But by saying that every single one of us as a people are just sitting there and doing nothing is extremely absurd.

I must honestly say that I believe Michael Eric Dyson has a better outlook on this issue than Bill Cosby does.

Dr. Cosby has a myopic view of the overall facts. Yes, personal responsibility is important, but there is also a social responsibility not only of the upper class, but an increasingly hostile capitalistic system that takes advantage of the vulnerability of the "have-nots." Dr. Cosby seems to be overlooking this aspect when he says that even with these challenges, we cannot use them as excuses. With all respect to Dr. Cosby, because I consider him to be one of the finest comedians of any generation, I do not see how his tirade is really doing much to help the morale of our young people. If anything, it is not really preparing them for the reality of life ahead. No one is saying that some of our young people are not misguided, but criticizing their fashion, names, and language is really not the main problem here. Black folk of all kinds have always been ahead of the curve when it comes to our own sense of style and speech. Ok, some of these names may have not originated from Africa, but what is wrong with being proud of one’s identity and wanting a name to reflect that sense of pride?

This debate, however, is nothing new. Older generations have almost always thought themselves to be of superior morale fabric than the younger ones. But is it really a fact? Not necessarily. Dr. Dyson explores this thought in his book taking a comprehensive look at Dr. Cosby's rise to fame and some of the challenges he faced on the way.

In a perfect world, a sermon on personal responsibility (such as the ones that Bill Cosby has been giving) would be all that is needed for a person to have a successful life. You and I both know, however, that this is not a perfect society and placing all the burden on the individual without at least acknowledging the bigger challenges imposed by society is too much of a yoke for any person to bear.

Two big thumbs up to Dr. Michael Eric Dyson for another well written book!

Without a doubt Dr. Michael Eric Dyson is correct!!

Bill Cosby’s approach to what he feels is a crisis situation is totally wrong! Need HE (Cosby ) forget all of the blacks folks (the Shaneekquas of the world, etc) who helped him get where he is today?

Yes there are some very serious problems facing African Americans today within our family structures and our communities, but to go out with a “holier than thou” attitude and talk down to almost all black skinned people is incomprehensible!

I was very shocked and surprised by Bill Cosby's speech.

I cannot imagine how someone who grew up poor and made it "out of the ghetto" could retaliate against what he once was. I can only imagine what could have happened to him if someone was kicking him when he was down. I have lost all respect for Bill Cosby. He totally oversimplified the issue of the Black poor.

Most all people, regardless of their color or creed, want the best for themselves and their children. To paraphrase a comment by Theodore Roosevelt, most people do the best they can with where they are and what they have. Bill Cosby's condescending attitude definitely will not help the black poor out of their unfortunate situation, or better our race. I wholly support Dyson's point of view and breakdown of Cosby's speech and his conflicting stances on "being black" at different points in his career.

Thank you for writing something so prolific that truly examines black life. I will soon be reading your other books.

Problemizing the poor represents a constant tactic in the arsenal of the conservative right. Given today's political economic climate, I feel it's safe to conclude that democracy has been thrown completely out the window along with the pot to you fill in the blank. In my honest, most educated opinion, I follow the mindset of Cornel West when he says plainly, you can't talk about racism, classism, sexism without talking about capitalism. And I strongly maintain this venomous rhetoric by Dr. Cosby rides a fine line, a razor's edge, between the American myth of being self made and self-destructive.

I think were I to have an opportunity to speak with Mr.Cosby directly, I would ask him to take a critical self examination of the contributions he's made time and time again for the uplift of the race. But also of his own transgressions, which have placed him in a rather precarious light. Especially those of which he may find himself associated with the class of people (folk) he vehemently disdains.

Personally, I would love to see these two highly articulate individuals publicly debate this issue in hopes of generating praxis with the proceeds going to state by state under represented communities.

I disagree with Mr. Bill Cosby's comments.

I believe black people all over the world still have a long way to go, but attacking the less privileged among us does not help the situation. The fortunate black men and women should set a different standard from the one society has set for us, in terms of what success means.

We are living in a world full of double standards, injustice, racism, oppression, media bias, classicism, and so many other inequities. We need more people like Dr. Michael Eric Dyson. If Dr. Martin Luther King, the man who died fighting against injustice and oppression were alive, I am very sure he would have had a little chat with Mr. Cosby concerning his comments.

We are living in a programmed world and need more black intellectuals who understand what is going on, not those who are cowards and too afraid to say or write the truth for fear of losing what they have.

God bless all those who stand up against classism, oppression, injustice, and racism.

I believe in Mr. Dyson. He's really taken the time to look, investigate, and draw some very hard and fair conclusions. His ability to relate to people, no matter what “stage” they may think they are on in life, is exceptional.

Mr. Dyson sticks to the subject matter, "Black human beings", and I think he and others like myself realize the 'bitter truth'. Yes, there is always room for improvement, in any race, but the Black Africans who are in America have been and still are, the race of humans in America that has very little "room", to move in any direction to better themselves or to improve.

Mr. Cosby should instill in his own children about how to be who you are, and how to be proud of that person, no matter what! Mr. Cosby should look within first before he speaks out. Mr. Dyson did not get personal for if he had; Mr. Cosby would have reason to pause. Mr. Cosby has lost loved ones, and not all of them to the street violence from American blacks, in the ghetto or elsewhere. Mr. Dyson is proud of his self and his people, no matter what side of the country, or what 'street' in the country they are from.

Please continue to speak on Mr. Dyson; you are loved and respected and you speak the truth. (Something we need so very much today) May "The Supreme Being" bless you and may your work continue. I'm buying your books!

Mr. Cosby's comments are indicative of the bourgeoisie (Negro) who have accomplished goals in life but have forgotten the struggles of the impoverished.

I'm the first Islamic Chaplain hired by Department of Correction in the State of Wisconsin. The State of Wisconsin prison system has 65% African-Americans incarcerated but only 6% of the States population is African-American.

We would welcome Mr. Cosby to come and bring a positive message to the prisoners of Wisconsin and assist us with some transitional reentry programs back to the community.

A man of Mr. Cosby's status must encourage and not ridicule. The way to accomplish this is to become connected with the African-American community.

Becoming connected will enable him to empathize with the people. This can only be realized by him coming off the balcony and into the yard.

I understand where Bill Cosby's stereotypes derive from, we all know there are some unsavory characters in the world.

But I do not agree with Bill on how he focused his negativity all towards the African-American poor. We are not the only people living in such conditions of drug addiction and prison.

I wish Mr. Cosby would learn to help his fellow man with love and respect, not with disdain and harsh words.

Much love to the African, African-American and Caribbean communities.

It has always been said that words can be used to uplift and inspire or discourage and bring down. Whenever I have had the opportunity to hear Michael E. Dyson speak, I felt encouraged and empowered. His empathetic words represent hope to a population that is often neglected.

Mr. Dyson's words are often a reminder that not everything that comes from poor communities (i.e. ghetto, trailer parks, reservations, etc.) is bad. Unlike Bill Cosby's comments, Mr. Dyson does not pass judgement or make broad and cruel generalizations. When I heard Mr. Cosby's comments I felt like he dealt a discouraging blow to the less fortunate. Defeating other races negative points of view about us is challenging enough; the last thing we need is to be kicked while we are down by someone who is supposed to be a leader and a spokesperson for us.

I have worked hard to become successful, but if becoming successful means becoming shallow, self-centered, incapable of being a beacon to others, and blind to the ways of the world, I’d rather stay poor and never accomplish another thing.

Hip-hop artist, Trick Daddy, said one of the truest things I ever heard. In so many words he said, no matter how many degrees you have, championship rings you own, money in your account or pair of khakis you own, in their eyes, "you still a n*****."

If there are any doubts about this, just look at how Oprah, Michael Jackson, and Danny Glover have been treated.

Bill Cosby has grossly oversimplified the problems plaguing the black underclass.

It isn't as simple as speaking English and being honest citizens, if that were the case, we would have overcome with Frederick Douglass or Martin Delaney. I understand that Cosby was addressing a black audience, but he has been a black public figure for approximately 40 years now, he should understand that what he says may or may not be used as he intended it by the multimedia spin machine. He should have been a lot more careful to offer a more even handed critique rather than just firing off random thoughts to his audience.

Cosby's tirade about language is ludicrous. The purpose for language is to communicate your ideas to others. If the language that you have been using has always gotten the job done with the people you're around, then it is the right language. There have been numerous studies done by people with a lot more credibility than Cosby that would lay blame at the public education system that probably never taught these people Standard American English, nor explained to them how it was useful. Even if people flat out refuse to learn Standard American English, I would argue that it has a lot more to do with their assessment of the probability of ever moving into the upper echelons of society that Cosby describes. Why can't we assess the quality of their ideas rather than how they express them?

Why doesn't Cosby address the fact that black communities are policed at higher rates than white communities? As a result, they are more likely to be arrested than whites. It doesn't mean that we are more criminal, we are just more likely to either get caught or, because of the history of racial discrimination in criminal justice, get railroaded than whites. And, even if we were to say that all black people getting arrested in black communities were doing something wrong at the time, like Cosby assumes, then we are to justify police brutality because, "they shouldn't been doing it, noway?" We are going to justify the illegal behavior of the police?

I think Cosby should have put a little more critical thought into what he was saying before he put it out in the public space like that.

Dr. Dyson's right on the nose.

I can't imagine anyone not being impressed by this book if they actually read it.

I have watched the panel that was held in Harlem on C-SPAN (07/23/05) and I have to agree with Dr. Dyson.

Here we have a wealthy "African American" man speaking out on how children are raised, yet he fathered one of our misled children. I am not bashing him as a father or parent; I’m wondering were he lost the compassion he sought after when his son passed? Even though he wasn’t in an “orange jump suit” he was still taken away. Did he forget what it felt like?

I’m afraid for those if these words are wasted in a bigger fight. We need all the positive feedback so that we all one day can make it into a public voice that reaches our street corners BEFORE the children do.

Thank you to whom ever reads this. I am inspired by your works and hope when the next big step happens, I am involved.

God bless you.

I just wanted to comment on hearing Michael Dyson speak on Book Span TV (07/23/05).

He was on a book panel with several other authors. I was very impressed by what he had to say on this panel about his book. He spoke intelligently and really made some points I'd not thought of previously.

I had heard about the comments Bill Cosby made in general terms but wasn't familiar with the specifics before watching this show.

I just wanted to mention how impressed I was and state that I think this is what progress is all about.

I was moved by BookTV this weekend (07/23/05).

I am as white as a Nebraskan can be. When I arrived in DC as an LA in Congress, my eyes opened wider than you could possibly imagine.

I lived just across the DC border in Silver Springs. My closest church was an Ethopian church. I found great inspiration.

As I took the Metro to Union Station, I saw everything from heroin addicts vomiting to Hill wonks reading the Post.

As I walked from Union Station to the Hill, I recall seeing fewer African-Americans. When I hit the Hill, outside of an occasional J.C. Watts, all of the African-Americans wore white coats or janitorial uniforms.

That killed me.

I'm a jazz musician and my therapy was playing with a sax player who most Hill regulars dismissed on the way to work. I am not a great piano player, but this guy could have been Charlie Parker under different circumstances. I gave him the results of our street gigs to help him buy a new instrument.

I could not take it any longer and had to move back to Nebraska. I did not have the power to make a change, and it broke my heart, but I know your mission and wish you the best.

God bless. You are doing good work.

Bill Cosby was not qualified to make the statements he made, nor does he speak for those of us who know that we have a responsibility to not just give back, but to reach back and help!

Further, Bill Cosby proved that he is disconnected and detached from our people as a whole.

I am so proud of Dr. Dyson. He is real, honest, blunt, and right on point.

Victims are subjects of brutality brought upon them by an oppressor, not by their own people.

How can Cosby be right if he is blaming (in a poor process) the victim responsible for his own victimization?

A victim is always victimized by an oppressor. The slave is always enslaved by a slave master.

And this oppressor, this slave master must be eliminated by any means necessary.

I think that Dyson is right on it.

As much as this work is a critique of Bill Cosby and his remarks made at a national affair about poor blacks, it is Cosby’s critique that speaks to the tendencies or temptations of the black middle class which are apparent and often time denied. And for all of the reasons stated in this book.

What makes this work so important is the timing. Dyson’s ability to respond quickly and concisely is what makes this book such a significant read. Particularly within this climate of conservative thinking which influences the Black Middle Class, causing a detachment or disassociation regarding its role and relationship to the poor, but more specifically the black poor.

Dyson's ability to speak to the complexities of black life and to name the un-named, produce identifiable concepts, and assign meaning to what has been perceived as meaningless in many circles, particularly amongst the black middle class, is what makes this research so important.

Ultimately, I think in the long run this will be an important book for many, many years to come because of the intersection with the symbolism associated with Bill Cosby the star and not the person.

Finally someone speaks out for the poor on a national level.

Although I have yet to read Mr. Dyson's book, based upon excerpts that I have read and heard, I am in agreement wholeheartedly with him concerning Mr. Cosby's venomous verbal assault upon the Black lower economic class.

Mr. Cosby has reportedly made great monetary contributions to the causes of Black people and I applaud him for doing so but no one can ever contribute enough money to buy the right to belittle others especially the easiest and most vulnerable targets and your own people at that.

And why is it that we Black African-Americans are the only ethnic group in America and maybe the world that feels this great need to air its dirty laundry in public?

The energy doing so would seem to be better spent doing the down and dirty work, day in and day out, to improve our circumstances as a whole.

Dr. Dyson is right on point!

How soon Mr. Cosby forgot about his people -- which includes ALL of his people. Cosby may send monetary gifts but the gift from his heart would be most appreciative too.

I love the fact that Dr. Dyson does not deny personal responsibility for everyone -- including rich Blacks, poor Blacks, rich Whites, poor Whites, Etc.

I can listen to Dr. Dyson all day long - His intelligence, his selection of words, Etc.

Excellent!

Thank you Dr. Dyson!

I'm not one to be an excuse maker, but Mr. Cosby obviously thinks that America is a fair and equitable place.

Poor schools, lack of quality employment, and racism are factors that hinder the poor.

He just painted all of the poor with this wide brush that was actually chilling.

The venom that he spews only helps to make our generation divide that much wider.

This debate on the Black middle class' responsibility has affected us most notably in the earlier part of the 20th century, with Booker T. Washington's emphasis on individual responsibility, and W.E.B. Dubois' call for social networking and community building. My generation actually gets to see this come full circle in the responses to Black life by Dr. Dyson and Bill Cosby. My political point of view has always leaned more towards Dubois' class analysis, and I am bound to agree more with Dr. Dyson. In the scheme of things, a large reason racism as we know it was capitalized upon was because it uplifted the slave-owners' economy. Decades later, the social codes of racism still exist and Black people still get paid significantly lower wages than Caucasians at the same jobs. Predominately Black neighborhoods are still in ruins until gentrification (predominately by Caucasian realtors and business owners) occurs; and White-owned corporations constantly capitalize off of Black culture and the people who create and take part in the culture hardly see the end result of those successes.

Mr. Cosby's idea of “Ebonics” as somehow negating Black people's impact on American life seems a bit absurd if you think about the history of art in this country. Blues, Jazz, Gospel, Fine Arts, Literature, and Hip-Hop all incorporated what we call Ebonics today. The Gershwins created Porgy and Bess out of this language; Bessie Smith lamented in this language; Lorraine Hansberry, Walter Mosley and James Baldwin have all narrated in this language at one time or another. And of course, being a point of contention here, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids was a TV show full of this language. But the language never obscured the message. This is one thing Mr. Cosby has seemed to have forgotten in his emphasis on trying to imagine this “perfect” image of Blackness (or Negroness?).

Is speaking perfect English the solution to eliminating racism? Of course not. The concept of racism is obviously far more complicated than that. If it was any less complicated, successful Black men would have taxis stop for them. And there would be as many military recruitment offices in rich White neighborhoods as there are in poor Black ones. There would also be more prosecutions for those who commit "white collar crimes" and the media would be more objective. We would see the percentage of pregnancies for young white girls go up, as well as the multitude of contributions that Black people have made to this society.

Yet there are those such as Mr. Cosby that emphasize language as something that hinders Black people's progress in this society. Yes, you must be able to school yourself in the language of the dominant society that refuses to understand your own, but to say that the language in itself is ignorant and devoid of any importance is, in my opinion, negates the history of that language.
Ebonics goes back to our ancestors (many of us both indigenous and African) whose original languages were stolen from them. It’s an evolution of our original languages because it is constantly changing and playing on the dominant culture (words such as 'foshizzle' and 'crunk' are great because of that). Our ancestors spoke many languages and then were forced to speak one unfamiliar language: a language that does not celebrate community and diversity. Cosby is asking us to emphasize in our lives a language of individualism, as opposed to just making it an accompaniment to our many others. The Eurocentric notion of a “proper” language tends to be a non-issue when we find out that there is no such thing as a “proper” language.

142 years later we still are reduced to simplistic terms. The complexity of our families, our languages, our identities can be nothing but bad if it cannot be sold. And we think of ourselves as bad if we refuse to wholly conform to this dominant society's conditioning. We have generational fights with ourselves because we forget to acknowledge the weaving of our generations and our constant relationships to change.

In conclusion, Mr. Cosby's lack of acknowledgement of this connection between past and present generations grants us to wonder about what role he and those with similar influence play in relation to American society. I read a sociology book on the Cosby show once, and those in the White middle class considered Bill Cosby's character to be unidentifiable in the realm of Black culture (and "more like (them)"). Is this what Cosby's aim was? To celebrate life as a successful American generality, or to celebrate life with a successful Black family? Does this success to Cosby (and Cliff Huxtable) equate muting the languages of your culture to be 'less of a threat'? I should hope not. But from the looks of things, that was perhaps the beginning.

Dear Micheal,

I just finished your book and my total outlook has changed. The book contained so much knowledge. I love to read, this is the first book that I have read from you, but it definitely will not be the last. It seems to me that Mr. Cosby has forgotten where he came from. I know from the era he was born that he has dealt with prejudice and white people feeling superior towards him. But the fact that he can criticize us nationally is unforgivable.

As an older man, he could have gone about his thoughts in a different way. Doesn't he know that the children are the future? Believe it or not, sometimes we just don't know. We do what we see our peers do. Can a child help it if his father don't know how to be a father, the bible says that a father is a father to all sons. How can he grow up to be a strong man without guidance? The same is for a woman.

I was never told the importance of an education; I was never told I could be any thing. I have spent my entire life feeling inferior to white people. At 44 years old I just started to feel differently. And if I didn't love to read so much, it would have never come to me. I have a dream to one day become a novelist. I am working toward that dream. Living in a very, very small town deep in the south, the white people have always dominated. It's their way or no way.

You are a strong intelligent man who understands what it means to be a black person in this world. I thank you for your book. It has encouraged me to be the best me possible, and I feel it is better late than never.

The title of the book should be, "Bill Cosby is a Hypocrite"...enough said.

I respect the views of both parties, though I am leaning more toward Michael Eric Dyson's perspective. Obviously, the last thing we need is for an accomplished, well-respected Black man such as Bill Cosby to publicly bash fellow African-Americans.

Although Cosby has avoided the subject of "race" throughout his career, I must admit that I own a copy of a video titled "Black History: Lost, Stolen or Strayed" in which he traces Black American history back to its origin. He accredits our predecessors who were denied authorship for their inventions. Still, the documentary was created early in Cosby's career, and he has reserved his judgment of Blacks, which is to say 'his opinion of whites,' until recent. Since he has waited to unleash these harsh criticisms, it seems that Cosby has housed these feelings. This is the true cause for controversy. Black Americans are suspicious of the fact that he's chosen to express his opinions after becoming so wealthy and successful.
It is a slap-in-the-face to African-Americans who have been supportive of him from the start, especially the poor who have, no doubt, purchased tickets to watch Cosby perform stand-up comedy that does not relate to us.

The problem is racism, not race, and Cosby's intentions of moving, thus motivating the culture will not be productive if he fails to recognize such.

Unfortunately, Mr. Cosby has made the mistake of taking all the credit for his own success while blaming the poor and disenfranchised for all of their failure. He is very wrong on both accounts. The whole "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" mentality only allows a very small few to make it. And it's sad those few tend to take the view that they made it totally because of their own effort. As if the guy working two and three jobs to make ends meet isn't displaying "effort". It's a numbers game, and the majority of black America just isn't as lucky. Inherited poverty and lack of education plagues our communities at much the same rate diabetes and sickle cell does. And just like those diseases, no one is responsible for the situation they are born into. In Mr. Cosby, an educated, wealthy, worldly man, I expect more compassion for the poor economic group from which he too came. Instead, he continues to display cynicism and cold heartedness. But it comes off much like the teacher blaming the student for not getting the question right, rather than asking, "what can I do to help?" And Mr. Cosby is not alone. In an effort to distance themselves from the poverty, lack of education, and dysfunction from which they often come, our upwardly mobile blacks are buying into aristocratic "white" thinking. The fact that little black boys are sagging their pants, or that too many of our young ladies have multiple babies and no husband is not the problem; it's a symptom of the problem. The problem is, those with the education and know how, are pointing and criticizing, rather than stepping in, and need to show their brothers and sisters a better way. It's so wrong to move from a place of ignorance into a place of knowledge and wealth, and immediately vilify those who are still in a place of ignorance. Mr. Cosby is a self righteous, senile, bogie old man who truly needs to just sit down. I expected more from him because he SHOULD know better. One luv.

I think that if Bill Gates started chastising whites, Jennifer Lopez started chastising Latinos or Keanu Reeves started publicly chastising an entire race of Asians, they would be told where to shove it. The same applies to Cosby. Does he have a right, just by virtue of being rich, to a platform to voice his personal prejudices? Apparently yes.

I totally disagree with Mr. Cosby.

Truly he has forgotten from whence he came, but of course that's not anything new. He like so many other “prominent,” influential black Americans forget the struggles of the black man once they reach the pinnacles of their success. Has Mr. Cosby forgotten the civil rights movement? Was he involved or ever interested or was his only concern to feather his nest? My heart breaks to know that he has such a low opinion of his own people, God's people. I wish that I had his money, I know that I wouldn't have it for long for I would spend my last dime to bring another brother up, for this is what our mission should be. Mr. Cosby is entitled to his opinion and he can believe whatever he so chooses, but at the end of the day…just who is he anyway?

Although I have not read the book by Mr. Dyson, I heard him speaking about the issue and agree with him over Bill Cosby.

The upper middle class has turned their back on the under class and refuses to give us direction. Never in history has the under class or oppressed lead the way - look at the Cuban revolution.

I have witnessed the ignorance and lack of concern black people have for themselves. We need unity and blaming our own people for their problems, which they have had since slavery causes us to separate. My African American studies Professor showed us an article that said whites planned on setting up dark skinned against light skinned and upper class against middle class and that form of oppression is what is making us weak in this society.

Capitalism oppresses the under class now and has from the beginning of time. If you take a nation that’s rich in gold where a few kings have all the gold, then there will be a lot more poor people compared to rich people. The comparison with that nation and the United States is that the angry under class cannot compete with the oppressing upper class. It is not about making excuses, but gangsters that really want to be good people are doing what they are doing because they fill like outcasts by whites and upper class blacks. They are looking for a hole to run under. If you take the above mentioned nation with gold I guarantee a group of rebels would do what they have to do to eat, even though it is in defiance to the system that the rich kings set up. Those are the gangsters and angry under class of today.

I totally agree with Michael Eric Dyson. It is a shame and an utter disgrace that Mr. Cosby has truly forgotten from whence he came. Although his life appears to be different from the inner city youth of today, forty years ago he too was one of those people that he now dislikes and disgraces. Maybe a man who has failed the tenth grade three times, been excused of his course work to complete a masters and Ph.D. would recognize the value of a great education. Fortunately some of us have to literally earn those degrees and we do not have the honor to be awarded those degrees for writing a television cartoon about Fat Albert and his cronies. Instead of the harsh language against our people Bill, continue to give the money and resources so the ignorant people that you speak of can be lifted up. Each one teaches one! Let your education and doctorate count for something other than the rhetoric it possesses now.

It is my opinion that Reverend Dyson is correct.
Mr. Cosby has forgotten that it is only through "grace & mercy" that he is not one of those he speaks of. Those of us who have been able to slip from the noose of poverty, have a responsibility to reach back and help those who have been left behind. We have to understand the impact of living on government assistance; in single family homes; latch key households, and yes, the suffering from the effects of slavery. It is counterproductive for us to give the media and the conservatives the ammunition to continue expecting victims of poverty to somehow rise up, when they have the foot of people who think like Mr. Cosby on their necks. I hope Mr. Cosby has no loose "knucklehead" stones around his glass house.

Bill Cosby did himself a disservice and lost the respect of many people with his comments, which were mean-spirited, counterproductive, sweeping, and feed into the world wide propaganda about (black) people who live in low-income areas.

During a sociology class one of my husband's Caucasian professors asked, "isn't it OK that Cosby made these statements since he is from the projects in Philadelphia?" No, it does not make it OK. Whatever your socio-economic background, verbally bashing your own people is a demonstration of self-hate. When you love yourself you will love your people, especially the ones who are not living to their full potential.

We ARE an African people whether some of us don't know it or not. It is in our blood.
Our people are a mighty people who can and have accomplished amazing feats in the face of total oppression from every angle. I do not tolerate the verbal bashing of black people when I hear it from anyone. I always counter a negative comment with a positive comment.

Dear Dr. Dyson:

Thank you for your insightful and learned treatment of an explosive subject: black elitism. You stand squarely in the tradition of Carter G. Woodson, E. Franklin Frazier, Nathan and Julia Hare and others. Contrary to the delusions of many black elites, everybody knows about this dirty little piece of laundry. Drinking, driving, dressing, and dining do not constitute a program of empowerment and uplift!

Dr. Cosby, his noteworthy philanthropy notwithstanding, and others of his ilk seem to speak more out of embarrassment and contempt than love and compassion.

Keep speaking truth to power and the powerless.

I thought it was me!!! I was wondering when someone was going to speak up and out!!!

It is obvious that it’s the ranting of an old man who is angry and bitter about hiding behind the role of impartiality in reference to race in America did not save him from the same degree of life's "issues." Issues like death, drugs, displaced emotions, and self-destructive acts that effect those who have less.

So now it is the fault of those who "have not"?

You found that you could not live in your comfortable ivory tower intermingling with "others" without having to answer questions about "those you put down".

Your "other" friends, (whose sons and daughters are starting to emulate the dress and mannerisms of "those you put down") finally realized that you kinda resemble "them" and now you can no longer hide behind the facade of "I just wanna be me"!!

Your comfort zone has been trespassed in ways unimaginable.

Why is it an issue now when language, dialect, dress, and music have been an issue between older and younger generations for years? 50's men permmed their hair and wore zoot suits; 60's hippies had free love and more drugs than you can shake a stick at. And 70's black power had big afros and dashikis.

Why is it an issue when it creates discomfort in you because maybe its time you confront your inner turmoil and ghosts?

Yes we have a responsibility to rise and be accountable for our choices in life. To stop self-destructive behavior that hurts our families and community as a whole. We also have a responsibility to stop perpetuating the poison that we are nothing unless someone outside of ourselves validates us.

I should not use the same people I annihilate now, who have in the past has been a major part in my arriving to place of status and fame (Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids used Ebonics before it was ever a term or phrase).

Our responsibility in helping another should not come forth in bitterness and anger so deep that it makes you wonder, "What's wrong? There must be something deeper here!"

Dr Dyson clarified some of my concerns in a respectful and insightful manner. I appreciate the effort put forth in bringing to light the full-unedited truth that a 2 minute speech could not.

The damage of a 2 minute speech sets the stage for subtle tactics that has detrimental effects financially and economically by those who make decisions that effect the lives of the people of whom Mr. Cosby speaks. He gave the "green light" to stop, cut, redirect what was barely getting to the communities in the first place...and I find it hard to believe that Dr. William H Cosby, Ph.D. had never thought of that.

But hey, "they trespassed his comfort zone" and he returned the favor!!!

First of all, I love Bill and have since I was a kid watching "I Spy". However, as a THINKING adult and non-violent revolutionary, I take exception to much of what he has to share on this subject. To put things concisely, I think more along the lines of what Mike Dyson has to say on the subject. The white supremacist capitalist patriarchy (as bell hooks puts it) is overt, covert, subtle and obvious in its' attacks on our attempts at achieving some modicum of egalitarianism and justice in this world. Don't fall for the "Okey Dokey" people. If we don't DIG DEEP and go IN DEPTH when considering basic stuff like cause and effect, we do ourselves injustice and harm.

I wonder what Randall Robinson might say about this discussion. I think he might bring Bill to task over some of his comments. Bill isn't completely wrong on this whole thing, but don't hamstring me and then expect me to be able to run a marathon as well as folks who've been nurtured and trained properly - not even nominally so.

God bless you all. Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.

Dr. Dyson,

I just started your book and will take my time reading it. However, you are correct, for if I were to use bonilla-silva's framework, Bill Cosby is guilty of abstract liberalism, another form of color-blind racism.

I am appalled at the comments that were made by Mr. Cosby.
It sounds like Mr. Cosby has more hate for himself than the poor African American communities. How can he sit there so self righteously and put down his own people? I was brought up being told not to complain about a problem that you cannot fix. At least attempt to fix it before giving up on it. Has Mr. Cosby went to the homes of any of these families and asked them one on one why their life is the way it is? And for that matter, does he donate money to women's shelters or public school districts? How is he helping our community by putting them down? I grew up in a very poor family in a drug-infested neighborhood. I managed to pull myself out of it while dodging bullets and drug dealers alike! I was able to graduate from high school, give birth to my daughter, move out of my mothers' house, go to college and work full time all within about two years! I am now majoring in African American studies and communications to see how I can contribute to my people and my community. Mr. Cosby has a lot of nerve talking about people he hasn't met when his son was with a prostitute when he was killed! What was he teaching his son? What about that illegitimate child issue that came up a few years ago? Mr. Cosby is no where near perfect to feel that he can put anyone else down. Lets not talk about Fat Albert! What the hell was he thinking by having a character named "mush mouth"? A character that "cannot speak English and does not want to speak English." And for him to say, "God is tired" of anything is wrong! What makes him so great that he can come out of his mouth and say something like that?! That's crazy!!! He constantly refers to his own kind as "these people" proving that there is a lot of inherent hatred for poor African Americans. He talks about mothers crying when their son is standing in an orange suit and asks, "where were you when he was 2, 12 and 18". She was probably working two or three jobs to make sure he stayed clothed, fed and with a roof over his head! If she didn't then she'd be one of the "five or six generations sitting in the projects". African Americans, especially males are born with a disadvantage. We come here with a half a deck of cards and are expected to play the game right. The odds are against us from day one! Bill Cosby is wrong and I will never look at him the same!

I hope that Bill Cosby reads Dyson's book and hopefully realizes how flawed his comments were. I am so glad that Dyson came out with this book to stand up for the black poor who feel that they have no one to stand up for them when being attacked with such close-minded remarks. What shocks me the most is that Cosby can cast down his own people. It is a shame that Cosby can talk about his own race, and ask, "who are these people?" It seems to me Cosby has accepted the label that white elite have given black people and has decided to separate himself from being black.

I'm not in favor of Cosby’s comments anymore after reading through a few chapters of Dyson’s book. I'm twenty eight years of age, parents from Liberia and I was raised in Detroit and California. I know poverty and I too am frustrated with what is happening in the black community. I was quick to agree because it was Bill Cosby the great the Jell-O man, the philanthropist, the man who always support black colleges was truly sincere. Also for me my frustration with the shallow hip-hop today made me agree and I thought, “yeah he's being real.” But a lot of us need to be independent thinkers because we think we're so right and take things from the masses and then try to sound like were so intellectual pro black and frustrated. But yes we lost our minds because we lost hope and faith in GOD and we don't give back to where we have come from and especially what's been given to us. Money doesn't necessarily have to be what needs to be given back. It's apparent knowledge and insight is what is needed. That's why this book was necessary for a young brother like me. Some and many blacks said why does the reporters have to go to the hood and interview young black males who fit the exact stereo-type and description Bill COSBY SPEAKS OF. Does this one sound familiar? But guess what almost all the so-called stereo types opposed his comments. Which brings me to say, if I had a problem I would be on the defense if you didn't approach me in love. But this book approached my ignorance in a loving way. But I want to ask Mr. Dyson did he talk to Bill first?

I'm so glad MED had enough guts to write this book and stand up to someone so powerful and almost "untouchable" in the black community. I believe there were actually a good number of folks, who in their gut, didn't buy what he was trying to sell, but in almost a "paternalistic" way they cowered down, didn't challenge him, tried to soften his blows and even questioned their own self-determined instinct. Sad, sad, sad!!!

Cosby was practically enjoying this tirade, which makes him kinda O'Rielly or Limbaugh-esque. And all of the followers, laughing and clapping made this a verbal, public lynching in which the audience was oh so pleased to have bought tickets and were probably looking for souvenirs.

Dr. Dyson, please don't stop writing, EVER!!

All I have to say about Michael Eric Dyson’s new book is...AMEN PASTOR DYSON, PREACH BROTHER...PREACH!



Bill Cosby and many other so-called "black leaders" have conveniently forgotten all sensitivity and perspective of what systemic problems continue to exist for poor blacks and their communities. Blacks in this country have been historically marginalized and treated with complete disdain and contempt by certain societal entities, news media, politicians and now unfortunately, by the black middle class. Bill Cosby's vitriolic rant has done nothing but perpetuate racist stereotypes and images that will be used to justify a multitude of distorted commentaries, adverse policies and covert actions by the ruling class in America.



A perfect example of these type of policies are currently seen in the unjustifiable and illegal testing of new AIDS drugs on black and Latino children in New York's foster care system. Needless to say, this is probably something that is occurring with alarming regularity in many urban centers where poor children of color are removed from their homes at an alarmingly high rate than other equally disadvantaged white children.



In today's political climate, many feel that poor folks (particularly and specifically, poor blacks/latins) have no rights that should respected as they do not offer anything valuable to our society, thereby making it acceptable to marginalize their worth as human beings.



Recognizing that there are issues in our community that do need serious attention (i.e., crime, unemployment, infant mortality, pregnancy, education, etc.) Cosby's perspective is clearly one where his embarrassment as a black is overshadowed by his philosophical (and philanthropic) commitment to engage in a constructive dialogue with the likes of Brother Dyson or the black community at large. Think about it…when was the last time you've seen him at a community event in Compton?

Word up Bill?

We, as black people should be concerned about the future of our children. Ignorance will not feed, clothe or house us. But Cosby needs to think before he speaks, or does he not know what white America is capable of? Does he not believe in institutionalized
racism? We are NOT equal in the eyes of this society. Although we can stop feeling sorry for ourselves and treat our children with more respect. We live in a society where certain ethnics groups just getting off the boat are given the keys to the kingdom where as we are still struggling for a piece of the pie. We don't trust each other, we don't help each other out and we glorify white society. Our black men consider white women as the prize possession. We are infused with self hatred and then Cosby comes along and lends credence to those beliefs. It's not so much what he said as it is the context in which he said it. There for the grace of God, Mr. Cosby.
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. And Mr. Cosby's attitutde may very well be a big part of the problem. Help your people, don't hinder us.

Seen the convo on C-SPAN2 with Debra Dickerson. Many good points. I agree with your findings about Bill. It goes to show just how far we still have to go for us as a people to up lift each other. The way it is now is the way "They" want it to be. House niggers and them niggers. Let's keep talking about it.

I listened to Michael Eric Dyson promoting his book, Is Bill Cosby Right?, on the Tom Joyner morning show.

One comment that Mr. Dyson made hit home with me when he spoke on how people should be able to talk in a diverse manner to associate with different cultures.

I have a son that will be a senior in college this coming year. When he was in high school no one believed that he was a 3.8 GPA student because when he was with his friends he talked and walked like a teenage inner city youth. But, when he was acknowledged for his academic accomplishments in the middle-class sector they were unaware that he came from a single parent, inner-city household because of the way he talked and walked.

Now my son is interning with one of the largest law firms in the midwestern region. Do they know that he came from a single parent, inner-city household? No.

It is a gift to be diverse without FAKING to appear what you are not.

Dr. Dyson,

First of all, we as black Americans need help on what make sense. It's not about if it's right or wrong. What is more important is if it makes sense? We live in a world that changes rapidly, so what worked years ago might not work at this time.

I haven't read the book as of yet, but I had the pleasure to watch Dr. Dyson (After Words) on C-SPAN2 with Debra Dickerson. I really don't think Debra understood about what's going on with Dr. Cosby's thinking. All Dr. Dyson tried to illustrate was that Dr. Cosby has no experience in stating what's good for African Americans, because he never stepped up to bat years ago. So, in other words, Dr. Cosby is a "Johnny-come- lately."

Had it not been for Paul Robeson we might not have ever seen or heard of a Dr. Bill Cosby. Look what Mr. Robeson did for African Americans in the entertainment field, sports, and so much more…Oh how we forget!

Dr. Dyson thanks for all the good work that you're doing for us. I really don't think the middle class blacks hear you. If you notice I didn't say African American. African Americans will always be here for us, but under the white supremacy system they have changed from black folks to white wannabe's.

Remember we live in a world that changes rapidly, so what worked years ago might not work at this time. WHY, because we are trying so much to turn from black to white. So the average middle class black has forgotten he once was African American. I'm happy that we still have African Americans like Dr. Dyson, hopefully middle class blacks and Dr. Bill Cosby will allow themselves to think about what make sense.

I have a lot of respect for Mr. Cosby but he has made me very angry. Not mostly for his comments, but that he is taking a stand now when he should have said something in the sixties when his words could have changed some of the things we are facing now. He waits till he is a multimillionaire, till he is not in movies and TV, and after his son dies (God bless the dead) and now he has something to say. I find that very funny (in a sad way). His words are a doubled-edge sword. He has now given validation to the white thought process concerning blacks. Even though this process deals with ignorance. This was shown in Mr. Dyson's conversation with Ted Koppel (he is another subject under the root word evil). Mr. Cosby showed his ignorance. Though the things he talked about do need work, people don't need chastising they need answers. One of the answers (and don't give me that crap that nobody owes us anything) is reparations. WE AS A RACE SHOULD FIGHT AND DIE FOR THIS CAUSE. We will not be able to make changes without finances. This is owed to all indigenous people of this country. Without this we will not be able to fight the wealthy who have a strangle hold on this country. If they wanted to they could shut this country down. But I will stay on the subject. NO, forget this, I have a voice and will use it. We are in a time that we can still mobilize and make a difference. I don't know how at this point but we have to stand up as a race and not have the close-minded attitudes of Mr. Cosby. The Republicans and those who work in secret are making big power moves now that will forever effect future generations. They will make sure that we will be deeper in slavery than we are now. Don't let them use Mr. Cosby's words against us. Because that is what they will think of all blacks, including Mr. Cosby. SEE if Mr. Cosby can do it, you all can do it. Saying if that "nigger" Cosby can do this and not need help, then don't blame the white man (who else is responsible please somebody let me know) for you too can make your way in America. Which we all know isn't true. I come from the suburbs and I believed I was going to fail and wanted to die because of not wanting to fail (but that was not the white man's fault, yeah okay). Mr. Cosby took a cowardly approach to a subject that is a more complex situation than he is letting on or doesn't have a grasp on. Don't let people of any kind use his words against us just as they used Dr. King and Jesus, my LORD and Savior to keep us docile and asleep.

Michael,

I thoroughly enjoy your speaking. You hit the nail on the head and keep speaking the truth even when the critics slight you!!!!

I highly respect Bill Cosby and was disappointed to hear of his comments. Honestly, how can people do better who do not know any better? We have a generation (or 2) that learn from the media (videos especially) what it means to exist. The scholars, community leaders, preachers, the church, and all that know better have a responsibility to reach out to those who do not and teach them. If we continue to have the privy of a formal education and head to the suburbs, our people will continue to suffer and perish. Like it or not, we are responsible for one another. While Mr. Cosby is using his status to taunt and ridicule the less affluent African-Americans, he could have used that time and effort to bring the real issues to the table along with strategies and solutions to correct the problem.

To refer to children as "dirty laundry" was disrespectful and rude. How can one make such a harsh judgement against people who he cannot relate to? He does not know what it means to speak improper English, go to school hungry, have the mentality to dress your children in designer labels rather than putting food on the table, raise children alone, etc? How can one ridicule what you know nothing about? If you must address an issue in such a degrading tone, address what WE, as a people MUST do about the issue.

Bill Cosby is misinformed and out of touch with the community that has admired, supported, and helped to create his wealth. I do not disagree that there is a lot that needs to be done in my community; but I encourage Mr. Cosby to hear the words of Michael Eric Dyson and change his reaction to how far we still have to go.

It appears Mr. Cosby has forgotten where he's come from. While many of us are working very hard to move our race forward, we believe that there should not be one of us left behind. As well, should we now forget the over 400 years of injustice that has set us back? And if Mr. Cosby thinks racism isn't alive and well in America then he needs to walk a mile in a common mans shoes.

Now there are some that would prefer to stay enslaved by their mind and body through mis-education and addiction, but there are many more that are denied the opportunity! I thank Mr. Cosby for that which he's doing currently in the community through scholarships, centers, etc. and ask that he continue to focus his energies on uplifting our community rather than denigrating it.

Thank you Mr. Dyson! As always you have a clear understanding of our race and culture and offer an honest view into our souls. I hope that other races and cultures spend time reading not just this book, but your others as well. You have a positive impact on race relations and I appreciate your tireless efforts.

I've reviewed the information regarding Mr. Dyson's claims against Bill Cosby, and I agree that Mr. Cosby has no right to slam lower and working class blacks for their inability to articulate. Mr. Cosby needs to put his focus on Blacks in power. The ones that fail to help other Blacks of lesser status. The very people that he's criticizing are the ones he should try to make a difference with, by helping. I really don't see where he finds the time to be so critical of lower class Blacks. Mr. Cosby needs to spend his time doing more constructive things, like cleaning the skeletons from his closet.

I think you're doing a wonderful job representing your people, keep up the good work! I caught your interview on Fox News with Tamaron Hall and Dave Navarro. You did your people proud! God bless!

I feel that every urban domain has its challenges. No one has the right to insult another being especially when you are not coming from that exact scenario…we need to uplift our people. I saw you on BET and I/we agree with what you said. I live in the ATL and a member of an up and coming group that totally believes in bringing "our" people together. Music has been the universal language forever and our philosophy is that we definitely have a message and we are bringing it through our MUSIC!!!! If we can be a piece of the puzzle to help bring this overall message to the forefront "we are ready, and willing to learn (in-depth) about the things that are going on in our community/society from every aspect—all points of views." I remember what you said about music is trying to find its real soul and we believe in our INNER around here…just having a hard time freeing it to the world/universe!!! We are looking forward to hearing and engaging with you…it is definitely time for the real to rise up and come forward in a massive way.

Although I feel that Cosby's intentions were to genuinely help, I have to agree with Dyson! Mr. Cosby closed his barrage on the Black poor by asking about whether Jesus was portrayed smiling in stained glass windows seen in many churches; he then instructed us on how to make Jesus smile. As Cosby should be well aware, whenever Jesus taught the masses (the majority of whom were the downtrodden impoverished of the time), He did so with patience, gentleness, meekness, and temperance; listening to Cosby's diatribe, I found none of these qualities.

It is my opinion that Mr. Cosby's "acceptance speech" on May 23, 2004 was much more detrimental to those he set out to help than uplifting! He also helped to perpetuate the stereotypes we should ALL be trying to dispel! Though we should start taking more responsibility for our lives, we must never forget that for many in our country and our world, there truly still exist systematic barriers designed to maintain the status quo.

Kudos to Michael Eric Dyson and all those who have taken a stand to express a dissenting view against the one given so vehemently by Bill Cosby.

Mr. Dyson, I was inspired by your words on May 22nd at Friendship West Baptist Church. I am a young 17-year-old black student at Cedar Hill High School working on going to college. The way you put together your words hit me in a place that I thought didn't exist. You have inspired me to do my part in society. Your speech on Bill Cosby was a little harsh, but the way he degraded poor black people caused some one to be harsh on him. I thank you for your words.

I just want to say I love the way you speak. When you speak you demand that people listen to you at all times.

Dr. Dyson:

I write to thank you for your highly moral stance on Bill Cosby's May 17th speech before the Brown v. Board of Education celebration. I was infuriated by Mr. Cosby's ill informed, hateful and condescending comments. For me the question is not, "how has the under class failed but how have the elite failed?" In the face of other Afri-US spokespeople apologizing and rationalizing Cosby's remarks, your critical response was a breath of fresh air and a blast of honesty that we as Afri-US peoples in particular and US citizens in general rarely receive. I am an asst. professor of Black Studies at the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio and have a contract with Lexington Books for a monograph titled, "DuBois, Fanon, Cabral: The Margins of Elite Leadership," where I analyze the theoretical problematics of Africana elite leadership. I am not asking for a peer review or any such professional support but merely some feedback on a work that I believe links to your work on Bill Cosby.

I disagree with Cosby's point of view. I also would like to know why Bill Cosby gets a pass on his own family? He tells others how to raise their family in his books and when he speaks, but you never hear him talking about his affair, or his daughter that had a problem with CRACK, And some of the things his son was into before his death. So Mr. Cosby, before you talk about what everybody else needs to do, let's talk about YOURS…Michael keep up the good work. Peace.

Without question I agree with Michael Eric Dyson that Bill Cosby suffers from an "empathy deficit," a total lack of compassion, and a surprising insensitivity to the wide-ranging and pernicious effects of oppression and abuse. It pains me to hear Cosby use his considerable platform to denigrate poor blacks instead of helping to devise programs that can help them live better lives. And I would like to remind Mr. Cosby that people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. People do the best they can.

I just saw the C-SPAN interview of Michael Eric Dyson on After Words with Debra Dickerson. I am thankful for the amplification of my voice regarding the Cosby comments. I have solely and collectively forged debate against fellow members of the black middle class possessing like-minded views of Mr. Cosby. Mr. Dyson thoroughly analyzes the 'Afristocratic' denigrating commentary of 70's ghetto cartoonist and 90's sitcom king. Thank you for your (always-eloquent) expressions and much needed voice.

Much love and respect to you, Mr. Dyson. But you can't seriously even HOPE that Mr. Cosby would engage in a debate with you. Mr. Cosby will only have a dialogue in friendly environments.

Mr. Cosby was not saying those things in love. He was angry and he should have realized that intelligence and aggravation never mix well. I am fortunate not to be poor, regardless of my financial status. But there are those who Mr. Cosby attacked that didn't deserve it.

I wish you and your latest book the best.

To who was Mr. Cosby speaking? Was Mr. Cosby speaking to "them" about us (black people) or was he speaking to us about us? If he was speaking to 'them' about us then I have a problem with what he said. It sounds as if Mr. Cosby is talking past black people and directly to "them". It didn't matter if Mr. Cosby was speaking in front of a room full of black people; he wasn't speaking to them but about them. He also sounded very arrogant.

The problem with Bill Cosby's comments, in my opinion, are not that they don't have merit but that he fails to revisit the incidents of overt racism of his era (and before) and by extension fails to trace the origins of the subtle switch from overt to covert racism. Cosby essentially is a washed up bloodhound desperately searching for a resolution to our sundry black issues but has lost the pungent, repugnant scent of overt racism. Whites have successfully eluded many bourgeois blacks by washing the rancid scent of overt racism in the tides of empty legislature. While leaving well-to-do blacks with feelings of resentment and hostility for poor blacks that can't pull themselves up from abject poverty (with their very limited resources). And poor blacks still contemplate the meaning of "all deliberate speed." Mr. Cosby, among countless others, is the victim of the legal authors' red herring. While he is very outspoken on the ills of the black community, he fails to come up with any viable solutions that have not already been tried.

In addition, modern black thinkers should understand that Cosby's reaction to poor blacks is indicative of a larger problem, and is reminiscent of the haste in which blacks embraced the decision handed down in Brown vs. the Board of Education. What we are seeing, with hindsight now being 20/20, is that the quickest solutions are not always the best especially when black people end up making vain sacrifices. Our parents (the Brown V. Board of education freedom fighters) entrusted whites with our most precious gifts/brightest minds and in that respect they (our "parents") end up looking more negligent than heroic. While the decision in Brown may have brought about legislation that gave blacks legal parity in future incidents of inequity in education, it did nothing to change the attitudes and stereotypes that Whites held about Blacks in the classroom. I feel that Mr. Cosby should have directed most of his attention to this being part of the problem than his sweeping indictments on the black community. All of the racial tension in the days immediately following the decision in Brown made for a non-nurturing environment not conducive to constructive academic growth. Separate and equal may have been rendered unconstitutional, but I'm not sure if the constitutionality of the decision should have been our main focus. The children who were on the front lines of the integration war suffered the most and were in a sense taken out of the frying pan and thrust into the fire. I would implore Mr. Cosby to THINK before he ever decides to SPEAK on Black issues in the future. I think we should revoke his "Black" card for his little out burst.

Regarding Bill Cosby: Some of his comments re: some (not all) black people may be right but the spirit in which he delivers those comments is accusatory and destructive; especially when he has not set a good example himself. It's like "the pot calling the kettle black". Too many ugly words spoken in ignorance and self-righteousness because he has money but no wisdom.

Regarding Michael Eric Dyson: Thank God for a man who is balanced and aware. Dr. Dyson has wisdom, balance, and he loves his black people. It is obvious.

We, as black people, have needed to step up to the plate for the longest but we have been afraid to get on our own cases because we did not want the white community to start jumping with glee looking at our dirty laundry. They have seen it all along—some of them are responsible for creating the division and keeping the confusion going. We need to stop being embarrassed and start dealing with our mess, as I believe Dr. Dyson is doing correctly. We must not be afraid to tell the truth, but in love. We need to continue until we can respect each other, do the best for each other, and love each other, which we don't do now. We are a house divided against itself and we can't stay that way…not if we are to survive as a people.

Bill Cobsy really made me mad. Who is he to say the blacks don't teach their children how to talk? I am not home when my kids get home from school and they know how too read and write and are honor students. I always wonder why Blacks want to pull down the ones that are working the hardest for the least amount of money. I use to call him Mr. Cosby, but he is now just plain Bill to talk about blacks without any compassion. And the NAACP is just as bad for clapping. These same people he talked about are the ones who marched and kept them going. It sounded more like self-hate. I don't know what we are coming to as a people when we can talk about our youth as if they were animals. If he really got to know these kids he would find out that they have a lot to give to society if society and people like him stop judging and give the tools, which is better inner-city schools. The government has stopped all the after school programs in so many schools where the kids could get help with their studies. If Bill can't say anything but that BS then he needs to SHUT UP. I lost a lot of respect for him. He needs to look at some reruns of Fat Albert. I guess it's all right to make money off us poor black folks. Thank you Michael for checking him. Someone needs to speak out. Bill, you know you're wrong for that.

Mr. Cosby reflects a sentiment that has historically been held by the middle and upper class of Black America (The aristocracy and/or intelligentsia, in Mr. Dyson's words the afristocracy). This misleading perspective implies two tragic assumptions: distance and authority.

Firstly the distance issue. I'd be remiss if I didn't add that, and this is a personal finding, a strong majority of the international community share in this view of lower class African Americans. They, however, have the luxury of physical distance to their defense (not to mention the constant stream of negative media we export on a daily basis). While many of these base desires, that Mr. Cosby attributes to being continually satiated by the lowest of our society, are being explored and the groundwork needed to uplifting said society is being ignored. This being mountains top down perspective. The same observation can be made from the valley up, in respect to Mr. Cosby's flagrant comments for gasps and laughs without compassion or submissions in the area of resolution (additionally, without the presence of the accused for retort). Also this distance is evident in the choice of pronouns: those people, them, they. Instead of possessive pronouns: we, us and our.

Secondly, authority. Mr. Cosby, though a legendary comedian and educator is merely that. He holds no elected office. He cites from no reputable forms of data. He is merely a disgruntled old man on the front lawns of America with a water hose angrily waving his fist at the skies. The same tactics used in his speech before the NAACP gala can be seen in his many lengthy comedic routines. The same meter, the same inflection, the same pace. My criticism is not what Mr. Cosby said (I stated before that many share in this opinion). My problem is when, where and how he used his celebrity as a platform to castigate me. On that subject, how exactly does this speech advance colored people? With that said where do these wretched people of our society go now that you have shed your light on this DARK segment of America? Should we round these mongrels up and relegate them to some pre-designated area? Do we then seek out elements of them in us to be expunged? That's an interesting idea! Now, I know I've heard it before. Where was it? Oh yeah, Hitler, who was influenced by the American Eugenics movement that was formed and propagated by a racist establishment. So if this is where Mr. Cosby begins, where do we end? Have we progressed so far that we no longer have room for compassion, love and understanding? Have we spent so much time climbing up the American ladder that we neglected to pack our history? The easy path to resolution has never been our solution. My prayer is that this beginning will in some way open a dialogue of thoughtful contemplation toward action. And then I will thank Mr. Cosby for that. Forever endeavor.

I think Michael Eric Dyson is correct. Bill Cosby is just another well-to-do black person who wants to look down upon other blacks that aren't as fortunate as him. Didn't B. Cosby also make some RIDICULOUS statement about young blacks stealing a coke and a pound cake?? What was the point of a statement like that? I really dislike people like B. Cosby who insult others and disguise it as 'keeping it real' or 'trying to help.' Would B. Cosby like young blacks to emulate himself and get caught up in a bunch of sex scandals?? Is it me or does B. Cosby seem to have a different female accusing him of inappropriate sexual behavior every other week. HA! HA!

In my opinion, all Bill Cosby does when he continues to openly disrespect his own race is give a voice to a bunch of white people like Sean Hannity, Oliver North, and Bill O'Reilly, who would probably like to say the same things but are afraid of the consequences (like being called a racist). All the blacks who agree with Bill Cosby need to realize, you can speak the King's English, have a biblical name, and have your clothes perfectly fitted, but you are still BLACK!!! Racist white people will put you in the same boat as Shaniqua, no matter what you do.

I heard M. Dyson is going to go on the nationally syndicated Russ Parr Morning Show, I hope he reads this before he goes on, but the people on that show all agree with B. Cosby. I'm not surprised because insulting people is very popular on that show. One of the guys on that show came up with a song parody called 'Ordinary Negro' (inspired by John Legend's Ordinary People) in which he sings about blacks being late and having bad credit. I'm sure B.Cosby can pick up some one-liners form that song parody for the next time he feels the need to insult black people again.

Dr. Dyson's points are accurate. Bill Cosby does not have the right to attack poor, urban citizens. God says, "Judge not, lest ye be judged." Some high society, rich, black people have become extremely judgmental. Is it because they are "successful" and assuming to be better than you or me? Whatever their rationale, it is rude, disrespectful, and evil. The black race continues to lose more of its identity; and dominant culture continues to enjoy the wars persistently flourishing among black people as a result.

I believe Bill Cosby's viewpoint may reflect some considerations that many Blacks have on some behaviors of the black subculture. However, his is a selfish opinion held by many who want to be spared the embarrassment of being part of the black race which, he considers in need of inculturation.

For one the door of opportunity and inclusion has never swung wide open for us in America.

Secondly, their is a steady diet of white fear, hatred and contempt trying 24 hours a day to perpetuate the conditions that bring about what Bill Cosby sees as black negative behavior. Bill Cosby never addresses that publicly.

Thirdly, his own skeletons as of late (allegedly drugging women for sex, illegitimate fatherhood, etc.) have been dropping out quite conveniently.

Bill Cosby has become part of a bourgeoisie class of blacks who in his mind wants to disassociate himself with a bunch of low class blacks. Well, by the same token, even though it pays well some of us never had the desire top become minstrels either.

Upon hearing Bill Cosby's comments, my Caucasian colleagues couldn't wait to jump on the bandwagon with their "See I Told You So's". It took me a couple of days to close my mouth because I was so stunned. At that point, I believe I must have muttered something like "Has he lost his mind? Or maybe something like " I guess senility is just setting in. I know his heart is in the right place, his mind has just gone South"

Anyway, thanks Mike, I was beginning to think "Maybe there's something wrong with me for questioning such an icon?" Please continue to keep us on our toes.

I have seen Dr. Michael Eric Dyson on AfterWords with Ms. Debra Dickerson, Hannity and Colmes, and the Factor with Bill O'Reilly. In each of the shows, Dr. Dyson analyzed how Mr. Cosby has such contempt for working-class and working-poor African-Americans who are vulnerable to changes in the economy, lack of funding for public schools, police brutality, and racial profiling. These things continue to plague economically vulnerable African-Americans, but even individuals in Dr. Dyson's "Afrostrocracy". Mr. Cosby is absolutely wrong as African-American parents more so than other parents care about their children's education and getting in to college or vocational school. Individuals like Condoleeza Rice, Colin Powell, Thomas Sowell, Clarence Thomas, Ken Hamblin, Larry Elder, and John McWhorter cause African-Americans more damage through their ability to influence public policy and discourse than individuals who live in Overtown or Liberty City, who have always felt the need for self-help. The U.S. government and corporations were responsible for legalizing and benefiting from the most atrocious crime in the history of humanity: U.S. Chattel Slavery. The descendants of working class and working-poor African-Americans have seen their businesses, communities, and institutions destroyed by the Interstate Highway System. Lack of funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and the decline of Affirmative Action programs that assist African-Americans have become programs to benefit individuals like Al Gore and George W. Bush through legacies in college admissions. Furthermore, Mr. Dyson preaches both personal responsibility and societal intervention because both entities are intertwined and connected to each other and not separate. I commend Dr. Michael Eric Dyson for his progressive views as I have read all of his previous works and recommended them to friends and students.

Professor Dyson is right. Who does Bill Cosby think he is? I can tell you who and what I think he is, but who cares?

Thank you Dr. Dyson for standing up so eloquently on this troublesome and chronic trend in America. I was so proud of you and your convictions displayed on CSPAN. Sadly though, I believe that it will always be this way simply because for every Dr. Dyson, there are thousands of Cosbys. I pray he has the heart to open dialogue with you on those rhetorical and hypocritical statements. Maybe then some of the Cosbys of our troubled and dying race will wake up and do something. Again, thank you brother.

I definitely agree with Professor Dyson, after listening to Bill Cobs speak horribly about his own race (how ironic) I thought the man was going senile. Then when he said, "GOD is tired of them," I came to the conclusion that Mr. Cosby needs an exorcism to exercise his demons. How can a black man, who has tons of success and is greatly loved, downgrade his own people and then says GOD is tired of them. Does that mean God is tired of you too, Mr. Cosby, you are black, or is it because you have all of this success and GOD will chose you over me? The GOD I serve said that I was created in his image and when he blesses me I am to help bless those who are less fortunate not downgrade them and try and sweep them under the carpet like they don't exist!!!!!! I feel really sad for Mr. Cosby if he feels there is nothing wrong with the speech he gave. He will be in my prayers.

I believe Mr. Cosby was out of line. Mr. Cosby is a person that the black community looks up to, for whatever reason. He has done some really good things in his many years in the limelight for different communities. What bothers me most about his statements and the tone in which they were stated is that. He appears to think because he is well known or popular he has the right to make these statements. He doesn't. He is still a Black man in America and the first thing you see when you look at him is his Black face. Let him not forget and if he does then he should think of the devastation he felt with the loss of his son. A black man. The same disdain he felt going through that terrible time in his life is the same devastation that other black parents fell. Mr. Cosby was able to do better for his family because he had the money and opportunity to do better. Most blacks don't have that opportunity. We don't get the same (equal) chances and choices as everyone else. Blacks want their children to be as successful as the next man. But unfortunately for most blacks conditions don't always warrant those opportunities. He talked about the naming of children, but who is he to talk about what someone names their child? People could argue that Enis is a weird name, but that was the decision of he and his wife. It's a personal choice. So should poor people not have the same choice? All too often once some people (black) of the upper status feel they have made it they always seem to attack the less fortunate. Most blacks already know their conditions and they don't need Bill Cosby demeaning them.

I totally disagree with Bill Cosby. I do not understand why if he has a problem with uneducated black people he chose to speak about it at a majority white college. It came off as if he was talking about black people behind their back. He needs to learn that just giving money is not enough. He has the power to create a solution to the problem and we wonder why the black community is so divided.

I watched the show on CSPAN and I actually loved what you were saying because I grew up watching The Cosby Show and as a child I loved it. But, when you grow older in this world you realize that everything is not what is seems just because someone draws it out for a television show. And yes I think that Bill Cosby was wrong and I stand behind you 100%!

We already have enough ignorant people talking about African Americans and the fact that we don't read. So, if we don't read it's probably because we don't have time for some of the bull that Caucasian's do with their money. Also, last but not least I support, buy, and read novels by African Americans. So, I think you should have that debate with Mr. Bill Cosby and talk all over him like you did that host, and keep it real. Many blessings!

I stand squarely in the corner of Michael Eric Dyson. One who is rooted and grounded in reality; One who possesses "mad love" for his people; One who does not deny reality but frames that reality in life "as it really is." His body of work, his oratorical and rhetorical presentations make it hard for even the most "conservative" thinkers to deny the veracity of his perspective.

Dear Mr. Dyson,

I watched you being interviewed by Debra Dickerson on After Wards. I am in agreement with you and was a tad unsettled by Ms. Dickerson being more concerned about feeling compassion and understanding for Mr. Cosby then those he has undermined. It is as though Ms. Dickerson and Mr. Cosby do not want to be reminded everything is not tremendously wonderful because they were able to overcome obstacles.

I am a lower middle class white woman who upon hearing part of speech in which Mr. Cosby attacked poor black people felt outraged. I am not black but certainly know black people are more or less kept in ghettos for multiple political reasons, as are poor whites. Poverty is poverty. Hopelessness is hopelessness.

If Mr. Cosby truly had compassion for those who suffer daily the wounds of poverty, he could hold forums in churches, schools, etc teaching how acting out in anger is playing right into those in power hands and teaching alternative ways of making the world take notice. He could be part of the solution but choosing to openly attack the poor is reinforcing stereotypical ideas about black people and therefore he is part of the problem.

I find it all disgusting coming from someone who was accepted by the white world when most weren't due to his comedy which kept away from the pain of being black in America.

Sorry…off on a tangent. It was wonderful to hear you. I was glued to the TV. Nice to hear anyone that is not afraid to confront real issues in America today.

I agree 100%—What hath a man profit if he gain the world, but lose his soul, "and his damn mind!" Who died and made Bill Cosby God?

Good interview on CSPAN's BookTV! I'm 37, and agree with Bill Cosby, but it doesn't count because I'm Puerto Rican. When I see other Puerto Ricans or Mexicans acting the fool and lazily settling into cheap stereotypes and fighting for mini power, I get embarrassed. Heck, I was mortified when I had to admit I was totally broke and needed to stand in the welfare line.

But I really see Michael Eric Dyson's point as well. He appreciates the art and the heart and soul of the black community. I hear Cosby as being pained and angry, like a man grabbing younger folks by the ear, as maybe he thinks there's been a lot of backsliding going on. Not demanding enough power in the big things. When I hear about the civil rights fights of the 'sixties and 'seventies, I clutch the table and ask, "what the hell happened?"

And as for lobbing the beauty of Tupac at Cosby and asking "what the hell?"-- Cosby's always been mainstream and you can't expect him to like the more avant-garde strides of the black community. That's all. Cosby's classy and elegant, but he's never been the intellectual Dyson is.

And as for the black middle class losing its mind, forget black people -- America's entire middle class has totally lost its cotton-picking mind.

Best of luck and discussions and arguments are good, important, and fresh. Better than the black community simply disappearing into a commodity consumed by suburban white boys.

I agree with Dyson. I don't agree with Cosby's blanket statements on the condition of "poor" African Americans. I believe that Cosby should think about what he is really saying and the message he is putting out there. If he has some concerns, he should be "doing" something to make a difference in the lives of these "poor" people. Dyson makes some valid points and they are backed by his knowledge of the plight of what people are really going through in America. I applaud him for being brave enough to challenge Cosby and not placate him as others have.

I am personally offended by Bill Cosby's comments about poor black people.

Mr. Cosby in my opinion is out of touch with the very people he spoke about. If Mr. Cosby talked about rich blacks then I would be all ears, but because I am not privileged to travel in those circles. So, therefore, he can educate me on the rich and famous.

Mr. Cosby cannot educate me on poor blacks. I could probably educate him on this subject. As some of us know, most poor black people are very proud and resourceful. Our children and grandchildren are reared properly and are not walking around with pants hanging low and having babies. Also, poor people have to work to survive and yes, sometimes our children are left to fend for themselves until we arrive home. However, our children/grandchildren are taught right from wrong and we just have to pray that they exercise good judgement when faced with decisions.

I agree with Mr. Dyson when he says that Bill Cosby has a huge platform to speak from. Why not use it to lift us up.

I agree with Dr. Dyson that Bill Cosby's comments were inappropriate. Having been involved in the "equal educational opportunity" movement for over 30 years, I've witness the gains of "desegregation" and "affirmative action" inuring to the benefit of a growing, middle class of African Americans at the expense of a growing, lower class of African Americans!

The persons Cosby called "knuckleheads" have been used by middle class Blacks to justify a redistribution of wealth to themselves. Often under the guise of the lower class persons needing their, the middle class', help! I suspect that most of Bill Cosby's multi-million dollars represent a redistribution of wealth within the black community, that is, his "having" is a result of many other Blacks "not having."

The lower classes had little or no say in the goals or strategies of the movement. For example in the Boston desegregation case, the middle class "desegregated" the magnet schools, while lower class black students were bussed into the wrath and assaults of the neighborhoods of East and South Boston.

I believe the reason Bill Cosby blames lower class Blacks is because of the tragic death of his son. He can not reconcile his "personal" success with the idea of continuing racism in the society. Therefore he's rationalized the murder of his son with the idea that these "knuckleheads" are causing/perpetuating an image of a savage, black male, who deserve whatever happens to him, and his son fell victim to this stereotype. Of course, as Cosby knows "the media" that "made" him is making/perpetuating this stereotype of the black male, which his comments ironically now contribute to!

I wished Bill Cosby had used the 50th Anniversary of the Brown decision to tell how a poor, black boy from Philadelphia became the international symbol of "fatherhood." And inspired/informed others how they could realize their dreams, as well.

Dr. Dyson was given a hard time by another black author on C-Span just now. I would like to think that they both had equally engaging takes on the Cosby issue, however; and this is the first time I heard Dr. Dyson, he seemed to be a very caring, eloquent and erudite speaker, much more so than his interviewer. This man is really someone to watch, and I think he would be very beneficial to the black community at large, in a big way. Cosby is not an intellectual like Dr. Dyson, and their respective views are both worth merit, but Cosby probably behaved in a "reactionary" fashion when he made his very hurtful comments concerning personal responsibility and, obviously, pro-corporate/government philosophies that were popular a hundred years ago. These kind of views are resurfacing now that the neo-cons are ramming it down our throats again like their brethren robber barons and white supremacists did over 100 years ago. To me, Dr. Dyson seems to be a real breath of fresh air and a possible mentor for many disenfranchised African-American youth. Youth who sometimes owe to their "personal irresponsibility," to the predatory nature of hyper-capitalism in an age of soulless markets and "totalitarian culture," if one could posit, do things not unlike any working -class citizens in a third world country to survive.

The neo-cons and the unaccountable private tyrannies called corporations, of course, are not stupid and they know this, and as well they know that our bungled economic system creates third-world conditions here in the USA itself. Dr. Dyson is just his own man, not a lackey like Justice Thomas (very smart), or C. Rice (very smart), or even Cosby. The interviewer on C-Span should not confuse brilliant "black faces in high places" with "it's just their politics." Thomas, Rice, and C. Powell were not picked just to be black up there, but because they are brilliant minds that were educated at the best universities, and had what it takes to get the job. So maybe it is not the color of a person, but rather her class. Pecuniary interest, and political ideology at issue, not their "micro-view" of human foibles that Cosby hones in on. Big thinkers like Rice, Thomas, Powell and Dyson are "macro-view" not "micro" and petty. It's just that Dyson should be heard equally or even, in my mind, much more so than these other governmental elite.

Bill "Boule" Cosby is dead wrong for such mud slinging on those who have the least in this devil country…poor black people. I think his time and energy would be better spent directing some of his millions that white folk have allowed him to acquire towards the uplifting of those black people he is so scornful of. Although the shackles have been removed from our hands and feet, Black people have never gained any real economic freedom in this country. Even the 40 acres and a mule would have helped towards that end.

And to think, he actually has the nerve to charge upwards of fifty dollars a ticket for this Blame-the-poor tour…that hypocritical bastard!

I believe that Mr. Dyson is correct. As a 52-year-old African American male did grow-up listening to and watching Mr. Cosby, I do believe that he was sincere and genuine in his statement about us (we) poor Black people! But, I believe that it was just out of frustration that he used the language and examples that he used to get his point across, by using a lesser form of intellect, I think he used what he thought would make one understand. Although, he did in fact make me raise an eyebrow by using such language and examples. I am not a scholar, but a dropout of the institution of higher learning, (college), but I am not stupid and it did hurt to know how he felt about poor Black Folk. I do agree to an extent, he laid it out correctly but he delivered it inadequately. Mr. Dyson on the other hand has done his homework, knows how to walk the walk and talk the talk ! I have recently come to know of Mr. Dyson only in they year of 2002 when Tavis Smiley was on the Radio and introduced the book Holler if you can hear me by Mr. Dyson. After reading the beginning of this book I knew that this is a man that is the link and contact between the older, middle and younger generations no matter what the subject, Music, Single Parenting, Politics and knows his material well. I believe that Mr. Cosby has been out of touch and his followers are pretty much all grown and have families by now and probably working on retirement and do not fit the group that he was trying to reach. Mr. Cosby is a comedian and a very good one and should know he cannot stand on a stage and improvise about such matters without thinking of what he might say, since things like these take some form forethought.

I agree 100% with Michael Eric Dyson and applaud his work.

I agree with Dyson. Dr. Cosby should stick to his trade and control his zipper and leave the sermonizing to others.

Billy Cosby is to be commended for being in the "position" he is in and taking a stand which, like Michael Dyson stated and is so often true, most successful black people do not do (with the exception of my new favorite Woman of Power—Condoleeza Rice). And if questioned about it, they are passive rather than passionate. I still believe his statements are not at all true, but I thank him for getting the ball rolling again. Sure there are black people in this world who do not apply themselves to get the most of what is given to them. Sure there is also much more opportunity for black people today than that of many of our ancestors who only got the ability to vote in the 1950's (if I am correct)…but here is the thing. Can any other race be compared to us and the insurmountable, unfortunate circumstances we've been thrown? No. Are we to just forget them and move on like I have heard ignorant fools say? Definitely not! Can any one black person say they have never experienced some form of racism in their lifetime? I doubt it!!! Does racism against black people still exist and is still very prevalent in the dominated corporate world of "the white America's". The answer is yes. Just because awareness, due to the explosion of the information age, and societal growth (though it moves like a snail) have forced the hands of people in the governments to provide allowances to black people doesn't mean there isn't still problems. We are given these things (equal opportunities, civil rights mandates, affirmative action, etc.) because (and let's be brutally honest here) they really can't keep us in chains standing up naked waiting for some white person to purchase us. They really can't tell us that we can't eat in their favorite restaurants, piss in the nice toilets they use, or drink out of the same water fountains their children drink out of any longer. And they really can't mutilate us, rape us, throw us overboard once we couldn't make it across the Atlantic to help build this great continent/country to what it is today. However the little pennies that they throw to us…as we always have done as strong black people, we will take and we will make the most out of it. So is everything gravy? Should black people stop complaining because we gotta make the most out of what little we have now? Hell No!!! We still in many circles are not seen as equals, we still have our fellow black people in Africa being slaughtered by the masses while the world idly stands there and does nothing, we still have a sense that the world bitterly hates us? Should we stop asking for our respect? For our dignity? Everything that is given to cultures and races who HAVEN'T had their whole identity ripped from them for generations due to slavery, given back to them with conditions and told nothing on how to survive? I say keeping blaming the system and those who run it, because its not a fight of how much money you can get or how successful you can be, its a war on the minds of those who think less of you because you are a color. Martin Luther King said it best—he dreamed of a day his children—our children- would not be judge by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. If anyone person can tell me that the world see us not as black people but as people who deserve to exist in this world because of our capabilities and our character feel free to send me an email. I am still looking for that day as are the masses of black people…the ones Bill Cosby doesn't understand as a wealthy funny Negro!!! Who can make white folks laugh!!!

We aren't all funny, we aren't all athletic, or geniuses, but we do matter and exists with talents and abilities that make us unique. We should strive to be our very best not doubt, but that is extremely hard it is even hard to believe because we have had so much struggles. People really have no conception of what Slavery did to us. When you are in slavery you have lost everything that matters to live on…. You lose your whole identity. (That is why it is important to know who you truly are in this world—"Know Thy Self") (Not by the lies told of us in history books) Once you believe that you exist in this world only to be used as a device, once you are bought and sold like product, with nothing more to live for or believe in….ask me what that would do to you or your mentality? Most slaves never wanted to be freed, they were too scared of what life would be like without what they knew to be the norm, after living for so many years in bondage…Have you ever seen what they do to animals that were raised in cages? They teach them how to hunt again, to be useful to their new surroundings. If they don't, they would surely die simply because they would know how to feed themselves. We were animals to people once…yet when it came time for us to be free, we got kicked out into the wilderness of the world with nothing more than the clothes on our backs. We were never told how to make money or how to be useful in our society. Never told how investing would make us where those who once owned us were financially and our mentality, if we had wealth, was that it was our own and no one else's. We've never put our wealth into teaching others who were not even our relatives…so how were we to respond? So when I hear "black people need to get up and do something…and work to get what they want…" its not because we're lazy its because we have no idea how to and are either too proud or too ashamed to admit it.

Taking responsibility for the problems in our community is powerful once we are able to stand together united for something/anything. We never do. It's the mentality that we were left with…discord, division, misdirected pride and a comfortable ignorance.

So rather than publicly condemning black people based on the language they use, the lack of ambition they may have, or the fact that a young boy or girl wanted to be a rapper singer or athlete, your first choice should be changing the way things are. All you are really doing is maintaining division.

Just my thoughts.

I just would like to say THANK YOU very much Michael, everything you wrote was so true. I love you in a sistsa kinda way. May God bless you and keep you well. I hope your book gets the same attention and discussion that Mr. Cosby's statement did. Keep up the wonderful work. PEACE.

I think Bill Cosby is very wrong and I don't understand why the black leaders not saying something about it. Nobody wants to be poor and down out. Everybody wants their children to do good or you crazy. I live in South Central, Los Angeles, been here for over 30 years and it's not bad now. But 15 or 20 years ago it was bad. It was the best I could do. I was working and taking care of my two sons in a gang neighborhood. My two sons never were part of the gangs. My sons are all grown up. One lives in Philadelphia, teaches at Temple University and is working on his Ph.D. My other son is going to finish up at UCLA in June to get a BA in History. So Bill Cosby is wrong. All poor blacks are not on welfare and doing nothing. My sons made it in a poor black neighborhood. Poor people want the best for their children just like the rich.

As a future teacher, I was interested to know more about this topic. I think Bill Cosby oversimplified this issue. I was at Mr. Dyson's book signing and he is a very articulate, engaging speaker. We must remember that the role of the scholar is to tell the truth, no matter what. I look forward to reading his book!

The ability to express oneself is essential to maintaining a healthy life and lifestyle. These expressions of human feeling, emotion, and character change the world. In all honesty, there is no wrong way to express oneself.

What Dr. Cosby did was what a lot of people do, and what all races of people have done in the past: Attempt to limit human expression in order to bring these people into submission under "principalities and power."

History proves me correct in my observation and opinion through each and every innovative technological and scientific advance was made through original expression—even going outside of what are considered "the rules of the game."

Dr. Dyson, PLEASE keep expressing yourself. Your expression is what will make the change in the world, because you express an opinion that does not repress another.

Thank you sir, I admire you greatly, and I hope that someday I can gain acceptance into UPENN just so I can be on the same campus as you, doing research on the economics of poverty/class/racial disparity.

I saw Mr. Dyson speak last night at Borders. I have met him once previously, three years before. That encounter was because of Tupac Shakur. (A long story) Anyway, I TRULY DUG EVERYTHING MR. DYSON SAID. I NEVER WANTED HIM TO STOP SPEAKING…HE IS OUR VOICE. ALL PEEPLZ.

I feel bad for Mr. Cosby. He doesn't even realize his own hypocrisy. He won't let anyone debate or disagree with him, yet he feels he has the right to tell anyone else what NOT to say. As a NYC Comic, I am reminded of EDDIE MURPHY RAW. How DARE Bill Cosby call Eddie and chastise him for cursing on stage. Besides, the unanimous opinion I have found in talking to people about this, is, WHO THE HELL IS HE TO PASS JUDGEMENT ON ANYONE WHEN HE HAS CHILDREN OUT OF WEDLOCK AND HAS BEEN UNFAITHFUL TO HIS WIFE???? This is what I hear New York City saying. GOD BLESS MICHAEL ERIC DYSON.

I heard Mr. Dyson speaking with Al Roker this morning and I had to stop and pay attention—I had never heard him, or of him before, I am ashamed to say. I was so impressed and jealous… I wish my people, Mexicans, had somebody who could go on like he does—making the most out of every moment he was allowed and every word he spoke. From the looks of this website, I have some reading to catch up on. I've never written a "fan letter" before, but I just felt I wanted to say something because I miss hearing that kind of passion, like when I was growing up in the Chicano movement of the '70's. Thanks!

I have never written a comment about something I've observed on television but I was so moved by Mr. Dyson's comments that I felt like speaking out. I saw Mr. Dyson on The Today Show and was extremely intrigued by what he had to say. I really enjoyed his interview with Al Roker. I completely agree with everything he has to say about race issues today. There needs to be more men like him, black and white who can speak out against people in power if those people are spreading destructive ideas. I am a 23-year-old white female college student. I wish I could have shared his insights with people I know. I will be following his career and hope his message is spread throughout America.

I believe Bill Cosby has forgotten where he has come from, who's support brought him his fame, has become a perfect example of the petite bourgeois.

As my mother said many times, "Any time some folks get 2 cents above dinner they become better than everyone else. "

He has forgotten the white corporate entertainment industry marketed him to blacks first. He was black and they were capturing our entertainment dollars. We supported him whether we were cultured to his satisfaction or not. He did not question it when he was taking our dollars.

When they found him harmless first they then found him acceptable to themselves second. That's why he had crossover appeal.

He then with the black community (both the refined and unrefined) solidly behind him, he then became the mega-star, sage and black spokesperson he is.

Boy has he failed. All of that rise and fortune just to denigrate those blacks he feels he's risen above. Why riser above them anyway. Deplore the behavior but do not hate the people for you are those people. Especially, if you take away the money.

Not to mention the fact that you've not heard him speak since his own opportunistic perverted skeletons have surfaced.

He's a bitter man who ought to be ashamed of himself. Hopefully, he's lost his marketability because he has used our dollars to ridicule us.

Well, Mr. Dyson, its not a clear picture; there is a large gray area here. But, I do recognize your points, and disagree with Mr. Cosby method of venting. This could be his (Mr. Cosby's) way of keeping the powerful off of his back, as he has had a few mishaps of his own recently (the women in his life). It's easy to sit back and throw stones.

Not all that you see is actually what is. Dr. Dyson, you made some interesting comments regarding Mr. Cosby's comments. And I hold-heartily agree that the stage was wrong for him to make such comments. If the powers-to-be make policies that are influenced by those comment and thoughts, then African Americans are really in big trouble.

I disagree with Bill Cosby wholeheartedly for the simple fact that he postulated a problem, but he gave no solution. It's like visiting a person in jail, you tell that person that he is not free, mind you the obvious is has just been stated, while scorning him for not being free without giving the person the proper guidance, direction, or solution to free himself. Personally he sounded like one of these Uncle Tom teachers who doesn't really care.

I wish to echo Mr. Dyson's response to Bill Cosby. I agree with Michael Eric Dyson wholeheartedly. I can't imagine that anyone else could address this question ant better than has Michael Eric Dyson. Bill Cosby apparently believes he could have achieved his success without the sacrifices made by so many other people.

I believe that Mr. Dyson is correct. I have admired Mr. Cosby for many years. However, he has made me increasingly uncomfortable in his current position towards his own people. (I do believe this was a natural progression for him, which began with his "Father Knows Best" television show. I watched it faithfully, by the way.) I believe Mr. Dyson has succintly put into language that just about anyone can understand why Mr. Cosby is incorrect in his approach to "poor people". I realize that his generalizations are directed at poor black people. However, I believe that they are applicable to all "poor people" who have been marginalized, suppressed and forgotten. It is extremely evident with the direction that this country is headed in that the "poor people" are gaining in numbers that can no longer be defined by race, religion or class. I wonder, when the manmade boundaries of race, religion and class are no longer so clearly defined will the outcry be louder? Will a large civil rights movement that will shake this country to its core drive the interest of the "people"? Or will we sit complacent and passively allow our lives to be dictated by a few who have no consideration for the many? Who have been given one or more reasons by Mr. Cosby to be ignored and not worth the effort. I, too, believe that Mr. Cosby is entitled to his opinion regardless of the content. It is an ongoing dialogue of opinions that drive change and motivate people. We are all too happy today to be led by others whether we agree with them or not. Hoping that someone else will do the work and make the changes that we long for in society rather than taking the initiative on our own. If Mr. Cosby motivates people regardless of his method then his actions can be seen for the good. Lastly, I look forward to purchasing Mr. Dyson's book. It would appear to be a very good read.

Bill Cosby lives in Massachusetts and has made Springfield, the city I live in, his "pet" project. He has reiterated his comments to everyone in our city and has since started a program to send third graders to college if they finish school. I wrote a letter to the editor of the local newspaper, the Republican, stating my displeasure over his comments. I am the mother of teenage daughters, we are black, and my husband is in the home. My daughters are both in high school and are "A" students. They have never been in trouble or pregnant. We own our own home. We are the working poor, though. I invited Mr. Cosby to meet us and people like us, but I think that we are "too good" for him. He seems unable to or unwilling to speak with a black family who has none of his hated stereotypes. And his scholarship program for third graders (who were picked by the school department) does not help the minority students who are doing well in school, but may not be able to pay for college.

To date, I have not heard from Mr. Cosby after my challenge to meet with other positive black parents and me. Pity.