Randomness

The reason so many Black men are defending William Cosby against the crime he was convicted of committing is because many of us have an unaddressed “Daddy Complex”. We often speak of how Black women who were raised without a father have a “Daddy Complex”, but that complex is far worse in Black men. Black men born in the 80s gravitate towards James Avery BKA Uncle Phil, Reginald VelJohnson BKA Carl Winslow, and William Cosby BKA Heathcliffe Huxtable. Without the presence of an actual father, or positive male role model, in their lives many young black men attempted to model their lives after those aforementioned television fathers. Even though those characters did positively represent Black men we must understand that they were fictitious. Defending the character of one them is akin to defending the actions of a voice actor because they voiced a cartoon character we were fond of.; and not many people would find that action logical. 

An educated Black man who takes care of his family and has a thriving career is what Heathcliffe Huxtable represented. He wasn’t the struggling James Evans on “Good Times”; he was a man who went to school, his children were educated and well behaved, and he was married to a beautiful woman who also had a successful career. Until the Cosby Show came out no Black family had been presented to mainstream America in such a fashion. In essence many Black men feel as if this is an attack on the positivity set forth for our culture. A similar incident would be if documents were released showing that George Washington was a child molestor. No one wants to see the image of someone they idolize be destroyed. To many black men this conviction of William Cosby is a destruction of the man they aimed to be like, or wished was actually their father.

Some people even said that this conviction of William Cosby was an attack on Black culture. Well, I’m a man who has had many friends and family members go to prison. Believe me, their convictions were not looked upon as an attack on Black culture. Seeing as how I have less of a connection to William I will not consider his downfall to be mine. So many Black men are upset about William Cosby because their belief in what he and Heathcliffe Huxtable are has been destroyed. The Cosby show had every Black person believing they could have an educated married family with happy children. Heathcliffe Huxtable was an ideal, he was a beacon, he was a representative, and he was not real either. 

It especially shocks me that Black men are so determined to protect an image that they are willing to ignore reality. I even find it humorous that so many 80s babies want to defend this man who went out of his way to say that we ain’t shit. William admitted in a deposition that he has given women qualudes for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with them. Well, when my mother was not smoking crack or being beaten by one of the multiple men she dated she managed to teach me that I should not give women drugs and sleep with them.

A constant argument made is that the actions of William should be overlooked because individuals such as Charlie Sheen and Harvey Weinstein are not in jail for their sexual exploits. I guess we should ignore that their actions took place in different States and follow slightly different legal procedures. However, we are also putting it out there that Black people should be able to do fuck shit so long as acceptable or ignored when committed by White people.

Many Black men do not appear to have a problem with another Black man going to prison. Hell, thousands of Black men go to prison in this country every day. What appears to be the problem is that “the system” is taking away a symbolic father of many Black men. James Avery, may he rest in peace, has passed. Reginald VelJohnson has not really been around since the ending of Family Matters. With the imprisonment of Bill Cosby only one-third of what were deemed to be positive Black fathers still remain. So many Black men are hurt because they simply want their daddy back. 

Too many “famous” Black Americans are making a mockery of the resurgence of the Pro-Black movement in America. So many of them are treating this matter as if it is a fashionable trend and jump around from subject to subject as if it were a new outfit. I for one do not believe that every “famous” Black person should have input in the Pro-Black movement. Don’t get me wrong, I believe everyone is allowed to change. However, many of these celebrities have prostituted themselves out to America for years. Now they have dropped their minds in douche and vinegar and we are supposed to believe that their entire thought process is fresh and new?

I think back to the Colin Kaepernick/NFL debacle and how much support it initially had from black celebrities. Some mentioned buying an NFL team while others mentioned starting a football league for Black players. However, the most logical idea was to boycott the NFL to show that Black dollars would not be spent where Black people were not respected. But, on Superbowl Sunday of 2018 my news feed was filled with these “famous” Black people living it up at the Super Bowl and Super Bowl parties. I guess the boycott only existed to the extent that a party was not involved. 

When it was profitable for many of these Black celebrities to glorify killing Black people they did that. When it was profitable to glorify disrespecting Black women they did that. Now that it is trendy and profitable to be Pro-Black they have allegedly joined the movement. My Blackness and my culture are not a trend. Pro-Black actions are a temporary style for many of these celebrities that will fade into obscurity like FUBU, Girbaud, and Cross Colors. In short, if their actions are not sincere they should be kept to themselves.