Essay 683

Here’s a follow-up to the column presented in Essay 654…

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Readers express kudos, concern for black men

By Dawn Turner Trice

Recently I wrote about entertainer Bill Cosby’s comments during a commencement address to the 2006 graduates of Spelman College in Atlanta. Cosby told the graduates of the historically African-American women's college that they would have to step up and lead because too many black men were falling by the wayside.

A few hours before Cosby’s address, I was across the street attending a graduation ceremony at the historically black Morehouse College. Morehouse is an all-male liberal arts college, and the ceremony was breathtaking because the men were so impressive.

The point of the column was that it’s time for Cosby's message to include more balance. I agree with much of what Cosby says. I interviewed him around this time two years ago for a two-part Father’s Day column. We had a lengthy and candid conversation, after which I believed his message on parenting to be a bitter but absolutely necessary pill, even though it was too all-encompassing. It’s also one meant to inspire debate and solutions.

Still, no nation of people, no race of people, no community of people has ever benefited from only hearing the negative side of who they are. While it’s necessary to tell the truth about the problems, it’s also necessary to highlight the positives. In too many communities, it’s easy to find role models such as thugs; the opportunities to see examples of young black men striving to be the best are far scarcer.

Well, that’s what I have to say. Here’s what some of you wrote to me:

I tend to agree with Cosby on many of the things he is trying to say but I do wish he could balance his talk a little more. It’s like the bad ones get all the attention and the good ones get ignored. Seems to me it would be better to place much attention on the good ones and not give the bad ones the air time (except in the case where they are turning toward the good).

P. M.

As a black woman raising a beautiful black male child, we crave to hear newsworthy stories depicting the pinnacle of academic achievement seized by our young black male children. Just maybe, the next time you’ll share with your audience the other positive role models who exist in our everyday life mentoring youths at church, in park districts, schools and prisons. Equally important are the young men who give back to their communities while climbing academic, corporate and social ladders.

M.H.

I graduated from Howard University, a historically black university, in 2004. I’m currently a third-year medical student at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. The black male to female ratio is depressing! If you look at colleges and graduate school enrollment, the numbers don’t lie. There are far more black women than men. My older sister just graduated from law school and she cites the same problem.

N.F.

Mr. Cosby’s remarks are unfortunately needed. To say he knows about the other guys is an understatement. He and his wife’s donations to black colleges are legendary. Cosby is a realist. He is talking about the millions of bad guys who are more influential than the comparative handful of high achieving, positive black graduates. These young women need to hear this for their own survival.

M.M.

Cosby is speaking to those whose parents didn’t finish high school and who don’t tell their children that the only way out is through education. They are the ones who feel like there's no hope, so why bother trying. We all, in the black community, know a problem exists. We need to find a way to remedy this situation within the black community by any means necessary. And if Bill Cosby gets us talking about this topic and working on solutions, then I’m glad about it.

K.S.

I’m in school, studying to become a high school English teacher. After class the other day, I rushed home and dropped to my knees to express this thought to God: “I just finished my fifth semester and have only seen two other African-American males in my smaller classes and two in my lecture class. Why? Where are my brothers? Please help me see more of people like me doing what needs to be done. Please!” But reading about the Morehouse men lets me know that we’re still learning, sharing, empowering, mentoring, producing and also cultivating each other (and the world). We’re alive!

G.C.

As always, thanks for reading.