Bill Cosby, who portrayed Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show, is the first celebrity of the #MeToo movement to be convicted for sexual assault. Before the allegations surfaced in 2015, he held a prestigious reputation among the legends of the television and film industry.
When I first received news of the charges against Bill Cosby, I could not get myself to believe the famed comedian from my childhood sexually assaulted countless women over the course of 50 years.
I wanted to believe there were correlations between Cosby’s television personalities and real life. Rape, sexual assault, and abuse did not match up with my perception of Bill Cosby.
While no human being is perfect, a rapist is the furthest thing that I would have associated with the Cosby name.
Growing up as a preacher’s kid, with five sisters, there were strict rules on the types of programs we could watch. Any television show with violence, sexual behavior, or profanity was forbidden in our home. The Cosby Show was among the few programs my parents did not insist we turn off.
Every Thursday night, my family would crowd around our TV to watch the latest episode and appreciate one of the few positive depictions of the Black family in media. Bill Cosby’s respectable character, Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable, was a centerpiece to the show’s comedic and uplifting messages.
Last week, Cosby was convicted on three counts of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand. It is reported that Cosby served as a mentor to Constand and abused her during private meetings. Cosby’s wife claims that Constand and the other 60 or more women are not telling the truth and the court system is facilitating a modern-day lynching via the conviction. A legal analyst estimated that Bill Cosby could spend the remainder of his life in prison—with the twenty or thirty-year penalty for the crimes he was found guilty of committing.
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Bill Cosby is Mr. Responsibility. In the early 2000s, he created a speaking platform where he preached personal responsibility and blamed underserved young people and their families for challenges in the Black community. Without acknowledging systemic racism, other social inequalities, or how masculinity influences behaviors, he claimed that Black males themselves are responsible for high homicide rates, lower academic achievements, and overwhelming representations in the criminal justice system. Dr. Michael Eric Dyson and others have written plenty about the flaws of Cosby’s conservative arguments.
Cosby did gain acceptance by some of the Black community because he represented himself as a man of integrity, a devoted husband, exemplary father, and comedic genius. He refused to use profanity as part of his comedic stage routines. Cosby served as an open advocate for Historically Black Colleges and Universities by wearing campus clothing on The Cosby Show and donating large sums of money.
Although Cosby is now 79 years old and some of the allegations are traced back fifty years, his legacy is tarnished. Yale and other colleges have rescinded his honorary doctorates. Television networks have decided to stop airing The Cosby Show, and other consequences are pending.
I believe Cosby’s case demonstrates that men of any age are not exempt from past digressions that include the abuse of women.
It is an indicator that men must release antiquated ideas of women as individuals who exist only to fulfill our sexual pleasures. Women deserve respect. The convictions of Bill Cosby offer a memorable lesson to other men of similar stature and future generations of upcoming entertainers.
Today, my children are too young to know who Bill Cosby is. But there will come a time when I will have the opportunity to use this case as a lesson about wealth, fame, and the misuse of power. My boys and my daughter will understand that rape and sexual assault are serious crimes for any person. I believe that a part of my life’s mission is to work alongside others, similar to Andrea Constand, who dare to fight for justice in the face of intense scrutiny and opposition.
The foundation for how I approach my current work to help individuals develop their best selves is available in my course.
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Photo Credit: Getty Images