About Bill Cosby's Comments

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I would like to know if Haitians as black folks are discussing those
issues?

Are the radios and TV programs talking about the comments that Black papers
as well as mainstream literature are writing regarding Bill Cosby's remarks.

Some "intellectuals" are saying that Bill Cosby's statements are not based
on empirical data. After I carefully read the texts
posted, I personally agree with Cosby's critics who are appalled of his derisive
attitude vis-à-vis Blacks' first names such Mohammed and Shaniqa.

Cosby
blaming poor African Americans for their condition was not relevant either.

Even
when the woman was anointing Jesus with expensive oil, there were complaints
that the money for this expensive anointment should have gone to the poor. Jesus
responded something like to "Let her do what she is doing for me because I'll
be gone, but the poor will always be with you." Jesus also said that she
should be remembered for what she had done for me. The degree will vary from
countries to countries, but there will always be poverty.

Thus, you don't blame
the victim for his plight.

I will more like lean toward "collective accountability".

If I would put
Cosby's comments and editorials in a Haitian context, especially what I have
experienced in my area since I was a teenager, I would say that those who are in
charge of educating, of informing, of moving the community "forward" are not
visionaries who see the "big picture."

I would make three institutions - church, school, media- that somehow
influence people's lives accountable for that complacency Cosby talked about, not
the poor themselves.

In terms of education, I have met a lot of illiterate
Haitian adults who want to learn as well as others with some education from
Haiti, but for many reasons can not go to school in this country.

Based on my
observation, the poor, the followers, those who don't know, after a while are
aware they are not getting the right services.

Talking with taxi drivers,
nurses'aides and other blue collar workers, I often hear them say "There is no leader
in the Haitian community." They want something different, but the "leaders"
are not leading them to the right path, i.e being involved, being active in the
community, and reading.

Cosby referred to $200.00 phonic book sets. That's a lot of money to ask my
Haitian folks to put on books for children even for those with expensive (tet
bef) SUV's, or those spend $600.00 on a first communion dress.

(Ironically
Haitian protestants have their children go through first communion rituals.

I am
not sure if it is for the limousines, the expensive clothes, the sacraments,
the culture or what).

I would rather say pick up free newspapers, buy the Haitian papers for a
buck, get some books in yard sales, in "buck-a-book" stores.

In terms of $200.00
phonic sets, many department stores carry nice colorful, children friendly
paper back phonics or reading skill books from $1.99 to $2.99. Most library cards
are free or a buck if you loose it. Loosing the book is the costly part
($25.00 at least in my area).

To contextualize Cosby's comments, I would say, we need a cohesive,
informative, educational atmosphere in the Haitian communities.

One will be amazed
of the number of "leaders" active in churches, in schools or in the Haitian
media, who are supposedly "leading" the Haitian community, but don't read the
paper, don't have a library card, not along buy books, or use the internet.

My voice doesn't echo as loud as Bill Cosby's. I don't have a radio program.

I may not agree with everything that he said, but like Cosby, as an educator,
I am not happy about the anti-learning, complacency, lax attitudes vis-à-vis
print, collective vision, and education that I am seeing.

Those with vision
have abandoned the community because of either the amount of mediocrity that
they see or complacency from their part. Those who remain and who care about the
Haitian community as a whole have no voice.

What does the future hold for such community?

Nekita

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