By Goldie Taylor
To some, the comedian is a god,
plain and simple—never mind his legions of accusers, the latest of whom
was just a kid. And any attempts to question his legacy will be met with
anger.
My
grandmother loved her Jesus, her husband, and her pastor—and not always
in that order. Say a foul word about one or the other and you had better
tell it walking.
Bill Cosby is not a pastor and, if your name is not Camille,
he almost certainly is not your husband. But for some people, it seems,
Cosby is a god—deified based on his career as a legendary comedian and
actor, a Hollywood icon who generously invested countless millions in
historically black institutions.
When I was invited to write a cover story for Ebony
magazine and offer an analysis of that legacy, I accepted the
assignment with both honor and trepidation. My focus was not on the
allegations but on how Cosby’s widely acclaimed, record-breaking
television show came to be the standard against which black families
would be measured—by others and by us. What social model did it
reinforce, and does its power endure in the face of Cosby’s crumbling
public reputation?
Over the course of 72 breathtaking hours, I interviewed dozens of
thought leaders, cultural experts, industry veterans, and academicians
about that legacy and how deeply it was intertwined with his on-screen
fictional persona, Heathcliff Huxtable. An excerpt of the cover story
was released online Thursday afternoon.
As
the cover art began to circulate on social media, both support and
pushback began almost immediately. The cover, a framed photograph of the
fictional Huxtable family behind shattered glass, evoked strong
feelings, even before the 3,000-word story itself hit newsstands. Some
voices were glad to see the story about how Cosby’s legacy and that of
his alter ego, Cliff, have been challenged in recent months. Others
cried foul, angered because they believe Cosby himself is “under
attack.”
Click here for the full article and related video.
Source: The Daily Beast
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