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BillCosby

WilliamHenry"Bill"CosbyJr.wasbornJuly12,1937.HeisanAmerican

comedian,actor,author,televisionproducer,educator,musicianandactivist.A

veteranstandupperformer,hegothisstartattheHungryiinSanFranciscoand

variousotherclubs,thenlandedastarringroleinthe1960sactionshowISpy.

Helaterstarredinhisownsitcom,TheBillCosbyShow.Hewasoneofthemajor

performersonthechildren'stelevisionseriesTheElectricCompanyduringits

firsttwoseasons,andcreatedtheeducationalcartooncomedyseriesFatAlbert

andtheCosbyKids,aboutagroupofyoungfriendsgrowingupinthecity.Cosby

alsoactedinanumberoffilms.

BillCosbyformeisoneofthemostimportantpeopleinthecomedian

world.HefacedissuesofracismbecausehegrewupasanAfricanAmerican

duringtheracialsegregation.Whilemanyhumoristswereusingthegrowing

freedomofthatdecadetoexplorematerialthatwascontroversial,Cosbywas

makinghisreputationwithcomicalrecollectionsofhischildhood.Many

AmericanswonderedabouttheabsenceofraceasatopicinCosby'sstories.As

Cosby'ssuccessgrewhehadtodefendhischoiceofmaterialregularlyashe

argued,"Awhitepersonlistenstomyactandhelaughsandhethinks,'Yeah,

that'sthewayIseeittoo.'Okay.He'swhite.I'mNegro.Andwebothseethings

thesameway.

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Onceagainturningtohislifeforinspiration,Cosbybeganworkingona

newtelevisionseries.Thesitcomfocusedonanuppermiddleclass,

AfricanAmericancouplewithfivechildren.Eachofthechildren'scharacters

sharedsometraitsoftheirreallifecounterparts.Marriedsince1964,Cosbyand

hisreallifewife,Camille,hadfourdaughtersandoneson.Ittooksometimeto

findaTVnetworkwillingtoairaseriesaboutanAfricanAmericandoctor,his

lawyerwifeandtheirfivechildren.Lateronin1984,TheCosbyShowdebutedto

favorablereviewsandstrongratings.

Overtheshow'seightyearrun,Cosbyfoundtimeforotherprojects:He

appearedinseveralfilms,includingLeonardPart6(1987)andGhostDad

(1990).In1986,Cosbyachievedanothercareermilestonebecominga

bestsellingauthor.Hisreflectionsonparentingwereincludedinthebook

Fatherhood,whichsoldmorethan2.6millioncopies.Hisopusonaging,Time

Flies(1987),alsoenjoyedhugesales.Inaddition,Cosbyenjoyedgreat

popularityasapitchman,appearingincommercialsforsuchproductsas

JELLO.

WhileworkingonCosby,thecomedianexperiencedadeeppersonalloss.

Hisonlyson,Ennis,waskilledin1997,shottodeathwhilechangingatireonhis

caronthesideofaCaliforniahighway.Aroundthesametime,Cosbywas

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caughtupinapaternityscandal.AyoungwomannamedAutumnJackson

claimedthatCosbywasherfather,andtriedtoblackmailhimfor$40million,she

threatenedhim,sayingthatshewouldgotothetabloidsifshedidnotgetthe

money.Shewasarrestedandlaterconvictedofextortion,andwassentencedto

26monthsinprison.Cosbythenadmittedthathehadabriefencounterwith

Jackson'smother,butheclaimedhewasnotAutumn'sfather.Numerouswomen

haveaccusedCosbyofmolestationorsexualassault.Cosbyhasbeenaccused

oftargeting,druggingandrapingwomenfromthe1970storecently2004.In

November2006,CosbysettledalawsuitfiledbyaCanadianwomanwhosaidhe

haddruggedandsexuallyassaultedherinhisPhiladelphiahomein2004.These

allegationswereforgottenbecausenobodywantedtorememberCosbyasa

sexualpredator.

InMay2004,afterreceivinganawardatthecelebrationofthe50th

AnniversarycommemorationoftheBrownv.BoardofEducationrulingaruling

oftheU.S.SupremeCourtthatoutlawedracialsegregationinschoolsCosby

madepublicremarkscriticalofAfricanAmericanswhoputhigherprioritieson

sports,fashion,and"actinghard"thanoneducation,selfrespect,and

selfimprovement,pleadingforAfricanAmericanfamiliestoeducatetheir

childrenonthemanydifferentaspectsofAmericanculture.

Cosbyagaincameundersharpcriticismandwasagainlargely

unapologeticforhisstancewhenhemadesimilarremarksduringaspeechina

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July1meetingcommemoratingtheanniversaryofBrownv.BoardofEducation.

Duringthatspeech,headmonishedapatheticAfricanAmericansfornotassisting

orconcerningthemselveswiththeindividualswhoareinvolvedwithcrimeor

havecounterproductiveaspirations.Hefurtherdescribedthosewhoneeded

attentionasblackswho"hadforgottenthesacrificesofthoseintheCivilRights

Movement.Thespeechwasfeaturedinthedocumentary500YearsLater,which

setthespeechtocartoonvisuals.ThroughoutitallCosbyhasremainedknown

asoneofthemostbelovedcomediansinournation.Itrulybelievethatmanycan

acquireaknowledgefromCosby.Hewentthroughitall,andeventhoughhe

maynotbetheidealmodel,youcansurelyguaranteethatthismanhadthe

determinationofthousands.

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