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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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