African American elders become concerned when the character of prominent blacks is impugned by assertions of alleged sexual misconduct. There is a long, baleful history of the consequences of that tactic. Usually it turns out that the accusations are false. The uncorroborated complaints of sexual impropriety by Bill Cosby arouse the distressing memory among elders of similar past claims against black men.
In 1921, blacks developed one of the nation’s most affluent black communities in the Greenwood section of Tulsa, Okla. When whites attempted to lynch a 19-year-old black man for a sexual assault that never happened, armed blacks came to his defense. In the ensuing battle, whites with the help of the National Guard destroyed 35 city blocks and left 10,000 blacks homeless. An estimated 300 people were killed and 800 were injured.
Ten years later, the case of the Scottsboro Boys is more widely known. Nine black teen-aged hobos were charged with raping two white girls who were traveling on the train with them. Their trials violated the principles of equal justice. All were found guilty in several trials although the alleged victims admitted that they lied about being raped.
It is not even necessary to be accused of rape to run afoul of white injustice. In the summer of 1955, the 14-year-old Emmett Till was visiting relatives in Money, Miss. He was murdered for having a salacious gleam in his eye when looking at a white woman. Clearly, it does not take much to run afoul of the white standards for proper sexual behavior for blacks.
According to reports, the Federal Bureau of Investigation wired hotel rooms in which Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was expected to stay. The FBI planned to publicize any dalliance by King in order to damage his reputation. Fortunately, government officials realized that such a strategy would be counterproductive. The people would rebel in defense of their civil rights leader.
Now the target is Bill Cosby. His achievements to improve the status of blacks in entertainment have been enormous. In his “I Spy” series he played a talented secret agent, capable of confounding his adversaries. In his stand-up routines he moved comedy beyond neo Amos ‘n’ Andy to a more sophisticated genre. And as Dr. Huxtable he presented the first television image of an upper middle class black family.
The current concern about college campus rapes has created an environment of general interest in the subject. Women have availed themselves of the opportunity to publicize their alleged rapes by Cosby, some of which supposedly occurred more than 20 years ago. There have been no prosecutions and no convictions. In fact, the statute of limitations has already run out on most accusations, so it is too late for legal action. Why then go public?
Each complainant will undoubtedly have her own rationale, but it is unlikely that every account will be truthful. Rolling Stone magazine recently published a story of a 2012 rape in a frat house at the University of Virginia, and had to recall the article because of false statements from the alleged victim. Sexual issues are emotional and might inspire great drama, memory lapses or even falsehoods.
Men who are a bit worldly wise understand this. Why have they not been there to have Cosby’s back, at least until the question of criminal conduct has been satisfactorily decided? Could it be that they have resented the high standards Cosby has set over the years? He has criticized comedians who rely on profanity to draw a laugh. And he has called upon black men to pull up their pants and work harder to succeed. Perhaps there are some who believe Cosby expects too much and he should be taken down a notch.
Black elders recognize that Cosby has generously shared his affluence to benefit everyone, and he has inspired progress for all. He certainly deserves support in these trying times.
