Bill Cosby

This excerpt appeared today on the Newsmax site in a post describing Bill Cosby‘s speech given at a San Francisco school.

“As a result of that speech, the Chronicle wrote, San Francisco school superintendent Arlene Ackerman wrote a letter to Cosby inviting him to visit one of her three new "Dream Schools," low-performing public schools that have been overhauled to include long school days, Saturday school, mandatory student uniforms, a more rigorous curriculum and required contracts signed by parents pledging to be involved in their children's education. Ackerman, the San Francisco's first black superintendent of schools, told the Chronicle she was glad Cosby had aired his frustrations, even if they were not politically correct.

"We haven't figured out a way to talk about it as African-Americans. ... At least now we're talking about it," she said. "The truth is, many of the things he said are reality for those of us who work in urban public schools."

Well, if they need some help in figuring out how to talk about it I’d recommend

Initiative Creates Opportunity By Master Chief William R. Wells II, U.S. Coast Guard (Retired) Though occupations are scarce for African Americans when Alex Haley joins the Coast Guard, the author of Roots creates his own opportunities.
Which appeared in Naval History Magazine July/August 1999 Volume 13 Number 4 available at http://www.usni.org/navalhistory/nh1999toc.htm