Some people were upset when Bill Cosby said that those poor blacks can’t speak English. The truth is that Bill Cosby doesn’t stand alone in what he said concerning the anniversary of Brown vs. the Board of Education. Fifty years have passed since the landmark decision to end segregation in public schools in America. Bill Cosby was one of the speakers at an event in Washington, D.C. Cosby is famous for his TV roles in I Spy, The Cosby Show and Cosby Mysteries. Not everyone reportedly laughed and applauded Cosby because some of his words were stunning. He suggested that “the lower economic people are not holding up their end of the deal.” The lack of parenting, purchasing $500 sneakers instead of $200 Hooked on Phonics, standing around street corners and speaking poor English only add to what he felt was the result of poor-speaking skills at home. Also alarming to Bill Cosby was the reason some are locked up in prison. Stealing Coca-Cola or being shot in the back over the theft of pound cake doesn’t seem to make sense. Where some may think that this mega-millionaire has forgotten where he came from, others will note that Cosby has been a supporter of black advancement through education and business for decades. This Temple University grad and ultimate doctor of education recipient continues to put millions of dollars behind education at schools such as Spelman College in Atlanta. Has Cosby missed the mark with his comments• Going back to the purpose behind integrating public schools in the first place, one must realize that it was to place all of the tools necessary for a quality education at the feet of black Americans. With a land so rich with opportunity, can anyone truly say that they are deprived of educational and economic opportunities• Things have gotten much better for blacks who have taken advantage of what is available to every American. U.S. Senate candidate Barack Obama of Illinois, whose father comes from Kenya and his mother from Kansas, spoke during the Democratic National Convention in Boston recently. He linked the struggles faced by his parents and their undying dreams for their children. Obama believes that America is the place where “hard work is rewarded.” The days of expecting someone to hand things to you are over, if they ever existed in the first place. There is no substitute for the role of the parent(s) in the success of their children. This is something that I have observed for years around the Alle-Kiski Valley. I remember the sons of Ruby White, who both graduated from Yale University. The daughter of Henry McCloud, who graduated from Harvard Medical School. William “Tim-Tim” Miles got a master’s degree from Georgetown University. Vince Ballard recently graduated with a master’s degree from Duquesne University. Dr. Duane Martin, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. Judge Phillip Ayers, a University of Pittsburgh Law School graduate, and Tiffany Glenn, who is about to finish her last semester in law school, to name a few. Not every one of the above had the same situation in life, but they are all black Americans who faced whatever odds and succeeded academically. It is important for all Americans to dream and work hard to get ahead. The common thread to success seems to be a parent or someone pushing them. There is, again, no substitute for hard work. You have to avoid the pitfalls of life, and thinking that the American dream is only for a few selected people. It is for all those who seize the opportunity. Parents, black and white, should get involved with their children academically beyond the involvement of sports. Find the after-school programs and visit the school often to see what your child is learning. It is not fair to blame the schools alone for their failures. The children of today must be prepared to enter the shrinking but competitive job market. The students who work hard can be rewarded in America for their achievement if we stand behind the dreams of those who have gone before us. The Rev. Mitch Nickols, pastor of Bibleway Fellowship Church, New Kensington, is a community columnist for the Valley News Dispatch.

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