NPR

When What Was Good For Bill Cosby Was Good For Black America

Bill Cosby had long encouraged the linking of his own fortunes with the broader condition of black folks, and his ongoing criminal trial has exposed how much his
Bill Cosby walks outside the courtroom during a break on the third day of his sexual assault trial in the Montgomery County Courthouse June 7, 2017 in Norristown, Pa. / Mark Makela / Getty Images

Every Friday morning when I was very little, the women who ran the daycare center I went to would gather all the kids into a circle and goodnaturedly quiz us on what happened the night before on The Cosby Show.

I distinctly remember the first time I sat in that circle having no idea what was, feeling whatever pre-kindergarteners understand as shame. The center's staffers were all black, as were we, the assembled moppets. Watching the Huxtables was quite literally my first homework

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