A new Bill Cosby meme is going viral in social media. The picture used in the meme, which can be seen above, was taken at the height of Cosby’s career in 1983 for a national Black magazine. It was also during this time period that Cosby allegedly assaulted several women, including model Janice Dickinson and Black supermodel Beverly Johnson. Those words in the meme would have meant nothing in 1983, now they have a dark and sinister meaning.
Some may ask “Why do we so quickly jump on the band wagon to destroy another Black man? After all shouldn’t he be given the benefit of the doubt since these allegations took place decades ago? In another time, this would be the case. However, because social media did not exist 40 years ago, information about past allegations is at a user’s fingertips on the internet. Cosby’s own behavior also was damaging. He has admitted to infidelity and made a confidential settlement to one accuser in 2006. In addition, in recent years some have stated that he has been morally critical of the behavior of certain segments of the black community. The hypocrisy of “America’s favorite dad” being accused of sexual assault combined with past affairs is now ever present in how we view Cosby and his legacy.
