Bill Cosby is Going to Prison Because He is Black
Being rich and famous is no guarantee that the criminal justice system will treat you fairly.
Today, Bill Cosby received a three to 10-year prison sentence from a Pennsylvania judge for the 2004 sexual assault of Andrea Constand; he was promptly marched off to prison to begin serving his sentence. But first, let me say that this piece is not about Mr. Cosby’s innocence or guilt, but rather, about the institutional racism and blatant hypocrisy of our criminal justice system, which I further believe played a huge part in the initiation and conclusion of this case. However, let me be clear, I do believe that Mr. Cosby is in fact guilty of the crimes for which he was convicted. Having said that, I take issue with a few things. I simply do not believe that Mr. Cosby’s sentence is particularly fair considering the mitigating factors of the case.
I will never understand why rich and powerful black men act recklessly and/or criminally under the false perception that their wealth and influence will protect them like it so often protects white men.
Nor do I believe for a single minute that Bill Cosby was and is the only sexual predator in the entertainment industry; the only difference between those who got away with it and Mr. Cosby, is that those men where more than likely white. Mr. Cosby allowed himself to fall into the what I like to call the “I am rich and famous so I can do what the white men do and get away with it” group. Kwame Kilpatrick, Jesse Jackson Jr, and Mike Tyson, are all examples of wealthy and/or influential black men (thinking that they could get away with it too) that fall into this category. That said, Mr. Cosby’s actions, although despicable and wholly unacceptable, remind me of a certain white man and known perpetrator, ahem — Harvey Weinstein — who is just now facing criminal charges after decades of “openly” sexually assaulting dozens of famous (white) women. Only time will tell whether or not this sexual predator will receive a significant jail sentence. I doubt it though.
There is another aspect of this case, which the mainstream media has conveniently ignored, that I believe contributed to the harsh sentence.
The vast majority of Mr. Cosby’s victims and/or accusers were and are white women. This is problematic on many levels, specifically because black men having sex with white women, consensual or not, has always been considered to be a major threat to white men and their superiority complex. Mr. Cosby must have thought that his wealth and fame would protect and shield him against institutionalized racism and discrimination — poor black people face and experience everyday — and would also enable him to bed as many white women as humanly possible. Clearly, Mr. Cosby was mistaken and his swift convection and the accompanying prison sentence only demonstrate this.
Rich and famous black men are still black, and at the end of the day, being black is all that matters.
Don’t take my word for it. Consider this, for example, the recent conviction of 34-year-old Justin Schneider wherein the defendant (who kidnapped, choked until unconsciousness, and masturbated all over the victim) received no prison time for the kidnapping and assaulting of the woman nor did he have to registered as sex-offender. In this case, the defendant was and is white and the victim is native american. Everyone involved in this case, including the persecutor and judge, knew that the defendant was being given a “pass” (the prosecutor’s own words not mine) and said as much during the sentencing hearing.
Can you imagine a black man being given such a pass? I can’t.
And then there was the 2014 case of Robert H. Richards IV (one of the heirs to the du Pont fortune) wherein the defendant admitted to brutally raping his own 3-year-old daughter and received no prison time because the judge was worried about what treatment the defendant would receive from other inmates due to his sex offender status. Which brings me back to Mr. Cosby. Yes, Bill Cosby should be punished for what he did; but the truth of the matter is that this is a 81-year-old man with a plethora of serious health issues many of which would most certainly prevent him from being a clear and present threat to women. I really believe that house arrest plus probation would have been both fair and just. Instead, the white prosecutor and judge throw the proverbial book at Mr. Cosby.
Bill Cosby’s case serves as an example to all black men.
The message is clear, it doesn't matter how much money and/or fame you have, this is what will happen to you if you decide to sleep with too many white women. In addition to the lengthy prison sentence, which may well be a life sentence considering his age and health, Mr. Cosby has been labeled a violent sexual predator, will have his name placed on sex-offender list, and must attend monthly counseling sessions for life. The attorneys for Bill Cosby plan on appealing his sentence on the grounds of racism and discrimination. Odds are that the sentence will be upheld. Nevertheless, Andrew Wyatt, the publicist for Mr. Cosby, was quite disappointed at the unusually harsh sentence, to put it mildly, when he said, “This has been the most racist and sexist trial in the history of the United States.” Either way, Bill Cosby has several years of his life in total confinement to think about and reflect upon the mistakes he’s made.
#NAFPAorg #BlackLivesMatter #LivingWhileBlack #Racism #WhitePrivilege #KeepBlackFamiliesTogether #RacistDHS #AbolishCPS
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Latagia Copeland-Tyronce, MSW, CADAS, is a longtime parental rights and social justice advocate, child welfare reform activist, writer/blogger, and journalist whose work has been featured in BlackMattersUs and Rise Magazine. She is the founder, president, and executive director of the National African American Families First and Preservation Association (NAFPA) a groundbreaking 501c4 nonprofit origination, the first of its kind, devoted exclusively to the protection and preservation of the African American (Black) Family though policy and legislative advocacy.
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References
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/bill-cosby-prison-sentence-727376/
