The Cosby Show Analysis

Nixon used his media presence to change the goals of the Republican Party, and instill fear of Blacks in Americans to create harsh drug laws through anti-black rhetoric. In the midst of the War on Drugs, Bill Cosby used his media platform to provide an alternative image of the African American community. Cosby was a rising comedian in the 70’s known for his PG humor, which led to “The Cosby Show” in 1984. In an analysis of “The Cosby Show,” Gareth Palmer says, “Bill Cosby plays Cliff Huxtable, a doctor and father of five children. Phylicia Rashad plays Cliff’s wife Claire, a lawyer. The show revolves around the problems that face such a typical middle-class family ensconced in their big brownstone in a pleasant suburb” (189). Throughout

Two years before “The Cosby Show” aired, Black College enrollment was at an atrocious rate, “the black student college participation rate dropped to 35.8 percent in 1982, very close to the level that existed at the time of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964”. The War on Drugs had been in effect for roughly ten years, and the media’s image of an aggressive, drug addicted Black man evoked fear amongst the white community and created a lack of empathy for the African Americans. “The Cosby Show” took to the Black community as soon as it aired in 1984, “In the 16-year period from 1982 to 1998 the percentage of black high school graduates who went on to college was generally on the increase”. From 1982 to 1987, the black college participation rate went from 35 to 52 percent, and eventually rose to above 60 percent by 1997. It became clear that the image portrayed in the media directly affected the people in which the image reflected. Bill Cosby incorporated Historically Black Colleges and Universities into media, laying a platform for sitcoms and movies to promote HBCU’s in response to political mistreatment later down the road. Spike Lee followed suit and produced “School Daze” in 1988, the same year the Anti-Drug Abuse Act from President Ronald Regan was enacted. Originally being shot at 3 HBCU’s, It gave Black colleges national attention and taught African American

Throughout the struggle of black liberation, there have been two leading forms of resistance, one being passive, while the other promoting violence when necessary. The two people the embody both forms of the struggle in our history are Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. The film portrays this through T’Challa and Killmonger. T’Challa is passive when it comes to aiding those of African descent, and avoids being involved in foreign affairs. Killmonger is a quintessential superhero version of Malcolm X before he took his pilgrimage to Mecca. After being abandoned by his uncle in Oakland, Erik made a vow to carry on his father’s legacy. He excelled in school, and eventually became a Black Ops Soldier. His involvement in the military symbolizes his militant mindset that was so commonly associated with Malcolm X. Both men, T’Challa and Killmonger, became successful in their own right. Their fight over Wakanda and its vibranium show the inner conflict that happens amongst successful African Americans when they reach a position of power. We clearly see that ignoring the issue at hand, and focusing on self-improvement led to what the world was before Killmonger, a place with an isolation of Black wealth, and the majority of African descendants facing oppression. Then we see a world if Killmonger were to assume the thrown,