"Ladies and gentlemen, the lower economic people are not holding up their end in this deal. These people are not parenting. They are buying things for kids - $500 sneakers for what? And won't spend $200 for 'Hooked on Phonics.'"

Somebody better preach on that one. Every major societal problem can be traced back to the family. One can imagine this was not the uplifting message on the plight of black people in education NAACP officials were hoping for. You'll be hard-pressed to find much in the news about his comments, but they are being felt throughout the black community and beyond.

Perhaps what worries me the most is the fact that Cosby, at age 66, is headed into the last quarter of his life and has yet to fully impart all that is within him to this generation. This is not Cosby's fault. This is our fault. Someone as influential as Mr. Cosby can stand before a group like the NAACP and utter those very words and many will not understand or recognize the significance of the fathering spirit. I have said for many years that Bill Cosby has not yet walked into the fullness of the respect he deserves as a man of wisdom and experience. This will be to our detriment if we don't take heed to the words our elders speak. We need to shake off this illegitimate child mentality and start receiving those who are attempt to speak into our lives. I suppose it is more cyclic than we'd like to think. Many in the black community cannot receive Cosby's words as a father because they themselves have never had a father. And thus, that value of impartation is not recognized or appreciated. Well, that needs to change. Quickly. I fear people will rally around Cosby's words for a couple of months and then once the hype dies down, we'll be back to complacency as usual.

One of the areas I've most admired about Mr. Cosby is his commitment to family, but more importantly, his commitment to Fatherhood. In the era where the male household figure is predominately portrayed to be a bumbling bafoon of sorts, Bill Cosby has always made sure that anything he put his name on gave fatherhood its due respect and honor. Bill Cosby is once again adding his television-genius to a new animated series based on his best-selling book, Fatherhood. The cartoon will bear the book's name. Here is the Nickelodeon press release:

Nick at Nite, the home to modern classic TV, will premiere its first original animated series, Fatherhood. Based on legendary comedian Bill Cosby's best-selling book, "Fatherhood," this original series will premiere June, 2004 and be executive produced by Cosby. Each installment of the animated series will be a comedic, yet insightful journey that features the challenges, life lessons and confusions of family life. Blair Underwood will star as the voice of Dr. Bindlebeep -- a high school teacher, loving husband and father of three. Sabrina Le Beauf, who played Sondra, Cliff Huxtable's eldest child on the beloved hit sitcom The Cosby Show, will star as Dr. Bindlebeep's wife.