Ok but the topic is Bill Cosby’s remarks. And how does opening a theatre tie in there. His remarks spoke of educating the youth and parents being accountable. Not sure how Magic Johnsons Starbucks and Movie theatres play here.
Its easy for me to sit here and say what I say because I live these words. I try to get guys like Gary Payton, Jason Kidd, Brian Shaw, Mark Curry and other guys who are from this area to realize the potential influence they have on the kids coming up if they just come back around and show a little love to the neighborhood that helped forge who they are. Coming back and opening a waffle house and coming in and signing autographs once in a blue moon will not do it. I volunteer alot to do things with kids and teens, I help run midnight league basketball. I have nowhere near achieved the level of success these guys have reached but I still try to come around and show love, because to some of the kids/teens just for the simple fact I made it as far as I did with basketball and the business world I am looked up to. So I embrace that responsibility. This is what Bill Cosby both talked about and left out. He did not say if he was part of the solution or part of the problem. Just because he moved his kids to the hills does nto solve anything. So no my ideals are not skewed in anyway. I am trying to close the gap between the idealist and practitioner with regards to this topic. Magic Johnsons actions are in no way (at least in the forseeable future) going to help the “hood”. But they will line his pockets. From a person who is living it I cant stress to you how much it would mean to these kids if Gary Payton held a mini camp for the youths. Or if J Kidd endorsed a reading program. It would cost them no money to do this, yet they will make no either. So guess what they do not do it. I have been in touch with Sponsor and event coordinators who have tried to get the likes of Michael Jordans and Magic Johnsons to just sponsor events or endorse events and its like pulling teeth. These guys dont want to do nothin unless it benefits them. It is this attitude that aides in the problems we have now. And good ol’ Bill did not mention that at all.
So dont confuse my words I believe in hard work and I never accepted a hand out. But it will get increasingly hard if we continue to look for answers from outside sources. Alot of the answers are right in front of us. So once again I agree with you to an extent.