Few would argue that when you tuned in to “The Cosby Show,” one of the most watched television shows in the late 80s and early 90s, you could always count on some laughter as well as a social message mixed in. “The Cosby Show” also did a great deal to eradicate some stereotypes about people. With the show still being watched by millions in reruns, Bill Cosby has taken on a new calling. Always an advocate for children and families, his voice has become even more powerful. Over the past few years he has chastised some parents for having misplaced priorities. He suggests that children should be hooked on phonics and not hooked on X-Box. Cosby reminds us that we have a responsibility to prepare the next generation of leaders.

As he has traveled around the country, he has been met with some criticism. His critics suggest that he is out of touch with parents and caregivers who, with their children, struggle to make ends meet every day. They further suggest that he doesn’t understand today’s family structure. Many forget that Bill Cosby was not born with a silver spoon in his beloved hometown of Philadelphia. Bill Cosby, like many of us, has fallen a time or two but he always managed to get back up.

This, I think, is what Bill Cosby is imploring us to do; that is, to get back in the race called life. Far too many of our children and families are dropping out of it. Our drive for success has almost grinded to a halt. We no longer want to pick ourselves up by our bootstraps but we want to use our life circumstances to stay down. Of course, there are no “perfect children and no perfect families.” However, because we don’t have perfection doesn’t mean that we should not strive to reach our goals and dreams. The challenges of the day affect all of us, rich and poor, Black and White. None of us are immune or safe from what life has to offer. If you’ll recall, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. suggested that it is not how we react in times of comfort and convenience but how we react in times of challenge and controversy. For far too many families today the misery index is high and the prospects of hope are dim. Yet we must make every effort to lower the misery index and to shine a light of hope into dark places.