By SheelaR

I am not a reader of Ebony magazine, so I dont have to worry about canceling my Ebony magazine subscription after seeing this magazine cover and article titled “Cliff-hanger, should the Cosby Show survive?”

How very shameful of you, Johnson Publishing Company. It is understandable why you’ve lost readership…. you have lost your purpose and most importantly your commitment to the black community…. When John H. Johnson started that company more than 70 years ago, the mission was to be an advocate for the black community, and to raise the voice of a people who had no voice in the media. This cover is a direct afront to that legacy. The last time I checked we live in a society where we are supposed to be INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY (IN A COURT OF LAW)…. NOT IN public opinions. Besides, there was a time when what is being done to Bill Cosby in the media was called PUBLIC LYNCHING. But even beyond the perception or public opinion about Dr. Wm.H.Cosby, it is the defamation that is being inflicted upon the images and associations of all of the other persons that were a part of an extremely powerful, positive and much needed at that time black legacy….The Cosby Show that I have a problem with. These mass cancelations of The Cosby Show essentially punish the rest of the cast, because they lose residuals earned via reruns.

There is nothing, fair, honest, or right about that. In fact, when does that happen? It definitely wasn’t the portrayal of previously, “fallen from grace” TV star…. Steven Collins, who played a Pastor and dad on 7th Heaven, after recorded tapes of his confessions made during marriage counseling were released to the public. In this case, Collins confessed to sexually molesting young underage girls. During that time, I don’t recall, the media casting the same dark cloud over the other cast members of 7th Heaven simultaneously while reporting on the wrong-doings of Collins. As a matter of fact, it was always only about Collins, not the cast…as it should be. I’m not advocating for Mr Cosby’s innocence, just a fairness in the application of the law, and to respect the legacy of The Cosby Shows other cast of players.

With all that being said… The end of an almost 70-year legacy is upon us as the last bastion of black-owned media space known as the Johnson Publishing Company, owner of Ebony and Jet magazines, will now only be partly blacked-owned. Johnson Publishing announced last week that JP Morgan Chase & Co.’s special investments group has acquired a “substantial” minority stake in the company. You do the math…