Bill Cosby's Legacy Is Questioned By Controversial Ebony Magazine Cover.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner

35 alleged victims of Cosby on the cover of a New York magazine

Cosby's effect on the perception of African American culture in America has divided observers.

Ebony Magazine's November issue features a picture of Bill Cosby, 78, in character as Cliff Huxtable on the family favourite The Cosby Show, then superimposed by a broken pane of glass over the portrait.

The image has stirred controversy, especially among Twitter users.
Shattered: The cover of the November issue of Ebony magazine features a cast picture of The Cosby Show marred by broken glass

As it's not even on news stands yet, Ebony decided to tweet the cover photo, and accompanied it with an explanation.

'#ICYMI - our November issue separates Cliff Huxtable & Bill Cosby.'

A Twitter firestorm of both approval and disgust then spread, as individuals weighed in as to whether the cover and corresponding story would even be helpful in determining Cosby's impact.

While the conversation turned adversarial, Editor-in-chief Kierna Mayo took to Facebook to offer a little more clarity.

USA Today snagged the post before it got deleted: 'I believe with everything that our collective healing (from this and all traumas) is tied to baring truths, confronting selves, and dismantling crutches. We aim to uplift. However, sometimes before you rise up, you break down.'

Though she tried to quell the furor, according to USA Today, Kiernan went on CNN and admitted to not sleeping for two days because she knew the cover would be extremely controversial.

'The bottom line is this is an urgent conversation we're having in black American and it was going to happen whether we did this or not,' she said
Long term abuses? More than 40 women have come forward in the past year alleging Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted them in incidents dating back decades

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who played Bill Cosby's son on The Cosby Show, has spoken of his sadness that the sitcom's legacy has been ruined by the sex-attack claims against the main star.
Malcom said:

My biggest concern is when it comes to images of people of color on television and film, no matter what … negative stereotypes of people of color, we’ve always had ‘The Cosby Show’ to hold up against that. And the fact that we no longer have that, that’s the thing that saddens me the most because in a few generations the Huxtables will have been just a fairy tale.

The claims span experiences from the 1960s all the way to 2008 when the embattled film star is alleged to have spiked a model's drink during a party at the Playboy mansion. He cannot be charged with most of the alleged offences because too much time has passed since the incidents.

Cosby has always denied all wrongdoing and has never been charged with any crime.


Culled