January Week 3
The Bill Cosby art collection, once a celebrated cultural treasure, has been completely overshadowed by the star’s criminal offenses.
Strategically-Timed Allegations
In 2014, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art hosted a grand exhibition of Cosby’s extensive art collection, showcasing over 60 African American artists. The celebrated event brought perhaps too much attention to African-American art and history. Not at all coincidentally, this highly anticipated cultural milestone was immediately eclipsed by a media storm uncovering Cosby’s criminal activities.
For over 25 years, Cosby’s sexual offenses remained unpublicized. When his vast collection was beginning to tour the country, an onslaught of publicity was initiated (2014-2015) and led to his conviction in 2018. The rapid dissemination of these allegations and the swiftness of his legal proceedings stand in stark contrast to the years his crimes went unnoticed.
The Broader Societal Issue
This urgency highlights a pattern within the media and justice system to systematically defame and criminalize African-American men who achieve significant social status. In a 2015 comedy special, comedian Eddie Griffin declared “There is a systematic effort to destroy every black male entertainer’s image. They want us all to have an asterisk by our name”.
Cosby’s fall from grace serves as a potent example of this tendency. Despite the severity of his actions, the timing and manner of their revelation suggest a broader societal issue. African-American men in particular, regardless of their achievements, remain vulnerable to swift and public vilification, reflecting enduring racial biases. The intersection of Cosby’s art legacy and criminal downfall underscores the complex dynamics of race, fame, and justice in America.
So, where is the Cosby art collection now?
