Throughout the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans gained more rights than ever before. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 made voting more accessible, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed racial discrimination in public accommodations, and public figures like Jackie Robinson revolutionized predominately white aspects of American culture. During their time on American soil, African Americans went from slaves, to compensated slaves, to oppressed citizens. Despite these significant advancements, the United States had a long way to go before it could accurately call itself “a nation with liberty and justice for all,” as stated in its Pledge of Allegiance. Racism continued, it was just no longer endorsed by the federal government. Whites considered
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Race was rarely ever mentioned, which was especially surprising because as African American members of the upper middle class, they undoubtedly should have dealt with substantial amounts of discrimination and barriers preventing them from reaching that point. Sut Jhally and Justin Lewis, authors of the novel Enlightened Racism: The Cosby Show, Audiences, and the Myth of the American Dream, argue, “The show never offers [viewers] the slightest glimpse of the economic disadvantages and deep-rooted discrimination that prevent most black Americans from reaching their potential.” Two black professionals in one household was highly unlikely; Cliff and Claire’s jobs did not accurately represent the reality of life as an African American and the available educational and professional opportunities. Cherrie Bucknor, researcher for the Center for Economic and Policy Research, found that in 1980, just two years before the pilot episode, only eleven percent of black people completed college, where white students were twice as likely to finish school. In an interview in 2013, Oprah Winfrey asked Phylicia Rashad, the actress who played Claire, about the possibility that her character’s success was not realistic. She responded by saying: “I grew in Houston, Texas, and it was very realistic. It was very realistic in a lot of places.” Rashad is right; some people were able to become doctors and lawyers, but they are the minority. Data from Dennis Gilbert’s book The American Class Structure in an Age of Growing Inequality shows that in 1983, only twelve percent of black workers were professionals. The Cosby Show did not portray reality; Cosby designed the Huxtables’ life so that white people would be more inclined to watch, and therefore he spread an incorrect image. Although his actions resulted in unfair expectations for black people,
Race was rarely ever mentioned, which was especially surprising because as African American members of the upper middle class, they undoubtedly should have dealt with substantial amounts of discrimination and barriers preventing them from reaching that point. Sut Jhally and Justin Lewis, authors of the novel Enlightened Racism: The Cosby Show, Audiences, and the Myth of the American Dream, argue, “The show never offers [viewers] the slightest glimpse of the economic disadvantages and deep-rooted discrimination that prevent most black Americans from reaching their potential.” Two black professionals in one household was highly unlikely; Cliff and Claire’s jobs did not accurately represent the reality of life as an African American and the available educational and professional opportunities. Cherrie Bucknor, researcher for the Center for Economic and Policy Research, found that in 1980, just two years before the pilot episode, only eleven percent of black people completed college, where white students were twice as likely to finish school. In an interview in 2013, Oprah Winfrey asked Phylicia Rashad, the actress who played Claire, about the possibility that her character’s success was not realistic. She responded by saying: “I grew in Houston, Texas, and it was very realistic. It was very realistic in a lot of places.” Rashad is right; some people were able to become doctors and lawyers, but they are the minority. Data from Dennis Gilbert’s book The American Class Structure in an Age of Growing Inequality shows that in 1983, only twelve percent of black workers were professionals. The Cosby Show did not portray reality; Cosby designed the Huxtables’ life so that white people would be more inclined to watch, and therefore he spread an incorrect image. Although his actions resulted in unfair expectations for black people,