The African American Authors Book Discussion Group met in the Whittaker Road Community Meeting Room to discuss Michael Eric Dyson’s book Is Bill Cosby Right: Or Has the Black Middle Class Lost Its Mind?, published by Basic Civitas Books. The book challenged critical comments comedian Bill Cosby made in April 2004 about lower-income blacks at a NAACP dinner celebrating the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. Mr. Cosby accused poor blacks of being illiterate, irresponsible parents and “not holding up their end of the deal.” The book club members, who were identified by first name only, dissected both Bill Cosby’s arguments and Michael Eric Dyson’s rebuttals.

The program began with a video clip from an interview of Michael Eric Dyson by Debra Dickerson about his book in the C-SPAN studios on May 12, 2005.