Judge, Former 'Thug' Who Kicked Whites Out of Courtroom, Teams Up With Bill Cosby
The black Atlanta-area judge who sparked controversy when he asked all whites to leave his courtroom so he could lecture the black defendants last month is partnering with comedian Bill Cosby tonight in an effort to spread their shared message to youth at risk.
The pairing of judge/comedian makes sense, an Atlanta paper asserts, considering the wave of criticism Cosby faced four years ago when he criticized African-American families for poor parenting and berated black youth for not mastering queen’s English. Marvin Arrington was similarly excoriated in the national media for his “fireside chat.”
Attending the ticketed event, which is not public, will be at-risk youth recommended by area schools and juvenile courts. Parents were encouraged to join them, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
In its story about the Arrington/Cosby event, the AJC explores Arrington’s background. He was a poor kid from a since-demolished Atlanta housing project.
“I was an inner-city thug,” Arrington is quoted sayiing. “Wouldn’t listen to anybody.”
Teachers, coaches and complete strangers, he says, turned him around.
“I could’ve easily went the other way,” he says. “That’s how I know these kids can do better, but it’s up to us to help them.”
