Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Black History Month

February is Black History Month in The States. It's a time when we pay homage to those of African decent who have changed our world through invention, innovation, political and humanitarian advances, and any other number of things. Most people know of Fredrick Douglass who championed the abolitionists movement, or Harriet Tubman who spied for the Union and worked against slavery through the Underground Railroad. George Washington Carver was a brilliant scientist who made leaps and bounds in agricultural science at the Tuskegee Institute. And there are numerous others... Garrett Morgan, Martin Luther King Jr., Maya Angelou. The list is extensive!

However, today I'd like to focus on one African American who is not only loved by the nation for the years of laughter he has given us, but also for his famous fashion sense. I'm speaking of course, about the one and only...


When I was a child, I loved watching The Cosby Show. Turning on the TV and watching the Huxtables was like having friends over for dinner. There would always be laughter, sometimes tears, and no matter what color your skin, you were welcome. Looking back, the show feels innocent. Granted, it tackled some tough subjects on occasion, and dealt with what were at the time volatile issues. Still though, unlike much of what we see today, it did so without leaving you feeling jaded or sad. Instead, it left you hopeful. 

The Huxtables were a wonderful presentation of an ideal American family. They loved and supported each other, their community, their neighbors, and their country. Sure, they disagreed and fought, there were sibling rivalries, misunderstandings, and sometimes the injustice of the world would shake their Brooklyn Brownstone, but in the end, you knew they'd be fine, because above all else, they cared for each other.

All of that is well and good, and is a source of fond memories for me, but it's not why I've chosen to salute Mr. Cosby. No, the reason I've chosen him today is because in the history of the modern world, no one has done more for tacky sweaters that this man.

Behold:






I don't even feel it requires commentary. Mr. Cosby, I raise my cup of Jell-O Puddin' to you!

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