In Atlanta, a superior-court judge, Marvin Arrington, wanted to give black defendants a dressing-down—without the presence of white people

National Review, May 19, 2008

In Atlanta, a superior-court judge, Marvin Arrington, wanted to give black defendants a dressing-down--without the presence of white people. So he kicked them out of his courtroom (and later apologized for it). Bill Cosby subsequently contacted Judge Arrington, to say that he wanted to help him in what he was doing.

The two of them, along with comedian Chris Tucker, addressed students at Atlanta's Benjamin Mays High School. Cosby spoke of the casualness with which people treat horrific problems affecting black Americans. He put it this way: "Well, the mother's on crack cocaine. Pass the salt. That girl's baby has no father. Pass the salt. Oh, he shot him in the head? Pass the salt. We look at failure, and we're like, 'Pass the salt.'" What about the charge that what Cosby does is air the "dirty laundry" of blacks? He said, "That's crazy. There are black people who have to walk around this dirty laundry." Nice going, Cos--and keep going.