ATLANTA — A Georgia judge who kicked whites out of his courtroom while he lectured black defendants is getting a comedian’s help in delivering his stern message.
Bill Cosby joined Superior Court Judge Marvin Arrington at a forum Thursday night for at-risk youths from the Atlanta area. Both men are black, and Cosby himself has made waves by criticizing the black community.
The comedian spoke to the predominantly black audience at Benjamin Mays High School about the importance of education and family while lamenting a culture of drugs and permissive sex.
“The problem with teenage pregnancy is the planning of it. There was no planning,” he said.
“Let’s get with these teenage children and their sex and having sex. I’m telling you, you’ve got to talk to your children.”
He dismissed critics of his approach who have said he is airing dirty laundry. “That’s crazy,” he said. “There are black people who have to walk around this dirty laundry.”
Arrington said Cosby contacted him two weeks ago and said, “I want to come to Atlanta and help you with your fight to try to turn these young people around.”
The judge has admitted he shouldn’t have made white people leave as he tried to scare straight some young black men at the March 27 court session. He said he wanted only to get the defendants’ attention without dressing them down in front of whites.
