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CNN Live Event/Special
Bill Cosby Heads To Baylor In Hopes Of Uplifting Community
Aired September 04, 2003 - 19:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Earlier I had a chance to talk to Mr. Cosby about his goals for tonight and why he's chosen to go to Baylor University.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL COSBY, COMEDIAN: I want to talk to them because they've been left out of the equation. That's a community of people who will be coming back to school along with the professors and they didn't sign on for news media to just have all of this happen with the name Baylor, Baylor, Baylor, Baylor.
So we're going to go out and we're just going to have a good time dedicated to the people who have come there for the reason that the university was founded.
KAGAN: And what exactly will be your message?
COSBY: I think that we want to establish human beings are individual and a better feeling about one's self in spite of the tragedy. A better feeling about one's self about being at that school. Also the community, I think entwined, I would like to feel that there's some parents who could come and bring their children and especially if they haven't connected yet with their kids, maybe they're into those terrible teen times, or maybe some of the children may be going through depression and nobody can fix it, and maybe this rally with people feeling good and laughing without aid of beer or drugs, unprescribed by a doctor.
KAGAN: Just from the heart.
COSBY: Yes.
KAGAN: If we can talk just for a moment about the tragedy of the death of Patrick Dennehy. I would imagine that this touches just too close to your heart, having lost your son Ennis in 1997? No, this is not about Ennis?
COSBY: No. If you want -- when -- what reminds me of Ennis on a 97th percentile, would be when I see any teacher bent over a child working with that child in the lower, lower economic area, then I see Ennis. When I see a friendly person that you feel has no agenda of anything in particular, just a nice person. This did not connect. I've had too many years, six as a matter of fact, that has passed so that it didn't resonate.
KAGAN: So your joy of Ennis is in the joy of his life and in his passion of education which you will try to also reignite with some of the young people there today to make it about learning and school?
COSBY: But it's also about self. So many of our children have a feeling about self that is not -- it has nothing to do with whether they're worthy or not, whether they can feel a self worth. And I think it's very easy and it's very, very fragile so that today, we're going to have the whole band there. Today we're going have a pep rally for the students. Also for the faculty and the administration and for people -- anybody who wants to come. It's free.
KAGAN: Well, we will be watching, indeed. Bill Cosby in Waco, Texas, at Baylor University. Thanks for your time and the service you're doing to Baylor and that community today. Appreciate it.
COSBY: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Class act, Mr. Cosby.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
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Aired September 4, 2003 - 19:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Earlier I had a chance to talk to Mr. Cosby about his goals for tonight and why he's chosen to go to Baylor University.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL COSBY, COMEDIAN: I want to talk to them because they've been left out of the equation. That's a community of people who will be coming back to school along with the professors and they didn't sign on for news media to just have all of this happen with the name Baylor, Baylor, Baylor, Baylor.
So we're going to go out and we're just going to have a good time dedicated to the people who have come there for the reason that the university was founded.
KAGAN: And what exactly will be your message?
COSBY: I think that we want to establish human beings are individual and a better feeling about one's self in spite of the tragedy. A better feeling about one's self about being at that school. Also the community, I think entwined, I would like to feel that there's some parents who could come and bring their children and especially if they haven't connected yet with their kids, maybe they're into those terrible teen times, or maybe some of the children may be going through depression and nobody can fix it, and maybe this rally with people feeling good and laughing without aid of beer or drugs, unprescribed by a doctor.
KAGAN: Just from the heart.
COSBY: Yes.
KAGAN: If we can talk just for a moment about the tragedy of the death of Patrick Dennehy. I would imagine that this touches just too close to your heart, having lost your son Ennis in 1997? No, this is not about Ennis?
COSBY: No. If you want -- when -- what reminds me of Ennis on a 97th percentile, would be when I see any teacher bent over a child working with that child in the lower, lower economic area, then I see Ennis. When I see a friendly person that you feel has no agenda of anything in particular, just a nice person. This did not connect. I've had too many years, six as a matter of fact, that has passed so that it didn't resonate.
KAGAN: So your joy of Ennis is in the joy of his life and in his passion of education which you will try to also reignite with some of the young people there today to make it about learning and school?
COSBY: But it's also about self. So many of our children have a feeling about self that is not -- it has nothing to do with whether they're worthy or not, whether they can feel a self worth. And I think it's very easy and it's very, very fragile so that today, we're going to have the whole band there. Today we're going have a pep rally for the students. Also for the faculty and the administration and for people -- anybody who wants to come. It's free.
KAGAN: Well, we will be watching, indeed. Bill Cosby in Waco, Texas, at Baylor University. Thanks for your time and the service you're doing to Baylor and that community today. Appreciate it.
COSBY: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Class act, Mr. Cosby.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
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