Bill Cosby Philanthropy
William Henry “Bill” Cosby Jr. started as a stand-up comedian performing in various clubs in different states. Born on July 12, 1937, Bill Cosby is most popular for his roles in several television shows that came out beginning in the 1960s up to the late 1990s.
Bill Cosby rose to stardom via the adventure show I Spy, and the television shows The Bill Cosby Show and The Electric Company. However, it was his role as Cliff Huxtable in the television series The Cosby Show that made him a household name.
Now an established star, Bill Cosby is an active philanthropist. One of his largest gifts was a $20 million grant to Spellman College, the largest gift ever granted to any of America’s traditionally black colleges. The gift was used to establish the Camille Olivia Hanks Cosby Academic Center, along with three chairs in the fine arts, social sciences and humanities. The money was also used for a library and archival program of international African women research and resources at the Academic Center.
In 1997, Bill Cosby’s son, Ennis William, was shot to death along Los Angeles’ Interstate 405 as he was changing a flat tire. This led Bill Cosby and his wife, Camille, to establish the Hello Friend/Ennis William Cosby Foundation. The foundation focused on creating equal rights for people with dyslexia and other language-based learning difficulties.
Bill Cosby continues to reach out to others by giving lectures to black communities, particularly those with problems related to illegal drugs, education, and teenage pregnancy. Bill Cosby is also raising funds for US Slavery Museum in Virginia.
Bill Cosby received the 2003 Bob Hope Humanitarian Award.
Related posts:
- Bill Gates Philanthropy tremendous wealth and generous philanthropy have garnered him praise and...
- Bill Clinton Philanthropy When his term ended, Bill Clinton was anything but ready...
- Tactical Philanthropy Forum: Paul Brest & Bill Somerville FORA.tv hosts a very provocative discussion involving philanthropic strategy. After...
- Bill Gates Pushes Students Toward Philanthropy Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and now head of the...
- Michael J. Fox Philanthropy is a successful actor who was stricken with Parkinson’s Disease....