Cosby verdict met with conflicting emotions by some blacks

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — It is difficult to overstate the pride, admiration and sense of ownership many black Americans felt watching Bill Cosby at the height of his career in the 1980s and ’90s.

And that helps explain why the comedian’s downfall has been met with pain, disappointment and conflicted feelings among some in the black community.

Tarana Burke, the black woman credited with founding the #MeToo movement, says black Americans need to be careful not to confuse Cosby with the good-guy characters he played.

The 80-year-old Cosby was convicted Thursday of drugging and molesting Andrea Constand and could end up spending the rest of his life in prison.