Bill Cosby Talks 'No-groes,' Black Leadership With CNN's Don Lemon (VIDEO)

Bill Cosby Has Strong Words For 'No-Groes'

Wanting African-Americans to take responsibility for their lives, their kids and their education, Bill Cosby has offered some strong words to a group of people he has dubbed "no-groes."

In an interview with CNN's Don Lemon Saturday, the comedian was asked to reflect on the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and to comment on the future of black leadership in the United States.

“I think it has to come from the universities,” Cosby said, stressing that education is the key to a community's success. And it's not just prestigious universities, either.

"Okay, you backed up and didn’t do well. You quit school but now you find you need that high school credential. Go to the community college,” he advised.

The veteran actor went on to say that while women appear to be the leaders in the majority of households, he hopes to see more men step up to the plate.

"What we need is for people to realize -- 'I want to raise my kid. I want to go back and get my three kids. I want to take on that responsibility. I want to love my children,'" he said, adding that he would love to see more black men taking a more visible role in parenting.

Later in the interview, Cosby, who has previously stirred up controversy for telling blacks to "stop complaining" and take more responsibility for their choices, went on to talk about what he sees as the shortfalls of the juvenile rehabilitation system. He argued that juvenile inmates are often given medication instead of being counseled or equipped with skills to change their behavior.

“If you drug these people, and then you release them, and there’s no prescription for them to get to take to do the same thing, and they go back to the same place,” he said.

At this juncture, Cosby interrupted himself, saying: “Now, about this time, this is when you hear the no-groes jump up and say, ‘Why don’t you talk about the good things?’”

The issue, Cosby argued, is that while the good things are "taking care of themselves pretty well," he wants to help people get to a position "so they will understand" how to take control of their lives.

The former "Cosby Show" star said he offers this advice having experienced the challenges of life first-hand.

"The reason why I’m giving you this information is because I was living in the projects," Cosby said. "I was not taking care of myself in terms of managing my education, and once the door opened and I saw quote, unquote, the light, I started to become very successful.”

Lemon's interview with Cosby is the latest in a string of controversial segments in which the CNN anchor -- who has been called a "turn coat" for his views -- has discussed issues within the black community.

Earlier this year, Lemon came under fire after he rolled out his five-point plan to fix the black community. The plan includes finishing school and not having children out of wedlock.

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