Cosby and Poussaint use stories to back up the observations they write in the book, advising readers to stay in school, be independent, and be good parents. They especially make a plea for young fathers to take responsibility for their children, citing that children grow up lost without them.

Come On People was released to similar criticism as Cosby drew years before with his ""Pound Cake" speech in 2004. Though some readers found the authors' intent admirable, others noted that their written claims were not backed up by any statistical fact.

• "Blaming white people can be a way for some black people to feel better about themselves, but it doesn't pay the electric bills. There are more doors of opportunity open for black people today than ever before in the history of America."

• "There are whole blocks with scarcely a married couple, whole blocks without responsible black males."