2008 Woodie Awards
Commotion clouds Connerly event
Caitlin Dean
Issue date: 4/3/08 Section: News
"Why can't we speak in our own voices?" one woman in the audience asked. "... We ask you the questions. You, the great expert, tell us the answers. That is the purpose of this format."
Throughout the event, Connerly frequently fought for control of the audience while maintaining his composure.
"If we can't have a civil discussion, I'm leaving," he said at one point.
Despite many audience outbursts, Connerly said his reception at Truman did not differ from that at other speaking venues.
"Generally it's a little bit more civil, but I don't have any complaints about Truman, I really don't," he said.
Prior to the event, the College Democrats had held a Ward Connerly protest rally, organized on 48 hours' notice. Speakers at the rally included Joe Thomas, member of Jobs with Justice, a statewide coalition to stop the Ward Connerly movement, as well as State Rep. Talibdin El-Amin, D-St. Louis.
El-Amin said affirmative action allows for equal opportunity that MoCRI would deny.
"America is the land of opportunity, and the only thing we want is for Missouri to be consistent with that," El-Amin said.
Sophomore Makita Abraham, an advocate of affirmative action, attended Connerly's presentation to learn more. She said the event was unprofessional and that Connerly seemed angry and was not welcoming or personable. After Connerly told an audience member to shut up, Abraham had to step out of the room to regain her composure, she said.
Abraham said she left the event upset.
"It seems like it kind of separated our community," she said.
Throughout the event, Connerly frequently fought for control of the audience while maintaining his composure.
"If we can't have a civil discussion, I'm leaving," he said at one point.
Despite many audience outbursts, Connerly said his reception at Truman did not differ from that at other speaking venues.
"Generally it's a little bit more civil, but I don't have any complaints about Truman, I really don't," he said.
Prior to the event, the College Democrats had held a Ward Connerly protest rally, organized on 48 hours' notice. Speakers at the rally included Joe Thomas, member of Jobs with Justice, a statewide coalition to stop the Ward Connerly movement, as well as State Rep. Talibdin El-Amin, D-St. Louis.
El-Amin said affirmative action allows for equal opportunity that MoCRI would deny.
"America is the land of opportunity, and the only thing we want is for Missouri to be consistent with that," El-Amin said.
Sophomore Makita Abraham, an advocate of affirmative action, attended Connerly's presentation to learn more. She said the event was unprofessional and that Connerly seemed angry and was not welcoming or personable. After Connerly told an audience member to shut up, Abraham had to step out of the room to regain her composure, she said.
Abraham said she left the event upset.
"It seems like it kind of separated our community," she said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Jose J. Soto
posted 4/03/08 @ 9:57 AM CST
When will affirmative action, equity, and diversity initiatives as tools for social justice become unnecessary, unwarranted, and anachronistic?
Efforts to eliminate affirmative action as a tool for attaining equal opportunity and social justice are current and active in five states (AZ, CO, MO, NE, and OK). (Continued…)
Mary Pollock, Michigan
posted 4/03/08 @ 10:30 AM CST
When pressed about it, Connerly says that he is opposed to affirmative action on the basis of legacy and donor relationship to public universities. These account for a greater number of subjective college admissions than race- or gender-based "preferences. (Continued…)
Ryan
posted 4/03/08 @ 6:10 PM CST
"There is another class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. (Continued…)
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