MLK lecture dispels affirmative action rumors

From affirmative action to college athletes and the criminal justice system, few topics were left untouched during George Curry's lecture Monday evening.\nEveryone has a calling, and at an early age, Curry says he knew what his calling was: "I was put on Earth to give a voice to the voiceless," he said. \nDuring Curry's 35 years as journalist, he has served as editor in chief of Emerge: Black America's Newsmagazine and as a reporter at the Chicago Tribune, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Sports Illustrated. He is currently the editor in chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service and BlackPressUSA.com. \nDespite all of his accomplishments, he believes there are still more stories for him to tell. Curry recited numerous statistics about the voiceless African-American males that are now in prison largely because of our country's social problems. \nAccording to Curry, our country spends $2.8 billion to send black males to college and $10 billion to keep them locked up. This is a statistic that solicited "amens" from some members of the audience but was mind-boggling to others. \n"His facts and statistics are astounding," said freshman Seth Nycum. \nCurry shared his opinions about affirmative action and the affirmative action controversy surrounding the University of Michigan from a new perspective. As a journalist who was allowed to sit inside the courtroom during the University of Michigan trial, Curry spoke about issues that were misconstrued in the media, such as the point system. \n"What you heard in the media was if you were an African American, you got 20 points off the top. But what they didn't tell you was if you were a poor white person, you also got 20 points. If you were from the upper peninsula of Michigan, you got 20 points. And if you were a scholarship athlete, you also got 20 points," Curry explained. \nAlthough some members of the audience questioned the duration of the affirmative action program, Curry maintained his position. \n"When we start hiring women, Latinos and minorities at the same rate that we hire incompetent white men, then we can get rid of affirmative action," Curry said. \nCurry believes black students can combat social challenges by setting realistic goals, especially black college athletes. According to Curry, 66 percent of all African-American males believe they can earn a living playing professional sports. In reality, Curry says there is a better chance of being struck by a meteorite than going to the NFL. \nFormer IU basketball player A.J. Moye was inspired by Curry's frank discussion of college athletes. \n"I have identical beliefs," said Moye, a graduate student in African American and African American studies. "The thing that was disheartening was how many seats are here compared to how many black men should have been here to hear his lecture." \nThe lecture was sponsored by the Martin Luther King Planning Committee chaired by Frank Motley, vice chancellor for academic support. \n"Curry is a drum major in the spirit of Dr. King," Motley said. "He brings a good message that helps us keep the spirit of King alive." \nAs he spreads his message through the newspapers and in his lectures, Curry believes there is still work for each of us to do. \n"Education is the ticket to success. ... We must fight," he said. "Please don't have the mistaken impression that the fight is over." \n-Contact Staff Writer Eboni Gatlin at egatlin@indiana.edu