Posted on 03/15/2004 7:15:12 AM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
Defending civil rights and protecting affirmative action policies are important because these issues affect the country's future, a spokeswoman for Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun, D-Illinois, says. "Civil Rights Under Fire" is the topic for a speech to be given by Moseley-Braun on campus tonight. The speech will focus on affirmative action as a way for people to fulfill their job potentials, Susan Lindauer, spokeswoman for Moseley-Braun, said. Lindauer said Moseley-Braun defends affirmative action policies because these policies help women and minorities get more jobs and education. She said the senator will speak about women and minorities, who benefit most from these policies, because they provide strength and perseverance to the workforce that otherwise would be lacking. Leonard Gross, SIUC School of Law professor and chairman of the Southern Illinois chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which is sponsoring the speech, said Moseley-Braun is more than qualified to speak on this topic. "As the first black woman senator in history, she is uniquely qualified to speak about civil rights in this country," Gross said. Gross said Moseley-Braun is knowledgeable about civil rights and affirmative action because she has been involved with the issues her whole life. He said she was asked to speak on the topic because of her history in the field and because she can give a view of where civil rights has been and where it is going. Seymour Bryson, executive assistant to the SIUC chancellor on affirmative action, said Moseley-Braun will have an influence on the fate of affirmative action in this country. He said she will increase people's awareness of affirmative action and help people form more intelligent decisions on the topic. Lindauer said that recent attacks on affirmative action policies in courts and universities across the country is one of the reasons why Moseley-Braun's chose the topic. Courts and some universities across the country have decided recently that racial preferences should not be taken into account when admitting students. Schools, including the University of California and the University of Texas, no longer take the race of students into account during admissions. Lindauer said Moseley-Braun also will discuss misconceptions about affirmative action. Affirmative action is not about setting quotas or pitting individuals against each other for jobs, Lindauer said. She said affirmative action is about recognizing that everyone, regardless of race or sex, has something to give to society. "Affirmative action is about encouraging every member of society to fulfill their potential," she said. "Affirmative action has always been good for America." Moseley-Braun will speak at 7:30 p.m. in Lawson Hall, Room 171.
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