Posted on 10/17/2001 7:03:35 PM PDT by NewDestiny
Rev. Peterson 'rocks' Gonzaga
Stirs up multicultural hornet's nest, blames black decline on bad morals
By Joel Miller
© 2001 WorldNetDaily.com
When Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson kicked off "Rock Your Thoughts" week at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., the presence of the conservative black minister had already rocked boats in the school faculty.
The event, as billed by Mark Stoltz, performing arts chair of the Gonzaga Activities Board, was "your typical college diversity week" and was supposed to feature a slate of speakers on subjects of multiculturalism and racism.
After inviting Peterson to speak, however, Stoltz told WorldNetDaily that he found it a challenge to squeeze in the diversity the reverend represented.
One of the most articulate and outspoken critics of the civil-rights establishment in America today, Peterson is founder and president of the Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny, or BOND, and is famous for his "National Day of Repudiation of Jesse Jackson." Author of the widely acclaimed book, "From Rage to Responsibility," Peterson is also the force behind the boycott of the NAACP, saying the organization is little more than a tool of the "elite, socialist" Democratic Party.
Far from shying away from Peterson's fiery side, however, Stoltz picked Peterson to inaugurate "Rock Your Thoughts" week because of it.
"If you want to have a week called 'Rock Your Thoughts,' then you can't have just one ideology, the ideology you're always fed," said Stoltz. "If you really want to get people to think, you have to present multiple views. I thought that Rev. Peterson being a black conservative would introduce a unique and different perspective." Probably so, but faculty overseeing the event weren't thrilled with the idea.
"There were concerns he was going to create dissention and be hateful," explained Stoltz. "There was one meeting held to address concerns about speaking topics," said Cassie LaValle, activities vice president of the student body association, "making certain the themes were pertinent to the theme of the week."
The faculty "weren't trying to stop it," she said, "they were just addressing concerns about what the students might feel about his coming. I think it was more they were worried about us dealing with it, concerned for our welfare in the sense that we might have stirred up some controversy" in inviting the reverend.
What kind of controversy? "Certain people might be upset by it. There might be angry people. Rev. Peterson is very well-known as a controversial speaker."
Because of the faculty "concerns" and hubbub about his appearance, Peterson wasn't even certain he'd be allowed to speak until just days before the event.
In order to bring a speaker to the university, Gonzaga officials have to sign off on any speaking contracts students make. Once the contract is approved, Stolz can mail the check to cover the speaker's fee.
Though Rev. Peterson was billed to speak Oct. 8, "up till Friday Oct. 5, the check was withheld by the faculty," explained Stoltz.
"During the week before he was supposed to speak, I was called in by the dean of students and made to answer questions about why the speaker was coming and some concerns they had." This conference came after Peterson had already been approved to speak.
"The students at that school had to fight to get me there, because the multicultural students [and professors] didn't want another opinion," Peterson told WorldNetDaily.
"They didn't want to accept Christians and conservatives who disagree with their values," he said.
"There was a black girl there who was so angry she couldn't speak. She just hissed at me," said Peterson.
"One guy told me I had anti-black sentiments. When I asked why, he said it was because I spoke out against Jesse Jackson."
Of course, Rev. Al Sharpton does the same these days, but he's not saying what Peterson is saying.
"Blacks are not suffering due to racism," Peterson told WND, basically reiterating what he told the Gonzaga students, "but the lack of moral character – you know, the destruction of the family. No program will fix that. We've got to rebuild the family."
"Some students weren't sure why he was allowed to speak," said DeValle, "because they felt he was preaching a message of hate, and the theme of the week was against hate."
"Students have come to me with concerns," she said. "They didn't appreciate that he was against the NAACP and Jesse Jackson." But despite all the heat, there was little fire from students about pinning Peterson to anything specifically bigoted.
"They have yet to come up with a clear idea of what he said that is hateful," said DeValle.
When asked why such a message would rub so many folks the wrong way, Peterson was direct: "I'm a black American, and any black that disagrees with [multicultural leaders] lessens their power to use us to further their agenda.
"The homosexuals and all these liberal groups direct the civil-rights movement to their own agenda," he said, and when people criticize them, according to Peterson, they quickly respond, "You're discriminating against us, just like you do to blacks."
"And when blacks come along and say we don't want to be used by you, they get upset about that."
Dale Goodwin, public relations director for Gonzaga, wouldn't comment directly on the supposed spat between faculty and Stoltz but said Peterson's presence "forced people to think about their feelings and thoughts and created campus-wide discussion. I think it probably got people to thinking – which was ultimately the purpose of the presentation."
Yes, you're right. Guess I'll have to Report Abuse. It is clear that many hatefilled people have used this thread to make rational comments on a topic where only histrionics are politically correct.
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