Walking the path of progress

Seventy-five years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. was born. Fifty years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of desegregation. Eighteen years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. Day was instated as a national holiday. Now, in 2004, the world has changed because of the King, but there are still social battles to be fought, said keynote speaker Ellis Cose Monday.\nThe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration Committee invited Cose to present at its annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day lecture in Whittenberger Auditorium last night.\nCose is a best-selling author of several books, examining social issues affecting black people and he is also a contributing editor for Newsweek magazine. Cose's lecture centered on the events leading up to the historic Supreme Courts decision to end segregation at public schools in the 1954 Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka schools ruling and the dramatic ramifications it had on the social structure of the United States. \nCose also examined the setbacks continuing to hinder the full integration of blacks and other minorities into the U.S. educational system, and society at large. President Adam Herbert gave the opening address and noted he had attended a segregated elementary school and remembered when the historic decision was made. \n"We are here to take part in this celebration of King's life and also his dream of justice and equality," Herbert said. "This national holiday, which so many struggled to establish, provides an annual opportunity for us to assess how far we have come and also to reaffirm our commitment to fully realize the promise of diversity and the goal of equal opportunity for all." \nGloria Gibson, associate vice chancellor for multicultural affairs, said Cose was invited to speak because of his background as a writer, author and researcher. \n"These lectures are always very inspiring, and so I hope particularly for students that they will better understand Dr. King's legacy." Gibson said. "But more so, that they will begin to become a part of the present debate on issues pertaining to social justice, voter's rights and many other issues."\nCose said many people know very little about King, and tend to associate him exclusively with his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. Cose said King's life was much more complex and challenging than many assume and King had his own ideas on affirmative action, economic disadvantage and reparations.\n"Part of what I am trying communicate in this lecture is that the thinking and ideas of King are a lot more complex than people routinely assume that they are," Cose said. \nCose added despite the progress that has been achieved in the areas of civil rights and equality, there is still a long way to go, and if King were around today, he would likely be disappointed. \nEdward Rhodes, vice president for student development and diversity, said he believes it is very important for students to attend such lectures. \n"This provides students with a perspective which is going to be hard to obtain otherwise," Rhodes said. "Ellis Cose is a person who has lived a full life. He has traveled extensively, and brings a total experience and perspective that is different from what we have here." \nHerbert noted in his opening address was very pleased with the high student turnout at the event. \nGraduate student Manshawn Wolly said he attended the event because he had read some of Cose's work. \n"I ran across a couple of his books at the bookstore and I read them," Wolly said. "I thought he had an interesting perspective on things, so I wanted to come and hear what he had to say. I like the fact that he included his international perspective in regard to segregated schooling." \nCose noted the integration of black people into the educational institutions in the U.S. is only one of the many international challenges around the globe in minority educational integration. \nCose recently returned from Bulgaria where he was studying the integration of gypsies into the Bulgarian national public school system. \n-- Contact staff writer Rami Chami at rchami@indiana.edu.