Civil rights attorney speaks at IU about case

Alvin Chambliss, the lead attorney of a controversial lawsuit filed against the state of Mississippi, gives IU credit for its integration programs. Wednesday night, he praised the University because he said many southern states send minority students to IU for higher education. \n"I give this University top performance," Chambliss said. "Even though (IU) was paid by the southern states, the University graduated more black Ph.D.s from the south than any institution in America. I give them that credit. That's not to say that everything at this University is perfect. At this point, it has done more than any other school in America in producing black Ph.D.s from the south."\nChambliss spoke at the Neal-Marshall Black Cultural Center Wednesday night.\nChambliss was part of a landmark civil rights lawsuit that claimed Mississippi state government gave more money to predominately white schools than predominately black ones. Some would look at the $503 million settlement as a victory for minority students and universities, but Chambliss said it was a defeat because the settlement was not enough. \n"It's not about the money -- it never was," Chambliss said. "These schools do not have any sort of higher education like doctoral or law schools and have never had any programs that seek to be No. 1."\nFrank Motley, assistant dean to the school of law and speech organizer, said Chambliss' presentation underscored existing problems at universities all over the country. Motley also said Chambliss seeks to galvanize the historic Brown v. Board of Education case that ended federally-sanctioned racial segregation in public schools, which Chambliss said is in need of "mouth-to-mouth resuscitation." \n"I thought his presentation was wonderful, I think it was a message that needed to be heard," Motley said. \nIU Assistant Professor Paulette Patterson said Chambliss touched on the problems with the American education system most people choose to ignore. \n"He's getting to the core of the debate on whether or not Brown did more harm than good or did more good than harm." Patterson said. \n-- Contact senior writer Dan Patrick at djpatric@indiana.edu.