If you’ve seen the fliers plastered all over campus, or the ads in this newspaper, you’re aware that Sister Souljah, a recording artist, author, producer, and racist whose real name is Lisa Williams, will be the keynote speaker at this weekend’s Multicultural Student Leadership Conference in the Mendenhall Student Center.  Was David Duke not available?

            What’s next?  Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addressing the next meeting of Hillel?  How about Jesse Helms headlining the next B-GLAD event?  Neither one makes a whole lot of sense.  Equally unfathomable is Sister Souljah keynoting a multicultural leadership conference.

            Multiculturalism is defined as the idea that a society, notably one with a high rate of immigration, is enriched by celebrating the separate contributions of its component cultures.  To me that means all cultures, and, for better or for worse, that includes we white folk.  Yes, we have our bad apples, but for every David Duke, there’s an Abraham Lincoln.

            Sister Souljah came to national attention when then presidential candidate Bill Clinton criticized her remarks on race in a May, 1992, Washington Post interview.  Souljah was quoted as saying, “If black people kill black people every day, why not have a week and kill white people?”

            Souljah has also been quoted as saying, “I'm not saying there aren’t any decent white people; I've just never met one.”

            Are these the comments of a leader? 

            To her credit, Sister Souljah has done a lot of good work for homeless and other disadvantaged youth in the black community through camps and other educational programs.  She has rallied against racially-motivated crimes—ironic given her remarks against the white race—and police brutality.  Such activities are admirable, but is it admirable to sow the seeds of hate as well?

            I don’t know whose idea it was to invite Sister Souljah to ECU, but surely someone who truly embraces multiculturalism could have been found.  We have many fine professors from all over the world, who are excellent role models, right here on our campus.  Probably at least one of them would have been glad to speak if asked.

            On her website, Souljah claims that “many people attempt to silence” her “powerful voice” because “a young influential woman who has achieved so much, yet remains down to earth, can be quite intimidating.” 

            No, but when someone calls for a week-long killing spree of members of your race and is embraced as a leader, it can be a little unsettling.

            Remember, Hitler was a leader too.

© 2007 by J.D. Lewis