Fels speaker recounts leadership in civil rights

Few men are willing to admit to being scared -- Roger Wilkins is one of the few.

And after a warm introduction Friday from Fels Institute of Government Director Lawrence Sherman, who called him "a distinguished American whose work speaks to the central issues of this period," Wilkins took the podium and explained his nervousness.

After all, the intimate crowd of about 35 graduate students at the Fels Institute included Wilkins' son -- who had never seen his father give a talk before.

But if Wilkins was worried about what his son might think, he gave a calm and composed lecture. Over the course of an hour, Wilkins outlined his career in public service, work as a journalist and time as a teacher.

He started by describing his work to prevent riots in the 1960s while serving in the Department of Justice.

Explaining why blacks in the north rioted, Wilkins said that they "saw rights on paper but still felt racism."

"The imposition of a culture that shunned black people had a devastating effect on the people it affected," he added.

In the winter of 1964-1965, Wilkins held a conference of mayors to help prevent rioting the next summer. Most of the invitees attended, but Los Angeles representatives did not.

In 1965, Los Angeles was one of the cities that experienced burning and looting. Wilkins went there to help, but said he came face-to-face with the police issues that had caused the chaos. He said he was stopped by a visibly angry police officer who pointed a shotgun at his face.

"I remember thinking of my son," Wilkins said, pointing to the back of the room. "He was only a year old, and I thought he was going to grow up without a father."

After leaving his government post, Wilkins went on to an extremely successful second career in journalism. During the 1970s, he won a Pulitzer Prize while writing editorials for The Washington Post and became the first black editorial board member of The New York Times.

Throughout his life, Wilkins said there is one question he has always asked himself whenever he is working -- "To whom in this world... does what I've done today make a difference?"

The bulk of Wilkins' question-and-answer time was spent on affirmative action questions -- which he is in a unique position to answer, having obtained his undergraduate and law degrees at the University of Michigan.

"I believe that diversity is a compelling value in education -- not just for blacks, not just for whites, but for everyone," he said when asked about his views.

Wilkins also elaborated on his fears about the United States' current administration, saying that new policies are hurting diversity in the name of security.

"They are reinforced in their conviction that order trumps everything," he said. "Especially since September 11 and now that we've just had a war."

For those who attended, the event was more than just another opportunity to hear a leader speak.

"It's always interesting to get a non-politician's view on leadership," graduate student Blas Nunez-Neto said.

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