Student Affairs conducted a Town Hall Meeting on "Free Speech and CommunityBuilding" in the Adamson Wing of Baker Hall on Feb 21. The meeting was meant to provide a forum for discussion on the rights and responsibilities of the Carnegie Mellon community in creating a positive climate for discussion. The moderators were Jennifer Church, Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Michael Murphy, Dean of Student Affairs, and Erik Michaels-Ober, Student Body President.

The timing and implied purpose of the meeting was to discuss the speaker from last Thursday, Malik Zulu Shabazz.

Shabazz is the national chairman of the New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, an organization that advocates black power and the Islamic faith. The New Black Panthers formed out of the Nation of Islam. Shabazz has a notorious reputation for anti-Semitic, anti-Zionist, and anti-white comments. Among Shabazz's many other controversial views are that he is anti-death-penalty, anti-police, and anti-homosexual.

Contrary to popular belief, the New Black Panther organizers were never members of the Black Panther Party.

At the Town Hall Meeting, students expressed their concern with bringing such a controversial, outspoken speaker to campus by voicing their opinions on a variety of topics, including freedom of speech, freedom of press, sensitivity, racial tensions on campus before and after the Natrat incident, and their concerns of personal harassment. Several of the students reported receiving threats and harassment through e-mails, visits to residences, and over AOL Instant Messenger.

Rachel Gross, a junior in TSB and HSS, attended Shabazz's speech and spoke of it through tears at the meeting. "While I believe we should learn about history and I believe in freedom of speech, I felt threatened and unsafe during [Shabazz's] speech. No one wants to be singled out [by religion]." 

Although many students said they disagreed with most of what Shabazz said during his speech, they do not feel that controversial speakers should be prevented from coming to campus. There was a consensus between the students that spoke that the campus community members should be able to choose what speeches they would like to attend and filter through the words of each speaker they hear.

Abigail Cyntje, president of SPIRIT and a CIT senior, apologized for Shabazz's comments, but did admit that his words were beyond her control. "I met with JenChurch [of Student Affairs] and Ty Walton in the CMAP office to plan this event so it would go as smoothly as possible. Once it started it was out of my hands."

HSS senior Yanikie Scarlett supports SPIRIT's decision to bring a strong speaker to campus for Black History Month. "I was in a European history course where on the syllabus I did not see any mention of international slave trade. I asked the professor and I was told that she did not feel it was relevant. We needed a strong black speaker to tell us our history."

The majority of the meeting was spent on debates about Jewish, Middle Eastern, and Black history, racism, the Natrat, and stereotypes. Towards the end of the discussion students began to ask, "What now?" Most felt that more meetings with open dialogue, a new policy from the University, and an overall change of cultural constraints on the campus are needed.

CFA freshman Roberta Burke said that students should focus on the campus community and not on the speakers that come to campus.

"We are still here and the racism is still here and that is what needs to be dealt with," Burke said.

Shabazz was funded by SPIRIT and other individuals who choose to remain anonymous; however, SPIRIT takes full responsibility for organizing the event. 

Shabazz's credentials are part of the reason SPIRIT and others decided to bring him to campus. He graduated from Howard University School of Law in 1995 and is a part of the Washington, D.C. Bar. In 2003, he organized Black Lawyers for Justice.

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