Gray speaks on race and racial prejudice

President and Chief Executive Officer of the United Negro College Fund William Gray spoke about the future challenges facing youth in front of a crowd of about 50 in Stiteler Hall Saturday morning. Gray said following the cold war the world is starting to come together rather than remaining isolated countries. He added that there has been an economic revolution in the world today. "We are living in a whole new world," he said. "We are no longer alone on the world stage." Gray said he is concerned about a technological revolution occurring throughout the world which will drastically change the future job market. "Be prepared to do more than one thing in your lifetime," Gray said. "Predictions say that people will change careers from six to 12 times in their lifetimes. Technology will lead to the demise of certain jobs." While speaking about America's diversification, Gray said in the year 2050 half of the United States' population will be minority groups. "The majority is being redefined in every way," he said. "America is going through a demographic revolution." On a related topic, Gray said education is of utmost importance for the African-American community. He stressed the value of education in families. "The reality of education must become a priority in African-American education," he said. Gray also said blacks will face struggles in the future like those faced in the past. He cautioned the audience to remember history, adding that "you [the audience] are not the first to go a through a rough time." In one of his personal anecdotes Gray told of a humiliating experience in the South in the 1960s. On a car trip as a child, Gray said he cried to his mother because he had to go to the bathroom. His mother pulled into a gas station and asked the white owner if her son could use the bathroom. The white gas station owner said to Gray's mother that her family could not use the bathroom. From this moment on, Gray vowed to never cry on a car trip again. "One must recognize that it's a long haul and that things don't change overnight," Gray said. "Racism is alive and well in America." He said that racism is not gone in 1994 and its "residue" will still be around in 2004. "If you are black and born in America, the name of the game is to keep you from scoring," he added. "This is the reality of racism. You must stay on the field, throw the pass farther, run faster. This may not be fair, but that's the way it is." In his concluding remarks Gray warned students that they have a debt to pay for the people who have struggled before them. "Don't get caught up in pathologies and fail to see the strength, hope and achievements of those who have come before you," he said. "It is a stony road we have crossed." Students who attended the speech seemed to be impressed by Gray and his credentials. "The weekend was absolutely wonderful and beneficial, a great thing for the University to sponsor," said College junior Mary Beth Kochman. "He's a very dynamic speaker and the audience was captivated by what he said. "What he said really hit a lot of people really hard," added Kochman. Gray's speech was the opening speech on the second day of the African American Youth symposium.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.