Sister Souljah to discuss First Amendment at U.

Although Sister Souljah will not perform while on campus, she will "rap" with students, faculty and administrators next week about the First Amendment and rap music, as part of a panel discussion on free speech. The panel, entitled "Rap and Rights: the First Amendment and the Arts," will include faculty, students and administrators. College senior Christopher Robbins, editor-in-chief of The Red and Blue, and College junior Christopher Lake, editor of The Vision, will be panelists, according to Erika Quitiquit, a 1994 College of Arts and Sciences graduate. "They're both active in the media on campus and can give a viewpoint on how the media perceives and portrays the issue -- especially when people are mad about something that has been said," she added. Associate Professor of Political Science Will Harris and W.E.B. DuBois College House Assistant Dean in Residence Eric Perkins will also serve on the panel. Harris focuses many of his classes and a great deal of his work on the U.S. Constitution. And according to Quitiquit, Perkins is an "expert" in hip-hop and rap music. The program will begin with the individual speakers presenting their viewpoints, followed by discussion and questioning among the five panelists. Audience participation and questions will follow. "I hope it will be lively," Quitiquit said. "We picked people who we thought would know a lot about the subject." Souljah sparked controversy during the 1992 presidential campaign when then-Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton criticized her for suggesting after the Los Angeles riots that there be a week to kill white people, since "black people kill black people every day." But Upper Quadrangle Assistant Dean in Residence Pamela Robinson has said Souljah was not invited because she is controversial. Robinson said she hopes Souljah's fame will attract a large crowd at the event. "I hope she gets to speak on how she feels -- on if freedom of speech is harmful to others," Quitiquit added. Although the event is sponsored by the Office of First Year Programs, all are invited to attend. The panel will take place on April 4, from 7 to 9:30 p.m., in Stiteler B6.