University of Iowa Law professor Adrien Wing invoked the legacy of Malcolm X yesterday to promote racial activism and criticize the United States-led war on terrorism.
"You are a permanent un-American," she said to minorities in the audience, faulting racial profiling policies. "If you're not white, you're not going to be integrated."
"The government is waging a war against people in this country, whether they be aliens ... or citizens of the United States."
Nicholas Vaughan, a first-year Law student at Penn, said he enjoyed the lecture.
"It was really interesting," he said. "This is the best talk I've heard here so far."
The event, which was held the week before the anniversary of Malcolm X's death and drew over 40 students, was the fourth annual "Malcolm X Human Rights Lecture" at the Penn Law School. The event was sponsored by the United Law Students of Color Council, Black Law Students Association, Makuu, the African American Resource Center and the Penn Arab Law Students Society.
Wing listed black pride, anti-racist spirit, internationalism and courage as four key ideas for which Malcolm X stood by at the end of his life.
"He wasn't trying to be white," she said. "He knew how to hold his head up high."
"He transcended ... a narrow vision of being black and became a citizen of the world," she said.
Wing emphasized the link between domestic civil rights and global human rights and pointed to the war on Iraq as an example of that connection.
"Tax dollars that could be used in Philadelphia are being used in Baghdad," she said.
Both Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X "knew their days were numbered" but pursued their visions of justice anyway, she said.
Throughout the lecture, Wing applied lessons from Malcolm X's life to present times.
She said that very few people espouse black pride today, noting that some of her black students have expressed envy of her lighter skin.
"We often have so much self-hate ... that we are not necessarily standing up proud and tall as Brother Malcolm did."
Although "there's a lot more racism today or as much" as in Malcolm X's time, she urged attendees to "fight the urge to be racist" in response to racism.
Wing said that the U.S. government contains a number of "Uncle Toms" and criticized Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice in particular.
Wing called for substantial rollbacks of provisions in the USA Patriot Act, which she said was "reminiscent of the McCarthy era."
Wing criticized the Bush administration's handling of post-war Iraq as well, accusing the government of blocking full media access and reducing benefits for troops currently in Iraq.
She predicted chaos and civil war if the United States proceeds with a turnover of political power to the Iraqis by June 30 as planned.
"We may not be sure of what Brother Malcolm would do, but what are you doing?" she asked.
"You have to do activism everywhere you are."
Asked about reparations and affirmative action, Wing offered an impassioned response.
"Affirmative action is not sufficient reparations for slavery," she said. "It is only helping a few of us."
"Yes, I am a proud affirmative action baby ... but affirmative action didn't write my 70 publications. ... It didn't earn my 3.87 GPA, magna cum laude."
But, she said, when Rodney King was beaten, the police did not "stop to ask him what degrees he had."
"They beat him because he was a nigger," she said. "They're going to brand you that way."
Wing concluded by saying that young activists' passion "gives me strength" to continue speaking out.
Third-year Law student Angela Migally, president of the United Law Students of Color Council, called the lecture "inspiring."
"I just feel energized again," she said.
