Spring Break
Speaker to address Obama's impact on world, black community
By: Ben Johnson
Issue date: 2/12/09 Section: Features
As part of Black History Month at Texas A&M, political activist Mahdi Bray will lecture Thursday about the impact President Barack Obama has had on the nation and world.
"Changes and Challenges" is one of a series of programs presented by the Muslim Students Association (MSA).
"I'm really excited about it," said Nafisah Hankins, a junior sociology major and MSA member. "We've been working on it since before December and we're looking forward to hearing what (Bray) has to say."
He will be speaking on the impact Obama has had on the world, but will also address such issues as the environment and the president's impact on the black community.
Though Obama's calls to community involvement and service resonated with Hankins, she also thinks that his charge is for everyone.
"President Obama has challenged all of us to be more involved, both in our community and our country."
Hankins said discussion is the aim of the entire program.
"We are trying to help A&M become more diverse. We want the University to be the best, not only academically, but also in being inclusive. Having programs that focus on minorities improves the image of Texas A&M, both to people at the University and people who are outside and looking in."
Hankins and Lateef Lawal, also a member of MSA, have been in charge of organizing the event.
"During the election process, you could really see the tone of the country change as this guy who seemed to come out of nowhere suddenly became our president," Lawal said.
He said the event is not meant to incite conflict between people of differing political backgrounds.
"This is not about Democrats versus Republicans. We simply want to spark a dialogue about the impact President Obama has had on the world. When he was elected, people all over the world were happy," Lawal said.
In selecting Bray as the speaker for this event, Lawal said he was enthusiastic.
"I met him in a conference back in March and started talking with him. He's been a political and human rights activist in the D.C. area for many years now. We thought he would be an awesome choice for this event."
When and Where
Bray will speak at 7 p.m. today in the Sterling S. Evans Library, Room 204 E.
"Changes and Challenges" is one of a series of programs presented by the Muslim Students Association (MSA).
"I'm really excited about it," said Nafisah Hankins, a junior sociology major and MSA member. "We've been working on it since before December and we're looking forward to hearing what (Bray) has to say."
He will be speaking on the impact Obama has had on the world, but will also address such issues as the environment and the president's impact on the black community.
Though Obama's calls to community involvement and service resonated with Hankins, she also thinks that his charge is for everyone.
"President Obama has challenged all of us to be more involved, both in our community and our country."
Hankins said discussion is the aim of the entire program.
"We are trying to help A&M become more diverse. We want the University to be the best, not only academically, but also in being inclusive. Having programs that focus on minorities improves the image of Texas A&M, both to people at the University and people who are outside and looking in."
Hankins and Lateef Lawal, also a member of MSA, have been in charge of organizing the event.
"During the election process, you could really see the tone of the country change as this guy who seemed to come out of nowhere suddenly became our president," Lawal said.
He said the event is not meant to incite conflict between people of differing political backgrounds.
"This is not about Democrats versus Republicans. We simply want to spark a dialogue about the impact President Obama has had on the world. When he was elected, people all over the world were happy," Lawal said.
In selecting Bray as the speaker for this event, Lawal said he was enthusiastic.
"I met him in a conference back in March and started talking with him. He's been a political and human rights activist in the D.C. area for many years now. We thought he would be an awesome choice for this event."
When and Where
Bray will speak at 7 p.m. today in the Sterling S. Evans Library, Room 204 E.
Be sure to include your name, major, and class year. Submissions without this information are subject to deletion.
By submitting a comment, you agree to thebatt.com's Terms of Use.
You may also send a Mail Call to The Battalion at mailcall@thebatt.com