Article

KKK foe discusses tolerance

”Bridges are built between us, across divides - divides that cause stereotypes and fears. ” Morris Dees, Founder, SPLC
Stephanie Conklin - Staff Writer

Morris Dees addressed BU this past Thursday.

An ardent civil rights supporter, Morris S. Dees Jr., took the stage at Binghamton University to discuss the importance of tolerance for all people and his influential role in the civil rights movement throughout the twentieth century.

Dees used his own personal history and influencial role in the civil rights movement to discuss acceptance and understanding for people of all races, ages, sexes and religion Thursday night during part two of the Multicultural Resource Center’s Diversity Dialogue series.

“Dees is known as the man who bankrupted the KKK,” said Vice President of Student Affairs Rodger Summers.

Dees sued Tom Metzger and the White Aryan Resistance group for their responsibility in the death of a black college student from Portland, Oregon. After a meeting, three members of the resistance encountered the young student in a parking lot in front of his apartment. The men killed the student solely based on his race and ethnicity. The three men were sentenced to jail time, and their leader, Metzger, was also brought to civil court.

The suit won the largest judgement awarded in the history of Oregon: $12.5 million. This money was given to the young black man’s family. Now his children have their American college educations fully paid for by Metzger, Dees said.

“Bridges are built between us, across divides - divides that cause stereotypes and fears. When bridges are built, our version of America will prevail out of friendship and love. This is easier said than done,” Dees said.

Dees and partner Joseph Levin formed the Southern Poverty Law Center in Alabama in order to take on pro bono cases to help pursue equal opportunities for minorities and the poor. Their lawsuits have resulted in some of the most significant changes in the civil rights movement.

They helped to implement the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Acts of 1965. Other lawsuits have included the integration of an all white Montgomery YMCA. Also, working together, Dees and Levin integrated the Alabama State Police, which now have almost 40% of its staff as minority status.

The Southern Poverty Law Center also helps to educate the youth about the danger of discrimination. The Center provides its magazine, “Teaching Tolerance,” to over 600,000 teachers in America. Also, it sends out 75,000 educational video series to schools throughout the nation. All of these are sent out free of charge to schools, solely to promote tolerance. One of their educational videos, “A Time for Justice,” also won an Academy Award for Best Short Documentary, while two other videos have received nominations.

The Southern Poverty Law Center is a non-profit organization that receives no aid from the government.

BU President Lois DeFleur discussed the importance that diversity has on our campus.

“Our basic premise is to provide educational opportunity for people from different backgrounds, to understand a variety of issues in culmination with diversity. We are proud to represent over 130 countries,” DeFleur said.

Some students enjoyed how Dees was able to relate the discussion to them.

“The amount of people that were at this discussion, students, staff, faculty and members of the community, show how important an issue this really is. Mr. Dees is able to relate all of his experiences to us, to show how essential tolerance truly is,” said junior environmental science major Ed McGuire III.

This discussion is part of a multi-week diversity series called “Moving Beyond Tolerance Towards Understanding and Acceptance.” Through an initiative of former President Bill Clinton, the dialogue series includes civil rights activists, storytellers, poets, writers and musicians.