“It is a critical time in America right now,” journalist Juan Williams said in the opening statement of the speech he gave at the University Center Auditorium last Thursday.

With the help of the Black Cultural Programming Committee, Williams was able to stop by the UC on his national book tour of “Enough: The Phony Leaders, Dead-End Movements, and Culture of Failure That are Undermining Black America — And What We Can Do About It.”

“We brought in Juan Williams to share his perspective on the black culture from working in the media,” BCPC Chair Curtis Sanderfer, a senior in political science, said.

Program Coordinator Brittany Lacy, a junior in inderdisciplinary programs, agreed and added that because the BCPC has brought in more politically liberal speakers in the past, Williams’ conservative view would help widen students’ perspectives.

However, instead of sticking strictly to conservative views, Williams had a different agenda altogether. In a backstage interview, he admitted that he felt the college students of today didn’t have nearly as much social and political awareness as his own generation of academics.

“Today, when I look at a campus, I see much more of a commercially-soaked, materialistic culture,” Williams said. “And the question is: Is there room on this campus for political and social awareness, for people to look beyond themselves and beyond the ivy-covered walls and to understand the importance of making a difference in the area?”

He referred to students of today as “taking the sleeping pill” and dozing on the issues when they could be the very agents of change that the heralded students of the 60s and 70s were.

And what is the cause of students’ indifference?

“I think it’s a matter of professionalization,” he said. “Everybody is saying, ‘This is why I’m going to college — to get a degree, then a job, then a car and house;’ and they’re on this path. But I think it’s a bit more like a treadmill than a path because on a path, you have to go it on your own.”

As a journalist, Williams also commented on the role of journalism on UT’s campus.

“I think one of the biggest difficulties for student journalists is to really cut through a lot of the static to get to the things that really matter,” Williams said. “The old saw about journalists is that we comfort the afflicted, but we also afflict the comfortable. We should be forcing issues into the paper or into the broadcast, so that you’re not only informing, but also inspiring your audience.”

Like the title of his book, Williams had a lot to say in a very small space. His speech dealt with many of the same issues, and he gave the audience an in-depth look at the history behind the activism that he wants to see in today’s youth.

Afterwards, many students seemed to feel the gravity of Williams’ words as they filed out of the auditorium. Jangy Addy, a junior in journalism and electronic media, thought Williams addressed every demographic well.

“He didn’t just talk about blacks, he talked to everyone, to Hispanics and Asians,” Addy said. “I think he had a valid point when he talked about how black people don’t help themselves. It’s good to see both sides of the story.”

Chasmin Brooks, a BCPC member and a pre-med senior in evolutionary biology, agreed.

“I feel like he really brought everyone in, and just looking at the people who stayed and asked questions, I feel like he really did a good job,” Brooks said.

BCPC member Kalen White, vice president of Alpha Phi Alpha and a junior in computer engineering, added that Williams really emphasized the responsibility that students have to become involved.

“We’re all students and we don’t keep up with the news like we should, and those are some things he brought on the other side of the box,” White said. “And there were some issues some people thought he may have gone around, but it’s just the fact that there was such a diverse crowd. I’m pretty sure he touched everyone in some kind of way. He had a good, clear message.”

Williams’ message was clear when he stated, “Poor quality schools in big cities, the large number of youth’s incarcerated and the fact that so many Americans don’t have health care — these are real issues and real challenges for this generation, but they only matter if people open their eyes and say, ‘We can do something about it!’”