Published Wednesday September 30, 2009Ayers to speak in OmahaBy Juan Perez Jr.
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
William Ayers ? the 1960s radical, community activist and professor of education ? will speak at an Omaha hotel Nov. 14, nearly one year after controversy led to the cancellation of a scheduled speech at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Ayers was invited to Omaha by the Academic Freedom Coalition of Nebraska, a loose coalition of organizations that promote academic freedom in the state. He will speak at the Holiday Inn convention center near 72nd and Grover Streets, in a public event with a $35 admission fee.
The title of Ayers? speech: ?The Right to Think at All: Academic Freedom and Free Speech in Troubled Times.?
Dwayne Ball, a UNL marketing professor and president of the academic freedom coalition, condemned UNL administrators for canceling last year?s speech and said the coalition is making a point about academic freedom.
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?Nothing in our invitation to Dr. Ayers means we condone or condemn his former activities or his politics, or even his educational theories,? Ball said in a statement. ?In fact, as much as we expect to find his speech very interesting, this event is not about Dr. Ayers. It is about the idea of academic freedom.
?If the university had disinvited a controversial conservative due to threats, we would be making this same point.?
Ayers could not be reached for comment. In his 20s, he was a leader of the Weather Underground, a group that formed to violently protest the Vietnam War. The group bombed public buildings ? including the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol ? participated in riots and was labeled a terrorist organization by the FBI.
He later became a university professor and created a Chicago-based school reform group, of which Barack Obama was chairman for four years before he became president. Ayers was a political supporter of Obama?s and hosted a brunch for him when he ran for the Illinois State Senate.
Ayers is currently an education professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
His loose ties to the president and his candidacy provoked furor from conservatives during the 2008 presidential campaign.
News that Ayers would speak at UNL sparked additional outrage; state political leaders decried the university for inviting Ayers and urged UNL to rescind his invitation. A donor threatened to pull financial support.
The university received roughly 1,000 e-mails, phone calls and blog posts pertaining to the speech. ?If he does come, you better have plenty of security because it is a potentially dangerous situation,? one e-mailer wrote.
Harvey Perlman, the university?s chancellor, cited concerns about university safety when he canceled the event and denied that political pressure led to the decision. Other critics, meanwhile, disputed that claim and said the cancellation tarnished UNL?s reputation and standing in the academic community.
University of Nebraska Regent Randy Ferlic of Omaha ? one of the first public officials to criticize Ayers? scheduled appearance ? said the cancellation did the opposite and may have improved the university?s standing among Nebraska residents.
?The collective voice of citizens of Nebraska spoke for itself,? Ferlic said. ?And I don?t think he?s of the stature or accomplishments that warrant him being honored here.?
Ayers responded to the university?s cancellation in a statement to The World-Herald.
?Is a public university the personal fiefdom or the political clubhouse of the governor? ... Do we collapse in fear if a small mob gathers with torches at the gates?? Ayers wrote.
Ball said the cancellation disturbed the academic freedom coalition?s board members.
?After he was disinvited, it was clear to most of us on the AFCOM board that it was the most significant event regarding academic freedom in the past several years in Nebraska,? Ball said. ?So, it was a fairly easy conclusion to reach: that we could build our annual meeting around a speech on academic freedom by Dr. Ayers.?
Ball said he doesn?t expect the chatter or controversy to extend to this visit. The academic freedom coalition is prepared to provide security, though Ball wouldn?t discuss details.
All expenses for the event will be paid through the coalition?s fundraising, plus receipts from the event.
?There is absolutely not a single red cent of public funds going into this,? Ball said.
The cost of admission covers Ayers? speech, a book sale, autograph session and lunch.
For details, or to register, visit
www.nebafcon.org. Registration ends Oct. 30.
Contact the writer:
444-1068, johnny.perez@owh.com
