Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Brain Food: Jason Riley

 
 
I love bringing hard core conservatives to speak at HBCUs! Probably one of the best ways to engage people in great dialogue. Jason Riley did just that. His new book, "Please Stop Helping Us," indicts liberal policies that he says have actually harmed black people.
 
Riley argues against minimum wage in that it prevents job growth. He says affirmative action is now a discriminatory program. He says the current civil rights leaders essentially have monetized racism. And he suggests that Blacks really need focus on culture- attitudes toward family and education- to solve problems.
 
The book is an interesting read, and Riley is pretty confident in his positions. He did not waiver during Q&A, which I gave him a lot of credit for even coming to speak to a crowd that probably disagrees with most of what he says. I want my students to be able to do just as he does- have courage of conviction no matter the audience. That alone is a great lesson.
 
The Prez