By Dr. John E. Warren, Publisher, The San Diego Voice and Viewpoint
Recently, most of us saw with a degree of excitement that noted author and poet, Alice Walker, was scheduled to speak at the investiture ceremony of the new San Diego Community College District with President, Dr. Carlos O. Cortez. Ms. Walker, the famous author of The Color Purple, is celebrated as one of the premier authors and poets of America, especially in the Black community. It is well known that she won the Pulitzer Prize in 1983 for that novel, which later became a famous movie on a grand scale.
It appears that, for some, her problems started with a 2018 interview with The New York Times,in which she said that she was a fan of David Icke, author of And The Truth Shall Set You Free, who holds beliefs as a conspiracy theorist who hates Jews. It also appears that Walker is pro-Palestinian and therefore anti-Jewish. The San Diego Jewish community, understandably, is against her appearance. Members of San Diego’s African American community, understandably, are in favor of her appearance. The President of the Community College District canceled the ceremony and speaking engagement.
It was just recently, and is still ongoing, that members of the San Diego County Human Relations Commission sought to remove one of its clerical members because of a statement from the Bible in opposition to an LGBTQ motion under consideration. Now, there appears to be an emphasis on whether or not one’s speech makes others “uncomfortable”. Such discomfort appears to have become more important than one’s First Amendment right of free speech. The Alice Walker issue gives some very important insight into who carries influence, such as the LGBTQ issues before the Human Relations Commission.
When will we see the issues the Black Community influences or, rather, when will we decide to be a real influence? Something to think about.
