Civil right attorney Morris Dees spoke Tuesday at Canisius College as part of the school's celebration of Martin Luther King Jr., relaying a strong message of tolerance to college students, who should "understand that there are different rolls everyone should play."
Dees is the chief council for the Southern Poverty Law Center, a non-profit organization founded in 1971 that specializes in lawsuits across the country involving racial crimes and civil rights violations.
He began by discussing his recent victory in a wrongful death trial against the Aryan Nations. The landmark case accused the leader of the Aryan Nations, Tom Metzger, of inciting the violence that led to the death of a young Ethiopian. When Metzger, on the stand, finished saying that America was great because of white people, Dees turned to the jury.
"Our nation is great because of our diversity, not in spite of it," said Dees, who won a $12.5 million verdict for the family.
Dees and the Southern Poverty Law Center were also responsible for winning a civil law suit two years ago against the Aryan Nations, which played a role in forcing the white supremacists from their 20-acre compound in northern Idaho to Potter County, Pennsylvania, just over a two-hour drive from Buffalo.
Prior to his public speech, Dees addressed a group of media. He spoke of a variety of real life issues and their relationships to racism.
One reporter questioned the political push to improve attendance in Christian schools. Dees said he opposed using taxes to pay for religious schools and was very adamant about maintaining a strong separation of church and state. If vouchers and taxpayers are paying for these schools, Dees foresees a fall in public schools nationally.
When asked about the death penalty, Dees told the audience that two wrongs do not make a right.
"Because an individual is a murderer doesn't mean we should be murderers against them," Dees said. "The death penalty is a civil rights issue that I think will eventually fail in America."
After the press event, Dees took the stage.
He began his speech by questioning the state of racial equality in America. "Whose America is this? Whose version will prevail?" Dees asked. "This war is fought on many fronts and students must take part in making this nation great."
Cliff Cawthion, a 12-year-old from Amherst Middle School, asked Dees if he had ever been afraid of the Ku Klux Klan. In response, Dees told the boy that he does not live in fear.
Dees has received numerous awards in connection with his work. His honors include being named Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice and receiving the National Education Association's Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Award.
