>>Myranda Harrison
Staff Writer

Many students listened to this year’s Black History Month speaker, Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, discuss racial, social and political issues on Tuesday, Feb. 26 in the UC Ballroom.

The event was hosted by the African American Cultural Center as a part of their annual Black History Month celebration lineup. More than 60 students and members of the APSU community attended the speech and discussion.

Hill is a well-known social activist, television commentator and media personality who has provided regular commentary for networks such as CNN, NBC, MSNBC, and Fox News. He has written numerous articles for the Washington Post, Essence magazine, and the New York Times. Hill is also currently a professor at Columbia University and is the host of the national syndicated show Our World with Black Enterprise.

To honor Black History Month, Hill started out by focusing on African American achievements and why it is important to celebrate.

“We want to take the time to think about the achievements of African Americans in America,” Hill said.

Hill went on to discuss important figures such as Barack Obama, highlighting what it meant for him to be elected to a second term in America. Hill emphasized that it is important to “celebrate what we had done” and “admire what we have built” as a nation.

“We live in a nation that not only has grown, but grown up,” said Hill.

The evening continued with Hill touching on controversial topics such as the shooting of Trayvon Martin, poverty, affirmative action, and racial lines. Hill believes that America needs to come to terms with its democratic promise and wants people to have a better understanding of race and politics in American life.

Dr. Hill ended the evening by stressing the importance of listening to the perspectives of others, no matter what economic class or race they come from.

“Lift every voice; we must listen to every voice,” Hill said.