O’Brien: Respect Can Change America

Respect. It has the power to change America. 

That's the message that Soledad O'Brien brought to an enthusiastic crowd of about 600 people last night in Reynolds Performance Hall. 

O'Brien, an award-winning anchor and correspondent for CNN, started off the evening describing the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. As the CNN reporter assigned to cover the story immediately after the storm, she was forced to enter New Orleans at night, escorted by armed guards, she said. She described watching people enter shoe stores to take a new pair of shoes but leave their old pair behind as payment. 

O'Brien also spoke about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his contribution to society. "He gave a voice to those that did not have one," she said. She referred to King's thoughts throughout the rest of the lecture. 

O'Brien described growing up during a time when she was laughed at because of her color. Her father was from Australia and mother from Columbia. When they were ready to get married, they had to leave their home in Maryland, where interracial marriages were illegal, and travel to Washington D.C. 

O'Brien's received enormous applause when she stated that "America has room to grow" in its effort to respect all its citizens. 

Soledad O'Brien at Reynolds

"If you are dragging others with you, you are probably not much of a leader," O'Brien said. Being a true leader "is about influence, not control." 

O'Brien ended her 50-minute lecture by taking questions from the audience. Audience members asked about poverty, education, documentaries she had done and unbiased news. The hottest topic was poverty and education. 

"The only way out of poverty is through education," O'Brien said. The crowd responded with a standing ovation. 

O'Brien was here as part of the university's Distinguished Lecture Series. The series began last semester with Ben Stein, an economist also famous as an actor and author. 

You can watch O'Brien's opening remarks here:

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