Corrigan in the pulpit

He may not be the Rev. Cecil Williams, but when SF State President Robert A. Corrigan addressed the 9 a.m. congregation at Glide Memorial United Methodist Church Sunday, he received thunderous applause and a standing ovation.

Corrigan, who was asked by Williams to fill in for him, admitted he was a bit nervous, but this was an "honor, joy and an awesome challenge."

Dressed in a suit with a bright yellow-gold and orange tie, Corrigan took the center stage pulpit surrounded by about 450 people, a band, and the 50-member Glide Ensemble Chorus.

"As I stand before you in his [Cecil Williams'] physical but not spiritual place, I am here, as he asked me, to take up the subjects of education and affirmative action," Corrigan said.

Corrigan was introduced as someone with a sensitivity to community issues, a dedication to breaking the barriers between academia and the streets and for creating a unique university system with a reputation for relevance, diversity and commitment to excellence.

Education, according to Corrigan, is the "strongest ally in building a more just society," and affirmative action "is a necessary, positive and essential part of higher education."

He also said SF State "is not yet where we want to be, need to be or will be," and "we must confront some difficult issues," referring to the Malcolm X Mural controversy and the occasional bursts of hate speech.

On a more positive side, Corrigan said SF State "seeks out and supports our whole community" and is ranked in the top five of all universities for graduating students of color.

"Affirmative action is here to stay at SF State," Corrigan said to deafening applause.

Corrigan also gave some facts as to why affirmative action is still needed in California and the United States.

He said one in three black men is part of the criminal justice system, and there are more black men in our prisons than all of our colleges and universities.

College-educated black women, according to Corrigan, earn 40 percent less than their white male counterparts, and gays and lesbians are still denied their constitutional rights in many communities in the United States.

At SF State though, the numbers are a bit more uplifting, Corrigan said.

"Seventy percent of the faculty hired in the last seven years are women and people of color," he said.

The workplace has "now become a global village," Corrigan said.

When students leave SF State, they leave "with respect for all members of our diverse society, appreciation for our differences and also a recognition of our similarities," he said. "We have gone from the melting pot to the salad bowl, and what a richness of textures and flavors we have in that bowl, where we blend rather than melt, honor rather than denigrate, embrace rather than reject."

Corrigan cautioned that no single group can make it alone in a multiracial society.

"None of us are free until all of us are free," Corrigan said in his closing comments.

As the congregation began to file out of Glide to a chorus of "Amen," Corrigan's speech was the topic of conversation.

Arthur Hall, a regular at Glide, said Corrigan's speech was "most inspiring," and he was impressed with Corrigan's use of important statistics. He also said he believes Corrigan was genuine and sincere in his speech.

Viv Jenkins, who has been going to Glide for 15 years, was also impressed with Corrigan's speech.

"His message came over loud and clear. He was probably one of the better guest speakers that I have heard," Jenkins said.

Corrigan was so inspiring that he gave Hall an idea about his educational future.

"After hearing President Corrigan, I think I am going to look into getting a master's degree in psychology at State," Hall said.

[ Golden Gater Online October 17, 1995 ]

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