Robert Burley shakes Cecilian Hall

On Feb. 4, a tribute to late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., named “The Cultural Challenge: Have we Achieved the Dream?,” was held in Cecilian Hall at Seton Hill University (SHU).

By Tyler Carter

Contributor

On Feb. 4, a tribute to late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., named “The Cultural Challenge: Have we Achieved the Dream?,” was held in Cecilian Hall at Seton Hill University (SHU).

Guest speaker Robert L. Burley, of Burley Consulting, gave a speech covering social issues. Burley is an educator and consultant in the fields of multicultural education, conflict resolution and diversity. Burley has been involved in the civil rights movement since his time at Chaney College during the late 1970s and the early 1980s. Burley is a member of the “Who’s Who among American Educators,” which has made him a highly sought after speaker for many programs. Dr. Christine Cusick, Assistant Professor of English and Composition, showed her enthusiasm for Burley’s speech, saying:

“”I thought that Mr. Burley’s engaging and inclusive presentation style did a wonderful job of enacting the very teachings and spirit that he was inviting all of us to embrace. I was genuinely moved by his words, and my students’ writing responses expressed that they were as well.”

Burley used personal and historical examples in his speech. Conflict resolution, communication and awareness gave power and energy to Burley’s open forum discussion. After asking the audience to define “conflict”, several crowd responses made the session seem personal and less intimidating. This openness of a question and example type of meeting was an inspirational way of opening up the audience to understanding and applying awareness and communication throughout SHU and the entire world.

Many personal and historical examples of racial conflict and discrimination gave a sense of appreciation for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his work. The meeting was a great reminder of the importance of open discussion and community awareness towards social issues that still exist today.

The passion of Burley came across in a positive and applicable way. When asked what students at SHU could do in small environments, like universities, to change the big picture of social, cultural and racial issues, Burley said ”Communication is key, making contact with those we would normally not talk with. Be willing to start a discussion with respect of others. This will help students overcome all forms of prejudice (no matter how small) but, it’s all about communication.”

Burley’s speech left the audience with a fresh sense of community spirit and respect for the civil rights movement and all those who made it possible for diversity to thrive in American culture.

Freshman, Dave Long, commented on the speech:
“”The speech seemed to bring a lot of new ways of thinking to the fore front of people’s minds. He forced you to discuss things outside of your normal thinking patterns.”