The Justice

"In other words, Obama will not save us, but with any luck, we can save Obama," Ayers said, emphasizing that the administration's success ultimately lies within the hands of its country's citizens.

However, Ayers also said that he understood that it was difficult to open one's eyes and become an active participant in the public sphere. He referred to the abolition and women's rights movements and acknowledged that it would have been difficult for the audience to be support those movements when they began.

Ayers also spoke about the Vietnam War, saying, "The problem is that, of course, because we move on without resolving that history, it's an open wound in our history." When asked about the Weather Underground's activities in response to the Vietnam War, Ayers replied, "I think everybody tried something, but no one was perfect. … We didn't end the war."

By electing an African-American president, the United States has made progress, according to Ayers. "With the legacy of white supremacy that we bring into this moment, … to have [an African-American president] just seems ... enormous," he said.

When asked during the question-and-answer session about his feelings regarding the protesters who had gathered off campus and on University premises before and during his speech, Ayers said, "The threats that were generated against me, toward me and toward you because you were with me are generated by a couple of guys in their boxer shorts. … Nothing is happening."

"A university of all places, a library, a radio station, a bookstore; these have to be places where we insist that no matter how weird the ideas, no matter how weird the history, we have to hear them. We have a right to debate them," Ayers said. "It's simply having a conversation."

"You should set out on a mission to talking to everybody, reading every book, listening to every debate to set up a mind of your own at the end of the day," Ayers told his audience.

Claire Cooper '11, who considers herself an activist, said in an interview with the Justice that she found Ayers' pointers for becoming an active citizen to be very helpful.

"You always have to doubt yourself and doubt your surroundings and always self-question, always re-evaluate. I thought that was the message more than anything," Cooper said.

Matthew Kupfer '12 found Ayers' speech inspiring. "I just like the hope he had … for ordinary people from the bottom," Kupfer said.

- Brian Fromm contributed reporting.

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