LONG BEACH - Fox News political analyst and best-selling author Juan Williams will be this year's featured speaker at the fifth annual Cal State Long Beach (CSULB) Distinguished Speakers Series on Thursday, Oct. 20, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the campus' Carpenter Performing Arts Center.Doors open at 6 p.m. for sponsor exhibits, music and light refreshments. Titled "Muzzled: Political Debate in America," William's address will look at how the media limits political debate and the continuing role of race in the nation's dialogue. Williams is one of America's leading political writers. A top Washington journalist, he regularly examines American politics, civil rights, media, law and culture with uncompromising integrity and insight. He is currently a political analyst with Fox News. "We are thrilled to have Juan Williams coming to Cal State Long Beach and share his views on the political and racial dialogue in this country," said Art Levine, director of the CSULB Distinguished Speaker Series. "In light of his firing by NPR, I don't' know that there is anyone more appropriate to discuss how the media limits political debate in the United States today." Previously, Williams reported for National Public Radio (NPR) as a senior correspondent and host of "Talk of the Nation," but he was dismissed after commenting that Muslims in traditional dress boarding planes made him nervous. In the wake of the news organization's controversial decision, Williams penned his book "Muzzled: The Assault on Honest Debate," discussing "the countless ways in which honest debate in America…is stifled." Prior to his stint at NPR, Williams was an award-winning writer and columnist for more than 20 years at The Washington Post. A chronicler of the civil rights movement, Williams is the author of "Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Years, 1954-1965" and "My Soul Looks Back in Wonder: Voices of the Civil Rights Experience." He also penned "Enough: The Phony Leaders, Dead-End Movements and Culture of Failure that Are Undermining Black America - and What We Can Do About It", and the acclaimed biography "Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary." With an honest perspective of American race relations, Williams spurs individuals across the political spectrum to challenge their own assumptions and reexamine the role race plays in this country. Reserved tickets to the CSULB Speaker Series event are $45. Preferred seating is $60, $30 for seniors and CSULB faculty and staff, and $20 for CSULB students with a valid ID. A limited number of sponsor tickets are available at $100, which includes a sponsor reception and dinner with the speaker preceding the event. Benefiting CSULB student scholarships, the CSULB Distinguished Speaker Series is sponsored by The Christian Family Foundation/Blake and Vicki Christian, and the title sponsor is Edison International. For ticket or additional information, visit the website at www.distinguishedspeakerseries.com.

********** Published: October 06, 2011 - Volume 10 - Issue 25