Soledad O’Brien, anchor and special correspondent for CNN’s “Special Investigations Unit,” emphasized the importance of education in increasing the quality of life for blacks during a lecture on Feb.18 at Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall.

Presenting a lecture called “Power of Respect,” O’Brien shed light on real problems in America like race, poverty and education based on what she has seen as a CNN correspondent.

The audience applauded as O’Brien pointed out that unemployment and poverty are prevalent among blacks.

She said, “To me, the only way out is education.”

O’Brien said if there was a high percentage of white male students who failed to graduate, there would be people screaming on the streets.

“I want to see the same reaction,” she said. “I want to see people screaming about education now.”

O’Brien also described the world as a boat and said people who aren’t educated and suffer from poverty bring the boat down.

O’Brien, host of CNN’s “Black in America,” discussed the current state of blacks 40 years after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

King’s leadership is “our example today,” O’Brien said. “A true leader leads with respect … Leadership is about influence, not control.”

Pointing out that high school education is lacking and there is still a long way to go for the U.S. to provide equal education, O’Brien said, “Equality in education is critical and education is the new front in civil rights.”

O’Brien said it is interesting to cover stories about education as a journalist who focuses on social justice.

“My job is to tell a story with great attention to people whose voice is always ignored,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien, whose mother is from Cuba and father is from Australia, talked about how bias and stereotype against Hispanic heritage affected her earlier life.

When O’Brien was at a job interview, the interviewer told her “We only have one spot for a black person, and your skin is not dark enough.”

At another job interview, an interviewer asked her to change her name because Soledad is difficult to pronounce.

O’Brien said her parents were harassed and spit on because they were a biracial couple.

“Every restaurant they went to, nobody served them,” O’Brien said. “So my mom cooked for him at home.”

O’Brien’s mother told her, “America is better than this.”

During her passionate and persuasive lecture, some students nodded thoughtfully.

O’Brien, who reported daily on the impact of Hurricane Katrina on CNN’s coverage, said “the most horrifying scene was people’s bodies floating on water in the city.”

O’Brien also talked about her personal life as a mother of four children who understand the stories O’Brien covers, despite their age.

O’Brien said her daughters made a box of stuff to donate to Haitian orphans before she left for Haiti to cover a story.

“My kids understand what’s happening domestically and internationally,” she said.

She said it is challenging to work as a mother, but proves that even though she has a family, she is willing to go out to work.

O’Brien was awarded a Gracie Allen Award in 2007 for her reporting from Cyprus on the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict as well as from the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina. In the same year, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People honored her with its President’s Award in recognition of her humanitarian efforts and journalistic excellence. She was also named as one of People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People” in 2001.

O’Brien said being a journalist is getting into others’ lives to experience their life with them while having a tremendous burden to tell their story with true information.

O’Brien ended her lecture as she slowly spoke to the audience, “I think everyday, as a journalist, what can my voice say?”

The audience gave a standing ovation after her powerful speech, and O’Brien answered questions from audience members after.

Graduate student Jinai Gordon, who asked O’Brien what she foresaw in future race relations around the world, said O’Brien answered her questions as a journalist and with honesty.

“It was really powerful,” Gordon said after the speech. “She expressed what’s on Americans’ minds regardless of race.”

Graduate students Curtis J. Harris said, “It was beautiful. We need more speakers like her to talk on campus.”

Dauphine Nunn of Conway attended O’Brien’s lecture with her seven-year-old daughter.

“When I watched CNN, I thought she represented us and felt I got connected with her,” Nunn said.

She said O’Brien was a good appearance for UCA.

UCA Public Appearances Director Jerry Biebesheimer said UCA wanted O’Brien to speak on campus during Black History Month to possibly inspire not only the black community, but also the campus and Conway community. 

“We expect her professional and life experiences to be of interest to a large cross-section of campus and Central Arkansas community,” Biebesheimer said before her appearance.