Controversial speaker is an attention grabber

Kim Neal

Motivational speaker Reginald Jones stirs controversy wherever he goes. And yet — or maybe because of that — Young America Foundation, the youth conservative organization of which Mireille Manzone, a senior at Noble and Greenough School, is a member, claims he is one of the most requested speakers at colleges nationwide.

Manzone worked for a year to arrange Mr. Jones’ speaking engagement at Nobles. While Jones’ political views stoked tempers and rebuttals during his visit, his passion held everyone’s attention. And that, he says, is his goal: whether people agree or disagree with his views, he aims to encourage critical thinking.

The South Bronx-born Jones has a colorful bio: known not only as a lecturer, he is also a 20-year veteran of the entertainment industry. Jones’ big break came in 1997, as a call-in to the Rush Limbaugh radio program. The call lasted 40 minutes, and left listeners everywhere asking, “Who was that guy?” The event precipitated offers for Jones’ two subsequent radio shows, Grassroots Live and Generation Now, on the Radio America Network.

Jones’ talk at Nobles, entitled, “Betrayal: Sold Out by the Civil Rights Movement,” addressed not only civil rights, but also the war on terrorism, the federal government’s educational policies and reproductive rights. “This is not my father’s Civil Rights movement,” said Jones. He is angry that “In this country that my ancestors built for free, many things our so-called leaders espouse do not support the best interests of black Americans.”

Jones expressed frustration with the media’s wide portrayal of black Americans as victims, criminals and generally unsuccessful members of society. “During Black History Month,” said Jones, “From the television programs that are on, you would think that black Americans were nothing but long-suffering slaves. You hear about Jim Crow and Martin Luther King, but what about the great inventors, scientists, poets and artists? Selma is not the last thing blacks contributed to this country.” Jones believes that the media highlights black Americans’ deficiencies and hides their achievements, save those that have been “made possible” by white Americans. He cites Hurricane Katrina as the perfect example of the way the media favors portraying blacks as victims. “Our leadership wants pity—it is political capital. It’s the winners we hate.”

Jones denounced the “War on Terrorism” as an unjustified use of millions of taxpayer dollars to support a political idea. “Why do people hate us? Our military has a presence in 130 countries. Can you name 130 countries that have attacked us in the past 10 years?” Too few citizens question their government, Jones insists, especially in times of war. He is disgusted by the U.S. government’s response to the 9/11 attacks. “The government is the only entity that could mess up that badly and come away with more money, more security and more trust.”

Jones is equally disenchanted with the federal government’s record on education. “Education should be a commodity like anything else. In a competitive environment, students and teachers thrive.”

Some of the most heated interchanges between Jones and Nobles students occurred during a question and answer session, when he spoke more in-depth about his views on reproductive rights. Strongly opposed to abortion, Jones stated that the taking of any human life is wrong, and that organizations such as Planned Parenthood should be eradicated. Students asked what solution Jones would propose to replace such institutions, to which he responded, “Nothing.”

Jones’ missive to students at Nobles? “During the next election cycle, pay close attention to what is being said and what is not being said, and by whom. Don’t trust what your politicians tell you. Question authority, but not your parents—political authority. Check it out. In this Information Age, there is no excuse not to.”