Conservative author and columnist David Horowitz, who sparked controversy last year when he placed full-page advertisements in college newspapers nationwide denouncing reparations for slavery, will speak at UNM tonight.
Horowitz will discuss the flaws of the reparation movement in the main auditorium of the UNM Continuing Education Center at 7:30 p.m. Admission with student identification is $5, all other admission is $15.
In the 1960s, Horowitz was editor of the liberal magazine Ramparts and a vocal supporter of the Black Panthers, and he is considered a founding member of the New Left. He re-emerged in the '80s as a harsh critic of liberalism. His books include "How to Beat the Democrats: A Primer for Republicans," "Uncivil Wars: The Controversy Over Reparations for Slavery," and "Hating Whitey and Other Progressive Causes," among others.
He is now the president of the Los Angeles-based conservative group Center for the Study of Popular Culture, which he co-founded. The center publishes the conservative Frontpage magazine.
As a columnist for the popular Web magazine Salon.com, Horowitz has come out in strong support of the United States' response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
His columns often reprove those who would criticize President George Bush, including his liberal peers in Salon.
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Tonight's discussion will focus on the reparations issue, which catapulted Horowitz to the headlines last year after some college newspapers refused to print the advertisement.
Some of the publications were harshly criticized for printing the information and some offices were raided by upset readers.
Matt Kennicott, executive director of the New Mexico Federation of College Republicans, said the group sponsored Horowitz' visit to add a new perspective to campus dialogue.
"What we see on UNM right now is student groups and departments bringing in very liberal speakers and not balancing it out with conservative speaking," he said.
UNM College Republicans President Steve Determan agreed.
"We're just trying to bring another opinion on to campus," he said.
Though Horowitz is not officially active with the Republican Party, his championing of conservative causes has made him popular with such groups, Kennicott said.
"It helps Republicans and others on campus have their voices heard," he said.
The controversial advertisement listed 10 arguments against a movement to pay restitution to relatives of slaves.
Accusing reparations proponents of reverse discrimination, Horowitz argues that such payments will set African-Americans against the nation that gave them freedom, perpetuate a victim mentality among blacks and that most Americans have no direct or indirect connection to slavery.
The advertisement was published in the Daily Lobo on April 30.
