In 1989, Louis Farrakhan came to UW-Madison. Known by most Americans through the mass media as the black Nation of Islam leader who disparaged whites, advocated for black separatism and tossed out anti-Semitic verbal bombs such as calling Adolf Hitler a “great man” and Judaism a “dirty religion,” Farrakhan was nonetheless revered by many in the black community for his emphasis on black empowerment and commitment to family and education. So, after first denying the Black Student Union?s funding request a year earlier to bring him to campus, the Wisconsin Student Association, after five and a half hours of debate, voted 24-6 to cover $3,715 of the cost of his Feb. 8 appearance.The take on Farrakhan?s visit from the university?s non-student community was similarly multidimensional: Disdain for Farrakhan?s racist statements, but support for allowing him to speak.
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