In a keynote address delivered Thursday after the 19th Annual Martin Luther King March, Jeffrey Johnson voiced his frustration and anger at several issues facing the black community.

Johnson, a social commentator and former Black Entertainment Television (BET) host, said the increased number of advertisements and public awareness of important black figures and events at this time of year is frustrating.

“The problem with celebration void of studying is that you spend [it] celebrating something you don’t know anything about, because somebody else said it’s worth celebrating,” Johnson said. “And that’s the problem we have in 2008 during the celebration of King.”

Constructive criticism

Johnson also took aim at what he deemed the three pillars of the black community. He criticized black churches for taking apolitical stances and not addressing social and economic reform.

Johnson criticized the black electorate for what he believes to be ignorance of certain political figures.

“The black electorate is unsophisticated,” Johnson said. “Black people will tell you you’re not black because you don’t support Barack Obama when all they know is his name.”

Johnson also criticized civic and social organizations, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), which Johnson described as “broadly irrelevant.”

“It has the potential to be the most effective black organization in the world,” Johnson said. “But what good is the membership card if there’s no agenda?”

Having spent three years as its national youth director, Johnson said he has a great deal of experience with the NAACP. Johnson said that a few NAACP chapters do good work, but he believes those are outnumbered by the number of passive chapters.

Peters addresses the crowd

NIU President John Peters spoke Thursday of the optimism he has for NIU.

“NIU is the kind of institution of the future,” Peters said, noting that he can’t think of a better place other than a university to discuss matters of race and religion.

Peters also addressed last semester’s campus threat. He called the writers of the racially-charged remarks “cowards” and promised that “the full weight of this university will come down on them” if they are found.

Several student leaders also spoke, including Jessica Louis of the NAACP, Charles Gardner of Alpha Phi Alpha and Mitch Gaddis of the NAACP.

The march began at Stevenson Towers North at 4 p.m. and ended at the Holmes Student Center. All speeches took place in the Carl Sandburg Auditorium. The event was primarily organized by the Black Student Union.