MSNBC personality Touré to speak as Black History Month keynote

cm_speaker03 — Chuck Miller/Staff Photographer Keynote speaker Touré for Black History Month speaks to students about the murder of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old African American killed by George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old multi-racial Hispanic America. It was the one year anniversary of Martin's death and many racial allegations surrounded the murder. Touré is a television personality based in New York City. He is the host of Fuse's Hiphop Shop and On the Record and is now a co-host of The Cycle on MSNBC.

The co-host of MSNBC's "The Cycle" will be coming to the stage at Platcha Auditorium Tuesday night as the keynote speaker for Black History Month.

Born Touré Neblett, Touré is a television personality, cultural critic and novelist. Before landing on MSNBC, Touré was a correspondent for CNN and BET.

Multicultural Academic Student Services is sponsoring the event at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Plachta Auditorium in Warriner Hall. The program is free and open to the public.

D’Wayne Jenkins, assistant director of MASS, said the show will appeal to both students and faculty. He said MASS is looking for a high turnout of about 500 students at the event.

"He is an individual that appeals to a wide range of people," Jenkins said. "Both students and faculty will be able to relate to him."

Jenkins said Touré is relatable because of his stature as a television host.

"Just being a host on MSNBC makes him relatable," Jenkins said. "He is a well-known political personality."

Touré co-hosts "The Cycle" with Democratic strategist Krystal Ball, conservative commentator S.E. Cupp and Salon senior political reporter Steve Kornacki.

He caused controversy on the show when he accused former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney of taking part in the "ni--erization" of the presidency by calling President Barack Obama "angry." He later apologized.

The keynote will be the climax of Black History Month, a month of events sponsored by MASS to bring awareness of African-American culture to campus.

"We are trying to cater to more students, and find events what will attract students," Jenkins said. "I think our events have done that."

Touré's writing has received numerous accolades. In 2001, his article, "Kurt is My Co-Pilot," was featured in the yearly anthology "The Best American Sports Writing."

His most recent novel, “Who’s Afraid of Post-Blackness?: What It Means To Be Black Now,” was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work of Non-Fiction and was named one of the most notable books of 2011 by The Washington Post and The New York Times.