Star Parker, an African-American writer, speaker and radio host, told about 30 students she does not think students should be forced to take multicultural classes, in a speech in the Rockefeller Center for the Social Sciences.
She said she sees "no common merit in forcing multicultural studies."
The speech was the first event sponsored by the new campus group Ivy Leaguers for Freedom, a conservative organization seeking to increase intellectualism on campus.
Parker, who once received welfare from Aid for Families with Dependent Children and who has appeared on the television shows 20/20 and Larry King Live, is the founder of the Coalition on Urban Affairs, formed in response to the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
Parker said multicultural studies should not be pushed on all students, "especially when they are taken to one-sided extremes."
"We have stolen freedom from others in the name of freedom" in requiring students to take multicultural classes, she said. "It is not fair in race relations."
People should come together naturally without having other cultures forced on them, she said.
"Cultural diversity is an asset, but it shouldn't be forced on people," Parker said.
She said the American culture has accepted the Judeo-Christian ethical beliefs, and mandatory study of other cultures challenges and tries to dominate those beliefs.
Parker said she thinks the best way to make a change in race relations is through personal interaction. She said if people meet one-on-one, they "will see the stereotypes dissolve away."
Knowing people as individuals will lead to understanding better than learning about other cultures in the classroom, she said.
"It's not, 'I need to learn about them and they need to learn about me, so we can get along,'" she said.
She said she thinks appreciating diversity should happen on an individual basis, and all ethnic groups have made significant contributions to the United States.
Although she was formerly supported by welfare, Parker said she thinks "we need to dismantle the welfare state so people can start building strong families."
She said strong families lead to strong neighborhoods and communities, which will lead to economic prosperity.
Parker said the free market system and economic competition will drive people to accept other groups and to acculturate.
She said people can do many things, besides studying other cultures, to improve race relations.
She said the first thing to do is to "identify a common bond and culture" that is uniquely American, so "we can understand what makes us all American."
Looking at other cultures diverts people from looking at the common American bond, she added.
We need to look at the ideas of the Founding Fathers, Parker said.
In a discussion after the speech, many students disagreed with Parker on this point. Many said the ideas of the Founding Fathers were racist and sexist.
Parker said people need to make a commitment to respect common symbols such as the United States flag, which is a symbol of a covenant of the people.
