Pastor urges university to diversify

Jen Cooper
Staff Writer

Before Cecil Williams broke the racial barrier at a Texas college, before he marched with Martin Luther King Jr. and before he became a dynamic and controversial pastor, Williams first had a vision.

At age 12, Williams had a vision of a church that included all races and genders. Williams acted on his vision and is now the head pastor of the 10,000-member Glide Memorial United Methodist Church in San Francisco. On Aug. 30, Williams shared his vision with Chico State University students as he spoke about building bridges across races and genders in order to increase tolerance and promote respect.

"It is critical for us to be able to understand that we can build bridges, but we have to have visionaries before we have builders," he said.

A.S. Presents sponsored Williams' visit as a kickoff event, Building Bridges, which is designed to encourage respect and celebrate the university's growing diversity.

Williams' vision still remains one of acceptance and he urged students to become builders by first accepting who they are, by trusting one another and by respecting everybody.

"I'm not just talking this stuff, I live it," he said.

The concept of building bridges is ultimately about making humanity become human, he said.

And Chico, while not as diverse as San Francisco, also needs bridge builders. Racism at Chico State is a different kind, Williams said.

"It's institutional racism; it's subtle," he said. "Those who do things that are racist hide it behind the doors of the institution."

Williams said breaking the barriers of intolerance and racism at Chico State would require that students have both an unconditional love and unconditional acceptance for others despite any obstacles.

"I've been insulted many times, I've been humiliated many times, and I'm not going to give up no matter who humiliates me or puts me down," he said. "I'm going to keep accepting people."

First-year student Amanda Andreini said she was on the verge of tears during the speech as Williams shared his vision.

"I just thought it was an amazing example about his church and how it has every type of person you could imagine," she said.

Williams challenged students and community members individually to be bridge builders by loving others and loving themselves.

"I'm convinced that the stronger you become, the more you find yourself," he said. "And the more you live yourself, the greater possibility you have for yourself."