Stokely Carmichael

COLLEGE PARK, Md.--A Black leader of civil rights and black power movements in the 1960s spoke at the University of Maryland last month and criticized those who had attempted to prevent his appearance.

The week before the speech--given by Kwame Toure, formerly Stokely Carmichael--a Maryland state delegate, David Shapiro, attempted to block funding from the Black Student Union (BSU) for the event, saying that Toure's appearance was strictly political. The Diamondback, the university's campus newspaper, reported last month.

However, Shapiro dropped all actions against the BSU after having been convinced by University officials that the hosting was not "primarily political," Shapiro said.