William Anderson began his lecture on Wednesday by proclaiming himself to be a liberal democrat, anti-war, for affirmative action, pro-choice, a card carrying member of the American Civil Liberties Union and a schizophrenic.

"The reason that I say I am schizophrenic is because I have assumed many personalities in the times that I have lived," he said in his lecture in Kellogg Center. "I have went from being called colored to negro to black and finally Afro-American."

Anderson, a clinical professor of osteopathic surgical specialties in the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, addressed the importance of black history in the third lecture in the college's visiting faculty series.

The series, which celebrates Black History Month, concludes Thursday with a speech from freedom rider and activist Tom Hayden.

"A lot of people don't think Black History Month is important," Lansing resident Veronica Brown said.

"Many people don't realize that the problem has not been solved, and don't appreciate the people that came before us to fight racism."

In addition to being the first black president of the American Osteopathic Association, he was a close personal friend of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and the first president of the Albany Movement, a civil rights group founded in Georgia in the 1950s.

While black people have existed in America for many years, Anderson said understanding black identity has not.

"It took a long time before the blackness I had could be worn with pride," he said. "As blacks were brought to this country, they were robbed of their religion, culture and families."

Had it not been for learning about early civil rights leaders, Anderson said he would not have understood what it meant to be proud of his heritage.

"Through the knowledge of the people that came before me, I understood that blackness was something to be proud of," he said.

In order for everyone to understand the importance of black history, Anderson said we must understand the hardships black people have faced.

"We were brought to America in the stinking holes of slave ships to make a better place for others instead of ourselves," he said. "We have now come 400 years trying to transform a racist nation."

Anderson said ignorant comments set that progress back.

Theater freshman Leah Bowman said black history is necessary to understand of current events.

"In order to have a better understanding of things that are going on, we need to come to black history events like this," she said. "It is important that everyone understand black history as a whole."

Current generations aren't as interested in black history, Anderson said.

"We don't have the same determination as past generations to ensure that black history doesn't die," he said. "To ignore the history does not mean it will go away.

"It is a part of what America is."