Political analyst to speak on presidential election

Journalist and political analyst Juan Williams will discuss the presidential election during an appearance next month at Benedictine University in Lisle.

Williams will speak at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18, as part of the school's free Presidential Election Series in the Goodwin Hall Auditorium, 5700 College Road. His appearance is open to the public.

Williams is a panelist on "Fox News Sunday" and a regular substitute host for "The O'Reilly Factor." His views of American politics, diversity in the workplace and changing American demographics have made him a sought-after host for debates and seminars.

Beginning his career at The Washington Post, Williams covered every major political campaign from 1980 to 2000. He has interviewed President Barack Obama and former presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan, and is well-equipped to discuss the uncharacteristic contours of the 2016 presidential general election.

In 1988, Williams won an Emmy for his work on "Eyes on the Prize," a PBS documentary about the civil rights movement. He received widespread critical acclaim for numerous other documentaries such as "Politics: The New Black Power" and "A. Philip Randolph: For Jobs and Freedom."

He has also contributed articles to several national magazines, including Time, Fortune, The Atlantic Monthly, The New Republic, Ebony and GQ.

No stranger to controversy, Williams has been described as a "straight shooter" who speaks his mind and has ruffled feathers on both sides of the aisle.

In 2010, he was fired from his position as a senior news analyst at National Public Radio for comments he made on the air that NPR claimed violated their journalistic standards of impartiality.

In addition to prizewinning columns and editorial writing, Williams has written seven books. His newest is "Muzzled: The Assault on Honest Debate," in which he uses his public firing from NPR as a launchpad to discuss the many ways in which debate in America is stifled.

Williams is speaking at Benedictine by invitation of the university's nonpartisan, nonprofit Center for Civic Leadership, which seeks to bring speakers to campus so students and the larger community can immerse themselves in multiple issues and topics of public concern.

The event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited. For details, call Jen Zingg at (630) 829-6460 or email jzingg@ben.edu.