The mission-accomplished banner still cannot be raised in the strife for civil liberties in the U.S., said Susan Herman, president of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), at a lecture yesterday titled “Civil Liberties in the Age of Obama.”

This is the third in a series of interviews with people involved with the Willard Straight Takeover of 1969, in which black students took over the Straight to demand greater equality for minority students at Cornell. The interviews, along with a newspaper supplement and panel discussion in April, will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the takeover.

Art Spitzer ’71 has the unique perspective of having served on several University committees leading up to and following the Straight Takeover. For the past 29 years, he has worked for the American Civil Liberties Union and currently serves as the legal director of the ACLU’s National Capital Area office.

The Sun: What was your involvement with the Straight takeover?

While most take for granted obtaining a high school education without cost, some are deprived of this opportunity. In Mississippi, children attending alternative schools face abusive treatment and fail to receive an adequate education regardless of the fact that they are among the country’s most vulnerable population. Most of the children attending alternative schools have special needs and are African Americans, neither of which are justifiable reasons for mistreatment or discriminatory action.