 "Photo: University of South Carolina")
In last week's Democratic presidential debate between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, Obama was questioned about his ties with UIC Professor Bill Ayers. Media attention surrounds Ayers's involvement with Obama, including a $200 donation Ayers gave Obama's campaign in April 2001; their mutual involvement on the board of the Woods Fund of Chicago, which seeks to give opportunities to less advantaged communities and individuals in the Chicago area; and the extent of their relationship, with both being Hyde Park residents who have visited each other's homes.
Ayers, once famous for his involvement in the 1960s group the Weather Underground, received his doctorate in Education and has been employed by UIC since 1987. He is currently a Distinguished Professor of Education.
Due to the extreme rise in media attention and his being out of town, Ayers could not be reached for any comments regarding the media coverage.
According to UIC Associate Chancellor Dr. Mark Rosati, speaking on behalf of the University, "Dr. Ayers has very strong credentials as a teacher and a scholar." He has been a part of various academic panels, discussions, and debates, as well as served as director and founder of many different foundations and workshops in the surrounding Chicago area. Ayers was even defended by Mayor Daley in a statement last week when he said that Ayers "is a valued member of the Chicago community."
Students of Ayers reflect a similar sentiment to that of Dr. Rosati and Mayor Daley. Manu Raghavan, a former student of Ayers, says that he is a "researcher, a smart and kind man, and receptive to new ideas. And if that is not the idea of being an academic, someone ought to define it."
Time will tell whether Obama's ties to Ayers continue to be an issue in the current Presidential race; Raghavan does not believe the issue will be of any significance.
"Look at the supporters; they seem to look past it. They are made up of diverse individuals who are willing to forgive meaningless personal contrivances because they are willing to look at his central ideas," said Raghavan.
Much of the skepticism and investigation of the Obama and Ayers ties have come from the national media. The often-stated admiration from within the Chicago community of Bill Ayers has often been lost in the coverage thus far.
A local community activist, speaking in terms of anonymity, stressed this point.
"The reality is that Bill Ayers is a well-loved and highly respected education professor and champion of youth. That Obama has to distance himself from Ayers because of his past is unfortunate - simply a byproduct of impotent and despicable reporting. There is nothing to show that they agree politically, and the guilty by association charge doesn't hold up," said the source.
With the Democratic race still undecided, Obama's ties with Ayers may still be an issue in the future. But whatever the spin that is put on the story may be, much of the community sees Prof. Bill Ayers as an intelligent and respectable individual working to benefit the Chicago community.
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