Grand Rapids, Michigan (October 24, 2007) - Aquinas College will host former radio personality and activist Roxanne Walker for a presentation entitled "Rock the Boat, but Don’t be Surprised if You Get Wet" at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15 in the Wege Center Loutit Room. The event, sponsored by the Aquinas College Women's Studies Center, is free and open to the public. The presentation "summarizes my story opposing the Iraq war and basically losing my radio career because of it," said Walker, a Michigan native who now resides in South Carolina. Walker was forced off her show on South Carolina station WMYI in April of 2003 for speaking out against the Iraq war. The radio host, who in 2002 won the South Carolina Broadcasters Association's Radio Personality of the Year award, sued Clear Channel in July of 2003 for "unlawful termination" based on political views. The case was settled by mediation in the spring of 2005.

Walker, a prominent member of both her church and the Democratic Party in South Carolina, views "the war in Iraq and the lack of a cohesive movement for change" as the most critical issues facing younger Americans today. "There is no third wave," she said. "There is nothing, and I'm very concerned about it." Walker is also an outspoken advocate for greater regulation of the media. "Conservative talk dominates the radio because of media consolidation. De-regulation has killed the media," she said, arguing that many Americans today believe practically anything they see on TV.

"We're a fear-based culture," said Walker, whose close friend and Aquinas Dean of the School of Education Nanette Clatterbuck urged her to come speak at the College. Ultimately, her message is simple: "You do good because it’s the right thing to do and not to get something out of it for yourself."