Sex may be considered a taboo topic in today's society, but the truly unspeakable subject is racism, columnist Leonard Pitts Jr. told an audience of Penn State faculty, staff and students.

Pitts, a syndicated Miami Herald writer, addressed the gathering of almost 700 people yesterday afternoon as part of the Penn State Faculty/Staff Club Forum lunchtime lecture series.

During his speech, Pitts highlighted the topic of race -- a topic he said nobody wants to speak about -- through a series of anecdotes and social criticisms.

"This is a subject that we seem to find very difficult to talk about," he said. "Tell me what you did last night in bed, but don't tell me about race."

Two of the biggest misconceptions in society concerning race are that race is not an issue in today's society and that society has not made any progress in solving the problem of racism, Pitts said, adding that the truth is somewhere in between.

Race is at the core of many social issues, such as crime, education and poverty, as well as the civil rights movement of the '60s, he said. However, misconceptions about the subject have resulted from what Pitts called "crazy black folks and blind white ones."

"Crazy black folks" are those who conclude that racism is behind every problem in society. Pitts cited the example of a politician who used the word "niggardly" and was later forced to resign amid protests although the word has no racial connotations.

"Blind white folks" are people who refuse to admit that racism still exists and is a major problem. Pitts mentioned the case of Rodney King, a black man who was pulled over by Los Angeles police for a traffic violation and was severely beaten by the police. Many people tried to justify the police actions, and the officers involved were later acquitted in court of any wrongdoing.

The result is an inability to solve or discuss the issue of racism, Pitts said.

"Too many of us have invested too much in our blindness, and too many of us have been crazy for too long," he said.

Pitts shared the story of how a white teenager swerved the vehicle he was driving towards Pitts' child. When Pitts' wife later went to confront the mother of the driver about what happened, the mother challenged her to a fight and said she was sick of "you people."

"When I heard it, coldness spread through me," he said. "I had been to this crossroads before."

The audience responded to Pitts' address with a great deal of applause at the conclusion.

"I think he's right on," said Jack Taylor, a State College resident who said he reads Pitts' column religiously. "I would like to see his courage articulated by a lot more people."

Jessica Jankoviak (freshman-division of undergraduate studies) said she enjoyed his relaxed and informal speaking manner, as well as the content of the speech.

"Even as a student, I felt he was talking to me," she said.

At the conclusion of his speech, Pitts signed copies of his book, Becoming Dad: Black Men and the Journey to Fatherhood, which chronicles his experience of becoming a father without a role model to look to for advice.

During his speech, Pitts also discussed remarks made by Martin Luther King Jr. about a promised land that would have no racism.

"We stand stranded, lost on the road to the promised land," Pitts said.

He provided statistics that reflect the inequalities for blacks in wages and the justice system. He also provided information that shows increased college attendance and earnings among blacks.

"Each picture tells the truth," he said. "When we are finally able to understand that, we will be able to put this behind us."