The Washington Post once called Bebe Moore Campbell one of the most important African-American writers of the century.

More than 80 people gathered in the HUB Auditorium last night to hear Campbell, the best-selling author who made waves with such novels as Your Blues Ain't Like Mine and Brother and Sisters.

Before Campbell took the podium, Bernard Bell, professor of English, introduced Campbell as a "revisionist historian" and said last night's speech was a "momentous occasion for Penn State."

Campbell told the crowd of her experience as a professional author and her struggles to arrive at where she is today.

"To get where you want to go, you always need the two 'V's' -- vision and vigilance," she said. "I had a vision of myself as a writer long before I came one, and in between that vision and reality came a vigilance to make it happen."

She also encouraged those in attendance to work hard to pursue their goals.

"No one but you will nurture your dream," she added.

Campbell came to Penn State as a speaker in the series "In Pursuit of Social Justice: Recognizing Pennsylvania Black Artists," headed by the Africana Research Center.

Beverly Vandiver, center director, said the series is part of a long-term initiative to promote cultural diversity and acceptance in the Penn State community and surrounding areas.

"Our goal is to have one major event per semester," Vandiver said. "It is really exciting to have an artist like Bebe Moore Campbell here, an African-American woman of such stature."

Vandiver also said she was excited about the speech because of Campbell's work as an artist to combat social injustice.

"Bebe Moore Campbell is a role model for social consciousness," she said.

Campbell spoke to the crowd about how social injustice against blacks helped inspire her first work of fiction. Her first novel was loosely based on the 1955 murder of Emmit Till, who was killed for allegedly flirting with a white woman.

"The Emmit Till murder just really resonated with me," she said. "I found myself interested in creating a fictional landscape and aftermath of this case."

Many students in attendance praised Campbell's speech as inspirational.

"When she talked about how success can be determined by how you deal with troubles you face in life, I thought it was a great perspective especially for college students," Edwina Jones (senior-women's studies) said. "I thought for her to share her insights was brave and inspiring."

Carol Seals (sophomore-African and African-American studies and criminal justice) said she thought Campbell was down-to-earth and was a moving speaker.

"Her idea of the two-'V's', vision and vigilance, definitely hit me as a student," Seals said. "It reminded me to always keep in mind why I'm here and what I'm trying to achieve."