Hundreds of people filled the Community Arts Auditorium Sept. 8 to hear the Wayne State Law School’s Fifth Keith Biennial Lecture given by actor, singer and social activist Harry Belafonte.

The lecture was a rally for social justice that also honored Detroit judge Damon J. Keith with the announcement of the Oct. 19 opening of the WSU Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights.

The lecture, titled “Where We Are Headed,” was about Belafonte’s life. He spoke for nearly two hours, highlighting personal setbacks, including being born into poverty and struggling with dyslexia.

He ended his speech with a call to action and said that although many people feel that civil rights is not an issue, it is still a problem in society.

According to WSU student Jason Foster, the city needs people like Belafonte to speak about issues that occur around the city and show that residents of Detroit are not forgotten.

“Detroit being ground zero in terms of unemployment or the eradication of the education system here, I think it was very important, and it was (a) strong, powerful voice like this that was needed,” Foster said.

Author and journalist Trevor Coleman said people like Belafonte enjoy coming to Detroit because of its source of African-American intellectual and social activism.

“Black people who are somebody, they come to Detroit because they know there is an audience here that (is) eager to hear that they are wanting to join them in the struggle for social justice,” Coleman said.

The most important thing Belafonte said, in Coleman’s opinion, was that people can never be too old to care or make a difference. He gave the example that neither Belafonte’s age nor his use of a pacemaker stopped him from traveling from New York to speak.

Wayne State University Police Department Chief Anthony Holt said Belafonte’s speech and the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights will help enhance the mission of WSU as an urban university.

“Bringing these people in and provoking thought in the process,to me, this is part of the mission of Wayne State, and we should be in the forefront,” he said.