EX-GANG MEMBER TO SPEAK AT SEMO

Joe R. Hicks, a former gang member and a veteran of America's urban political wars, will speak on gang violence at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Southeast Missouri State University's Academic Auditorium.

Hicks is the executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Los Angeles and the executive vice president of the Martin Luther King Legacy Association.

Hicks grew up in the Watts area of Los Angeles, described by some as America's quintessential ghetto.

Tuesday's presentation is sponsored by the Student Activities Council at Southeast Missouri State. Admission is $1 for students and $2 for the general public.