University journalism professor Walt Harrington kicked off the University's Brown v. Board celebration Wednesday afternoon by discussing his award winning book, "Crossing: A White Man's Journey Into Black America."

The book won the Myers Center Award for the Study of Human Rights in 1993.

"Walt Harrington took 1,500 pictures for this book," said University journalism professor Steven Helle before introducing Harrington. "Harrington takes his craft very seriously."

Harrington said he traveled 25,000 miles and interviewed hundreds of people on his two-year journey through black communities across the nation. He said he spoke with blacks from Wisconsin all the way to the South and said his experiences caused him to view blacks differently.

"What quickly became clear ... was the distrust African-Americans have about whites, a distrust whites can never comprehend," Harrington said. "I moved beyond feeling liberal white sympathy. The black people I met ... didn't pity themselves. They were optimistic about the future."

Harrington said his journey began in a dentist's office, when a dentist told a racist joke about a black man. Harrington's wife is black and the couple has interracial children.

"I thought about it, that idiot is talking about my children," he said.

WILL TV employee Anita Stein can relate to Harrington's experience. She is a white woman and has been married to a black man for 22 years. The couple has three children.

"I grew up in a white bubble," Stein said. "(The talk) really opened my eyes to some of the things going on that I haven't had to deal with. I really appriciate what (Harrington) did. The more we educate people, the better chance we have in this world."

Harrington said his family was "freaked out" by his interracial marriage. He said white parents view black-white marriages as a form of isolation.

"My parents still thought I was a rebellious youth," Harrington said. "(They) worried I wouldn't have any white friends and I wouldn't be able to get a job. Universally, white families do come around."

The relationship between white and black Americans is improving, Harrington said.

"Today race matters, but it's not all that matters," Harrington said.

Harrington said if he didn't know anything about race, then the rest of white America would be lost.The book is intended to be an educational tool for whites.

"This was not a book for black Americans. This was a book for white Americans," Harrington said. "African-Americans aren't the only victims and whites aren't the only oppressors."

Crossing was first published in 1993 and was republished by the University of Missouri Press in 1999.

If you are interested in purchasing "Crossing: A White Man's Journey Into Black America" visit Amazon.com. New books are $20.97 and used books are $11.75.