UTICA - A Harvard Law Professor spoke to students at MVCC about the role of "selling out" and how it affects prominent African Americans today. It is an accusation that a successful person from a group has abandoned the group or its ideals.

Kennedy focuses on the African American version, but says "selling out" applies to people of all races everywhere. Kennedy spoke with a small group of students earlier this afternoon and will address a larger group later tonight.

He feels that prominent people like Senator Barack Obama receive unfair criticism by some African Americans who feel that he and others are not interested in being champions of black causes.

In his book, Kennedy is critical of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas regarding his stances on social issues but does not feel that Thomas is a sellout either.

Kennedy says the concept of selling out comes from fear and calls it a destructive anxiety that some have. In the interest of full disclosure, we should tell you that Kennedy was one of Senator Obama's professors at Harvard.

Students we spoke with were still making their way through the book, but have some interesting perspectives on the concept of selling out in present-day America.