Rev. Wright speaks to black college students in Atlanta ATLANTA, GA (WABE) - Rev. Jeremiah Wright's controversial sermons made national headlines during the Presidential race.

Today, he spoke to students at historically black Clark Atlanta University.

Remember this?

WRIGHT: " and then want us to sing God Bless America. No, no, no. Not God Bless America. God Damn America."

That was the excerpt from a Rev. Wright's sermon that made his a household name last year. You might be surprised that this is the same person.

WRIGHT: "We need to stop the attacks where we attack each other and we need to start building bridges of understanding where we talk to each other and not about and at each other."

Wright lectured more than a 100 students and faculty at Clark Atlanta. His talk focused on restoring greatness in black churches and schools. As to why both institutions have faltered, Wright points to a book called Destruction of Black Civilization by Chancellor Williams. In it, Wright says Williams praises cultures like the French for writing about their own historical events like the French revolution.

WRIGHT: "He said every people in Western History in the history of civilization have done that with the exception of African-American people. We did not write our story down. We did not tell our story."

And that, Wright says, is why many black students know more about America than Africa. His message hit home for students like psychology major LaTisha Smith.

SMITH: "I hadn't heard him speak. All I've heard about him thus far was the controversy about what was going on surrounding him. And you know I was just listening to him. He's a very well versed speaker."

Smith says the person she heard today was nothing like the sound bites in the news.

SMITH: "Just listening the little bit I heard from him today, he's really about his people at the end of the day."

Wright visited Clark Atlanta University for a lecture series that ends Sunday. © Copyright 2012, WABE