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Ben Carson to Speak to Youth Organizations at University of Memphis

Although he has stepped down from his speaking engagement at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine commencement ceremony, well-known neurosurgeon Ben Carson has not vanished from the public eye altogether.

The rising star of the conservative party will be holding a seminar on behalf of Inner L.I.G.H.T., a nonprofit community development organization, and the Memphis Urban League Young Professionals organization on Wednesday in the Mike Rose Theatre at the University of Memphis in Tennessee.

Both of these organizations use social and community action to equip younger generations with the proper materials, including education and role models, to help them excel in life.

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Carson "grew up in a single parent home with dire poverty, poor grades, a horrible temper, and low self-esteem," according to his personal website. In spite of his rough childhood, he received guidance, support, and mentorship from his mother, and ended up becoming the head of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Md.

Carson has also become a rising star in the conservative party for the bold statements he made at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., in February.

GOP political pundits contended that Carson, a conservative and Seventh Day Adventist, was able to successfully articulate many of the concerns of the conservative party to President Obama at the National Prayer Breakfast.

Carson's rise to public popularity has not come without controversy, however.

The neurosurgeon recently voluntarily stepped down as commencement speaker at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine graduation ceremony due to previous comments he made regarding same-sex marriage, which he opposes.

"Given all the national media surrounding my statements as to my belief in traditional marriage, I believe it would be in the best interest of the students for me to voluntarily withdraw as your commencement speaker this year," Carson said in a letter to the school's Dean, Paul B. Rothman, as previously reported by The Christian Post.

Carson sparked some criticism after he told Fox News' Sean Hannity earlier in April that he believes "marriage is between a man and a woman."

"It's a well-established, fundamental pillar of society and no group, be they gays, be they NAMBLA, be they people who believe in bestiality – it doesn't matter what they are – they don't get to change the definition," Carson said.

He later said that many misinterpreted his comments as him comparing homosexuality to bestiality or pedophilia.

Carson's plans to speak at Wednesday's seminar at the University of Memphis echo his lifetime of service to the community.

The well-known neurosurgeon and his wife founded the Carson Scholars Fund in 1994, which provides scholarship opportunities to children, grades four through 11.

Although the Memphis Urban League Young Professionals did confirm with The Christian Post that Carson will be speaking to their youth organization tomorrow night, it did not provide a full comment by press time.

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