Author and Activist Cornel West to Speak at Rhode Island College

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – On Thursday, Feb. 28, Cornel West, one of America’s premier public intellectuals and political activists, will give a talk at Rhode Island College at 7 p.m. in Roberts Hall auditorium in observance of Black History Month. This event is free and open to the public.

West is a professor of the practice of public philosophy at Harvard Divinity School and professor emeritus at Princeton University. He is a highly regarded scholar of religion, philosophy and African-American studies and the recipient of more than 20 honorary degrees.

 In his compelling, often controversial, essays, articles, books and interviews, West brings attention to complicated issues of race, economic justice, sexuality, gender, history, and politics. His most influential book, “Race Matters” (1993), gives a searing analysis of the scars of racism in American democracy. The book went on to become a national bestseller, with more than 400,000 copies sold and influenced a national dialogue on race.

Another influential book is his contemporary classic “Democracy Matters” (2004). In it, West returns to an analysis of the arrested development of democracy both in America and in the crisis-ridden Middle East. His most recent book, “Black Prophetic Fire” (2014), offers an unflinching look at 19th- and 20th-century black leaders and their visionary legacies.

West has been described as an electrifying speaker who gives as many as 100 public lectures a year and is a frequent guest on radio and television, including “Real Time with Bill Maher,” “Democracy Now!,” CNN, C-Span and other national and international media outlets. He has appeared in over 25 documentaries, made his film debut in “The Matrix Reloaded” and produced three spoken-word albums.

In communicating to public audiences through a variety of media channels, West explained that his goal is “to keep alive the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., a legacy of telling the truth and bearing witness to love and justice.”

Rhode Island College President Frank D. Sánchez said he looks forward to West’s visit, noting, “Institutions of higher learning are laboratories for ideas and therefore a vital environment for engaged conversations, particularly as they reflect on issues that impact our society.”

Sponsored by Harambee, a RIC student organization, Harambee President Mariama Coker-Kallon, stated, “In the times that we’re living in, with all that is going on in our country, I think Cornel’s lecture will help us open our minds. Being a student of color, we’re trying to get there [to a place of equality] but we’re still not there. I look forward to the knowledge that Cornel is going to bring.”

Cornel West graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in three years and obtained his M.A. and Ph.D. in philosophy at Princeton University. He has held professorships at Harvard University, Princeton University, Yale University, Pepperdine University, Union Theological Seminary and the University of Paris.

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