Diamond GwynnAuthor, activist, and professor Cornel West will appear Friday to celebrate Black History Month in the next “Rock the Mic” lecture at N.C. Central University.
Known for being fearless and outspoken, West didn’t hesitate to condemn the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown Jr. in Ferguson, Mo., on Aug. 9, 2014. West was arrested during the uproar in Ferguson after Brown’s death.
West, born in Tulsa, Okla., has long been heavily involved in education, politics, and activism. Growing up, he participated in civil rights demonstrations with his family.
He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in three years and went on to get his M.A. and Ph.D. in philosophy at Princeton University.
He has lectured at Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and the University of Paris. West is now a professor of philosophy and Christian practice at Union Theological Seminary.
West serves as the Honorary Chair for Democratic Socialists of America, which is “the largest socialist organization in the United States,” according to its website.
West attended the 2015 Million Man March and record producer Russell Simmons’ Hip Hop Summit.
West has written more than 20 books, including “Prophetic Fragments: Illuminations of the Crisis in American Religion and Culture” (1988), “The Ethical Dimensions of Marxist Thought” (1991), and “Race Matters” (1994).
In 2010 West began co-hosting a radio show, “Smiley and West,” with Tavis Smiley. He’s made many appearances on programs such as “Real Time with Bill Maher,” “The Colbert Report,” and “Democracy Now!” speaking on injustices and politics in America.
He has released three spoken word albums, collaborating with Prince, Jill Scott, Andre 3000, and other entertainers.
This “Rock the Mic” event will take place in B.N. Duke Auditorium at 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
