The grandson of a preacher, West marched as a young man in civil rights demonstrations and organized protests demanding black studies courses at his high school. West later wrote that, in his youth, he admired "the sincere black militancy of Malcolm X, the defiant rage of the Black Panther Party [...] and the livid black theology of James Cone".
After graduating from John F. Kennedy High School in Sacramento, California, where he served as president of his high-school class, he enrolled at Harvard University at age 17. He took classes from philosophers Robert Nozick and Stanley Cavell and graduated in three years, magna cum laude in Near Eastern languages and civilization in 1973. He was determined, as he informs us, to press the university and its intellectual traditions into the service of his political agendas and not the other way around: to have its educational agendas imposed on him. "Owing to my family, church, and the black social movements of the 1960s," he says, "I arrived at Harvard unashamed of my African, Christian, and militant de-colonized outlooks. More pointedly, I acknowledged and accented the empowerment of my black styles, mannerisms, and viewpoints, my Christian values of service, love, humility, and struggle, and my anti-colonial sense of self-determination for oppressed people and nations around the world."
He earned a Ph.D. in 1980 from Princeton, where he was influenced by Richard Rorty's pragmatism. He later published his dissertation (completed in 1980) as The Ethical Dimensions of Marxist Thought.
In his mid-twenties, he returned to Harvard as a Du Bois fellow before becoming an assistant professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. In 1985, he went to Yale Divinity School in what eventually became a joint appointment in American studies. While at Yale, he participated in campus protests for a clerical union and divestment from apartheid South Africa, one of which resulted in his being arrested and jailed. As punishment, the university administration cancelled his leave for Spring 1987, leading him to commute between Yale (where he was teaching two classes) and the University of Paris (where he was teaching three).
He then returned to Union and taught at Haverford College for one year before going to Princeton to become a professor of religion and director of the Program in African American Studies, which he revitalized in cooperation with such scholars as novelist Toni Morrison. He served as director of the program from 1988 to 1994.
He then accepted an appointment as professor of African-American studies at Harvard University, with a joint appointment at the Divinity School. West taught one of the university's most popular courses, an introductory class on African-American studies. In 1998 he was appointed the first Alphonse Fletcher University Professor, a position that placed him among the top two dozen professors at the university and freed him from departmental boundaries. West used this freedom to teach not only in African-American studies but in divinity, religion, and in philosophy (where he co-taught a course on American pragmatism with Hilary Putnam).
In 2001, after a public row with Harvard president Lawrence Summers, West returned to Princeton, where he has taught since.
The recipient of more than 20 honorary degrees and a National Book Award, he is a longtime member of the Democratic Socialists of America, for which he now serves as Honorary Chair. He is also a co-chair of the Tikkun Community and the Network of Spiritual Progressives. West is also much sought-after as a speaker, blurb-writer, and honorary chair.
He is, however, not without detractors. Critics, most notably The New Republic literary editor Leon Wieseltier, have charged him with opportunism, crass showmanship and lack of scholarly seriousness. Hoover Institute research fellow Peter Schweizer wrote in his book Do as I Say (Not as I Do): Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy.
West remains a widely cited scholar in the popular press, in African-American studies and in studies of black theology, although his work as an academic philosopher has been almost completely ignored (with the exception of his early history of American pragmatism, The American Evasion of Philosophy).
Inspiration
Cornel West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Throughout hip-hop culture, rap music, gets play
In terms of being able to both be truthtelling
Soul-searching as well as witness-bearing
Out here in the garden too much of this suffering and pain out here
But to transfigure that pain and suffering into some joy
So we can cry and have some source for struggle
Serious political.. struggle predicated on broad vision
That's why the prison moratorium project IS, so very important
And umm, that's the big part of it
In Cornel West's song "Inspiration," he speaks about the significance of the prison moratorium project in hip-hop culture. He acknowledges the power of rap music in being able to convey the truth, examine one's soul, and bear witness to the struggles of others. He also emphasizes the importance of transfiguring the pain and suffering in the world into something joyful, which can serve as a source of strength for political struggle.
West believes that the prison moratorium project is crucial in this quest for a broad vision of social justice. This project aims to reduce the number of people incarcerated in the United States, which has the world's highest incarceration rate. West sees the prison system as a product of racial and economic injustice, and he urges listeners to join the struggle to dismantle it.
Overall, "Inspiration" is a call to action for anyone who wants to make a difference in the world. West sees hip-hop culture and music as tools for political resistance and transformation. He encourages his listeners to use their pain and struggles as a source of strength, and to work towards a vision of justice that is inclusive of all people.
Line by Line Meaning
The significance of uhh, the prison moratorium project
The importance of the prison moratorium project is notable and noteworthy.
Throughout hip-hop culture, rap music, gets play
Rap music is popular within hip-hop culture.
In terms of being able to both be truthtelling
Rap music has the ability to convey truth.
Soul-searching as well as witness-bearing
Rap music can be introspective and serve as a witness to experiences.
Out here in the garden too much of this suffering and pain out here
There's an abundance of suffering and pain in the world.
But to transfigure that pain and suffering into some joy
It's important to transform pain and suffering into something positive, such as joy.
So we can cry and have some source for struggle
By experiencing and acknowledging our pain, we can find motivation for change.
Serious political.. struggle predicated on broad vision
The fight for political change requires a wide-reaching and well-defined vision.
And that's what we're really after
Our focus is on achieving this well-defined vision.
That's why the prison moratorium project IS, so very important
The prison moratorium project is critical to achieving our goals.
And umm, that's the big part of it
That project plays a crucial role in our overall vision.
Contributed by Sarah E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@graywolf2107
DR. CORNEL WEST FOR PRESIDENT!!!!!!!!!
@eduard6491
You got my vote…2024!!!!
@elizabethgarcia7851
DR Cornel you have my vote, all my respects ❤
@manonanisland2712
Run Dr. West Run ! !
@ConnieJay542
Everybody needs to hear this
@christopherjohnson3537
He's got my vote
@Goodmanliveforever33
Yes! I love this dude he the main reason I learn self-respect I went back to college 🎓 and grauate
@SweetishFish
The mission is self respect period. And respect for each other
@Citzensocialist
Cornel west has such a beautiful mind. I agree with everything he has to say to a T.
@cheri238
Dr. Cornel West for president!!!!❤