Cornel West Biography

The American philosopher and activist Cornel West was born in 1953 in Tulsa, Oklaholma. Young Cornel spent his formative years growing up in Sacramaento, California, where he began marching in civil rights demonstrations and organizing protests while still in high school. Inspired by the writings of Malcolm X and the ideology of the Black Panther Party, West fought for such things as black studies courses in his high school, and equal rights for black students.

After graduating from high school, Cornel West entered Harvard College to begin his studies in Near Eastern Languages and Civilization. West graduated magna cum laude in 1973, and his four years of accomplishments are marked by not only academic achievements, but also extensive contributions to his local community through his volunteer work in church programs, prisons, and other philanthropic endeavors. After leaving Harvard, Cornel West taught at Harvard for a year before accepting a position at the Union Theological Seminary in New York City as a professor of Philosophy.

Today, Cornel West is a frequent media commentator, speaking out mainly on social and political issues. West is often seen on such programs as Real Time with Bill Maher, Fox News, CNN, the Colbert Report, and various late night talk shows. Most of his efforts are geared towards an exploration and exposition or class, gender, and racial divides in current American society. His blended intellectual influences, which draw from various philosophies – including transcendentalism, Marxism, and Christianity – provide insight into some of the most common struggles in society today.

The recipient of numerous awards and more than twenty honorary degrees, Cornel West has authored multiple best-selling books, including Race Matters (1994) and Democracy Matters (2004.) He has also recorded a number of hip hop and spoken word albums, such as Sketches of My Culture (2001) and Street Knowledge (2004.) His most recent book, Black Prophetic Fire, arrived in 2014.