Cornel West visited Johnson C. Smith University recently as part of the college’s Lycreum Engagement Series, an effort to engage the school’s community in “critical and thoughtful dialogue.”
The visit comes just weeks after West, who is a well-known professor, author and activist, announced his plan to run for president in 2024.
During his Nov. 9 conversation at JCSU titled Let There be Light: A Community Renaissance, West, who is a professor, author and activist, covered several topics, including racism and activism.
He encouraged the audience to seek justice by using their voices and to confront white supremacy, mentioning the generational impacts of it.
“If you want to see how strong white supremacy is, just look in the souls of Black people, and you will still see self-hatred, doubt, disrespect, or destruction,” West said.
West said that more people should become active in seeking truth. He also mentioned historical Black leaders Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr. and W. E. B. Dubois, noting that people should look to them as examples of sacrifice and morality through adversity.
