Born 1953, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Dr. Cornel West is an American Philosopher who completed his undergraduate degree at Harvard university and his Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy at Princeton University. Dr. West is also known for his deep-rooted connection with Christianity. Although he isn’t a preach or pastor per say there is plenty of footage of him speaking before a congregation while making mentions of Jesus Christ his lord and savior. One thing about Dr. West he makes it clear that he is a believer of Jesus Christ but he doesn’t down others that believe in their own gods. I recently watched a video of him and L Dr. West is also a political activist fighting for equality in regard to race, gender and class. I will note I find it interesting that he supports LGBTQ+ but also is a mature Christian. In my observation it appears to be a conflict of interest for most Christians because what is covered in Genesis. Here is a Video of Dr. West with notable journalist Pier Morgan. Here Dr. West provides his thoughts and stance on what is currently taking place in the middle east between the Israel and Palestine War.
On June 5th, 2023 Dr. West announced he would be entering the 2024 Presidential candidate election. A lot of Dr. West political views are in line with Democrats, so a lot of folks were surprised to learn he wasn’t running as Democrat Candidate. Some even argued him running outside of the two primary parties would ultimate hurt the democrats the most and give the fellow republicans the edge because since Dr. West political beliefs were so in line with Democrats it would likely make put Democrats in a place where they were split between a Democrat President or Dr. West. Dr. West proclaimed that the United States needed something different and that the Democrats and Republicans had failed the people. Dr. West announced he would be running independently from a party titled “the people party”.
I believe what makes Dr. West different is he isn’t your traditional politician. He isn’t polished or as some would say corrupted by the system or even whitewashed. He in fact appears to be the opposite. His speech patterns and word choice at times and sense of humor leaves me to believe he is connected with people in lower class of society, but his educational background proves that he is of high Brillance and also connected with people that are in higher societal classes. He has a Philosophy Education background as previously mentioned and often speaks about the importance of togetherness amongst all people while Democrats and Republicans focus on division.
Alaska is a primary red state/Republican state. With that being said I don’t think Dr. West will make the ballot in Alaska. It’s my understanding either the democrats or republicans have to elect him to be on a ballot or he has to get a certain percentage of votes in Alaska to be on the ballot. Since his political belief systems more align with Democrats, I don’t think he will receive the votes he needs to be on the ballot. During the Pier Morgan interview, Pier took the time to read a comment from someone that stated Dr. West is what James Brown would be if he went to college. James Brown was a great musician. but I thought to compare this well-educated and accomplished brother to James brown was a slight. I think a lot of people will view Dr. West the same way person who wrote that comment that Pier decided to select to read out of all the comments. I will note, I think Dr. West took it well and maybe he does view that as a compliment, but I personally thought it was a bit distasteful.
Dr. West is also an activist and an individual that advocates for equality for all. He has written multiple books about the injustice black Americans face and also been very verbal about the unfair treatment and slaughter of the Palestinian peoples. He has also not shied away from condemning Hamas from attacking innocent Israeli peoples. Although he is a self-proclaim Christian, he publicly views members of the LGBTQ+ as brothers and sisters and supports them although their walk of life might not necessarily be in line with one who is a Christian. I believe his focus on togetherness and fairness for all is in line with Social Work meaning and work. Lastly, I believe Dr. West is too much of himself to be elected in mass in America. Obama seemed to be a bit more Americanized/Westernized, and his sound and mannerisms weren’t too far away from the norm. Dr. West, who I believe is a great candidate might just be too far outside of the norm.
Comments
5 responses to “Outside of the Norm”
Hello Olanda, Dr. Cornel West indeed represents a unique blend of academic skill, activism, and religious conviction. His decision to run independently in the 2024 Presidential election under the banner of “the people party” certainly sets him apart from traditional party affiliations. While his political views may align closely with the Democrats, his pursuit of a third-party candidacy reflects a desire for a different approach to governance, one that transcends the established party lines. His outspoken advocacy for equality, regardless of race, gender, or class, along with his willingness to address controversial topics such as the Israel-Palestine conflict and LGBTQ+ rights, further highlights his commitment to principles rather than political expediency. However, his divergence from the conventional political mold may pose challenges in gaining widespread electoral support, as noted in your observations.
Thanks for your comment. I’ll also add, in order to run for these political positions, you have to have the finance support as well. Perhaps Dr. West will be able to gain support from the Christian Church thru his relationship with the people of Christ? It’s hard to see change in this system or someone different being elected as an independent because all the candidates are in cahoots with one of the major parties. I mean think about, in American history only one time has an independent candidate ever been elected and that was Washington, so the chances of a black president who isn’t affiliated with a party being elected is slim to none.
Dr. West intent to run in the presidential bid is commendable. His advocacy work and education is noted. However, as a pastor , he must tread carefully if he wins due to the separation of powers between church and state.
Hello Ana,
Thanks for the comment! He’s not a pastor or I couldn’t find anything that says he’s a pastor. His grandfather was a minister. I believe his grandfather being a pastor played a significate role in his upbringing and is where his relationship with the people of Christ comes from. I do agree it gets tricky when you’re running from president and you have announced yourself as a certain religion because the people that aren’t of that religion you put yourself at risk of losing those votes.
Hey Olanda!
I did not know about Dr. West as a presidential candidate before so learning more about him from our class and your post. You did a good job bringing up the balance that West has between his religious views and his social justice and political views. I personally think that a politician’s religious beliefs should be held confidential and not brought up or considered regarding voting, much the way juries dismiss evidence from consideration. Religion and politics need to be kept separate, especially as there is a prevalence of politicians that feel the need to force their religious standards and beliefs on to society, regardless of other’s beliefs and values.