Cornel West, an author and personality, spoke at Tuskegee University on Jan. 18. West’s talk was held at 1 p.m. in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. West reflected on the legacy King left behind, one of speaking the truth and spreading love and justice.
“Any time we talk about brother Martin (King) we ought to shake and tremble," West said. "It ought to make us shiver and quiver, not because he is a god, not because he is a deity, but rather because he comes from a great tradition and he decided to give, to serve, most importantly, to love.”
West is a resident of Harlem, New York, and a professor of philosophy and Christian practice at Union Theological Seminary and professor emeritus at Princeton University.
West has published over 20 books, including "Race Matters," "Democracy Matters,"Black Prophetic Fire" and "Radical King." West is also a frequent guest of REal Time with Bill Maher, the Colbert Report, CNN, C-SPAN and Democracy Now!, and he has appeared in over 25 documentaries and films.
He was a force in developing the storyline of the Matrix trilogy and performed a recurring role in the two latter films. Sheena Harris, assistant professor of history at Tuskegee, said she was excited to have West speak for their lyceum series, which is aimed at engaging the students and community of Tuskegee.
"I’m really hoping that of many things that our students and the larger community get, is that they really get the idea of service, and the service not only of what Dr. King did, but of how they fit into that idea of service in the local and national community,” Harris said.
West said a sense of community at Tuskegee is essential.
“There is no Tuskegee University without a ‘we’ consciousness, a sense of condition of community of coming together — sustaining each other,” West said.
Kenneth Butler, student at Tuskegee University, said West's talk had special meaning to him.
“My house has been broken into twice, I’ve been robbed, I’ve been shot, I’ve been stabbed, so to me, he come from the streets," Butler said. "The significance is so profound because what he spit is gold, and it’s from the heart and from the soul. It’s not for money, it’s not to be seen, it’s not for recognition. It’s because he cares about people — you and me. He wants to improve the world.”
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