Dr. Cornel West to speak Feb. 6 at Arkansas State University

Jan. 22, 2009 -- Arkansas State University-Jonesboro’s Office of Multicultural Affairs announces a key event in ASU’s celebration of Black History Month 2009. Distinguished scholar Dr. Cornel West will present a public lecture Friday, Feb. 6, at
7 p.m. in Riceland Hall, Fowler Center, 201 Olympic Drive, Jonesboro. Dr. West's lecture is free and open to the public.

West, who earned two bachelor's degrees (magna cum laude) from Harvard in three years, is known nationwide for his pragmatic and philosophical views. He is currently the Class of 1943 professor at Princeton University, where he also earned his PhD. He was a professor of religion and director of the  Afro-American Studies program at Princeton. West has also taught at the Union Theological Seminary, Harvard, Yale, and the University of Paris. In 2000, he served as the senior advisor to presidential candidate Bill Bradley, and then in 2004, West was an advisor for presidential candidate Al Sharpton’s campaign. He is also very well-known for his advocacy for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

His best-selling book, "Race Matters," is a controversial analysis of race issues in American politics. In his book, West writes that the Sep. 11, 2001, attack on the United States was an eye-opening event for white Americans, because it showed them what a day in the life of a black American was like, feeling “unsafe, unprotected, subject to random violence, and hated” for the color of their skin.

West is the recipient of over 20 honorary degrees from colleges across the nation and a winner of the American Book Award. He has written 19 books, and his latest CD is a compilation of many different artists, such as Outkast and Prince. West is also the honorary chair of the Democratic Socialists of American and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

For more information on Dr. Cornel West’s lecture, call Kimberley Johnson, assistant dean of students, at (870) 972-2055, or e-mail krjohns@astate.edu.    

--release by Caitlin Berry,
student intern, ASU Office of Public Relations/University Communications      

###