Cornel West to Discuss Presidential Election at Tufts February 22

Tufts University will present well-known scholar, philosopher, musician and civil-rights activist Dr. Cornel West as part of the Tufts Faculty Progressive Caucus American Democracy in Crisis Series.

West will share his perspective on the coming presidential election on Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m. in Cohen Auditorium, Aidekman Arts Center on Tufts’ Medford/Somerville campus. Free tickets will be offered to members of the Tufts community beginning Feb. 6 at the Mayer Campus Center Information Booth.

West focuses much of his work on the role of race, gender and class in American society. He is the Class of 1943 University Professor at Princeton University. He received his undergraduate degree from Harvard in three years and his master’s and doctorate from Princeton. He has taught at Union Theological Seminary, Harvard, Yale and the University of Paris.

A prolific author, West has written 20 books and edited 13 books. Some of his most well-known works include Race Matters, Democracy Matters and his memoir Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud. He is the co-author of the forthcoming book The Rich and the Rest of Us: A Poverty Manifesto, focused on economic injustice in America. He has appeared in over 25 documentaries and films and on numerous television and news shows, including the Bill Maher Show, Colbert Report, CNN and C-Span. He is also the co-host of the popular radio show “Smiley & West” on PRI.

Dr. West’s talk, which is part of the Faculty Progressive Caucus’s American Democracy in Crisis Series, is sponsored by the Tufts Diversity Fund, the Peace and Justice Studies program, the Africana Center, the Office of Intercultural and Social Identities Programs, and the offices of Student Affairs and Campus Life.

“West’s talk is an example of Tufts’ increasing focus on cultivating an inclusive academic environment for the university’s diverse student body,” said Tufts Assistant Director of Public Relations Katie Cinnamond.

According to Cinnamond, in March Tufts will announce the establishment of a Center for the Study of Race and Democracy (CSRD). The university-wide center will stimulate research and debate on race and democracy in the United States and around the world. The center’s first event will be the Barack Obama American Democracy Conference, which is scheduled to take place March 1-3.

– Information from Tufts University