Cornel West in Sunday Political Talk Show interviews during 2020-2024
On Abortion:
Wrong to be more concerned about abortion than child poverty
Many of my conservative brothers and sisters know that the child poverty rate in the United States, roughly 21%--it's much higher among Black and Brown. So, if they're committed to the well-being of the child, you would think they would be on the
cutting edge of eliminating child poverty. So, they're concerned about the child on the inside. That strikes me as not that concerned about imago Dei, not that concerned about the sanctity and dignity of children.
Source: Democracy Now on 2024 Presidential hopefuls
Jun 7, 2023
On Civil Rights:
If you don't have deep solidarity, diversity means little
West said, "if you don't have deep solidarity, [diversity] is not going to go too far. That would be true for Black women in the Democratic Party. They can celebrate all they want in terms of being Black women who gain access to the class and imperial
hierarchy--whereas solidarity with Palestinian women who are catching hell, who are occupied--that's solidarity, that's integrity. If you're just talking about identity, politics is empty in the end."
Source: Al Jazeera on 2024 Presidential hopefuls
Dec 4, 2020
On Foreign Policy:
Pro-Palestinians are accused of being anti-Semitic or naive
If you are fundamentally identified with the Palestinian cause, not in a way of putting Jews down but in a way of hating occupations, in a way of loathing domination there is a certain kind of consensus that it's a taboo issue, and somehow to raise
the issue means you're either anti-Semitic or don't understand the complexities of the Middle East, or all the different rationalizations that lose sight of the humanity of Palestinian brothers and sisters.
Source: The New Yorker magazine on 2024 Presidential hopefuls
Mar 9, 2022
On Gun Control:
Good to discuss gun control, but why only with white victims
[On Black Lives Matter]: "But it's a good thing that we now have a discussion on gun control. We need one on drone control," he continued, "not a peep, not a mumbling word when black folk get shot. But now, Newtown, Connecticut,
vanilla side--low and behold we got a major conversation. That's wonderful. Each life is precious but it just upsets me when we're so deferential."
Source: Atlanta Black Star on 2024 Presidential hopefuls
Dec 26, 2012
On Immigration:
Treat immigrants with same dignity as any other human being
Q: OK, now, how do you concretely treat immigrants with respect as they make their entree into the United States, into the American empire?A: That's a matter of a step-by-step process of making sure that you have some connection with the
leaders of the various countries where these folk are coming from. And at the same time, you let your folk know that they will not be in any way treated with less dignity than any other human being.
Source: Democracy Now on 2024 Presidential hopefuls
Jun 7, 2023
On Principles & Values:
Everybody could gain by having a relationship with Jesus
As a Christian, I think everybody could gain much by having a relationship with Jesus. But I think the left can teach Christians like myself very much in terms of their willingness to speak in a courageous way to the "least of these," to echo the
25th chapter of Matthew: the poor, the orphan, the widow, the exploited. They've done a much better job than most churches, synagogues, temples, and mosques.
Source: The Atlantic magazine on 2024 Presidential hopefuls
Aug 13, 2021
On Principles & Values:
America is one of the most anti-intellectual cultures
America is one of the most anti-intellectual cultures in the history of the modern world. Americans love intelligence that generates profits, but they don't appreciate intellect that evaluates the context under which the profits are made and the ways in
which that greed can generate unbelievable social misery in terms of how the workplace is structured, in terms of how society as a whole is structured, with patriarchy and white supremacy and xenophobia and transphobia, and so on.
Source: Democracy Now on 2024 Presidential hopefuls
Jun 7, 2023
On Tax Reform:
Advocates taxing the rich; has $500K+ in federal tax liens
West has long advocated for taxing the rich to provide more services to America's lower classes. But materials filed in Mercer County, New Jersey, where West owns a home, and in Los Angeles--the location of his personal attorney's office--reveal a
second, secret motif to his hugely lucrative professional life: a failure to pay his own taxes. These documents show a total of $543,778.78 in outstanding federal tax liens against the professor, activist, and writer.
Source: The Daily Beast FactCheck on 2024 Presidential hopefuls
Aug 3, 2023
Page last updated: Nov 03, 2024