Also, a study of black history will show you that Dr. Cornel West has more in common with Martin Luther King than any prominent black public figure in the world today. Similar to Dr. King, West speaks ferociously about an unconditional love for black people. Most politicians, entertainers and athletes have bought into some kind of post-racial corporate puppet-speak, since many of them feel that talking directly about black people will somehow limit economic opportunities. They also seem to feel that standing up for black people means that you’re playing for the losing team (since too many of us are broke, don’t support our community, and are politically gullible).
Like Dr. King, West speaks regularly against the American military machine, which is being consistently accused of horrendous war crimes. Also, both King and West, raised in the black Baptist tradition, are/were fearless advocates for the poor, and were chastised (even by other black people) for the things they said. When Dr. King died, he was extremely unpopular. This was largely because he was saying many of the things that Cornel West is saying right now.
Of course there are millions of white Americans who respect Dr. Cornel West, but I’ve rarely seen any mainstream public figure of his stature show such a consistent and unapologetic willingness to face the lion’s den on behalf of black American issues. You don’t get this from most of our black politicians, many of whom speak of black people as an afterthought, despite immense suffering taking place as a direct result of state-sponsored policies. Many of these policies continue to expand economic inequality, educational inequality and mass incarceration. What’s unfortunate is that some have told us that these conditions are our own doing, which is a clear manifestation of white supremacist thinking (i.e. White and gay people can ask for help from your government, but if you ask for the same help, then you’re begging for a handout)