Cornel West

Cornel Ronald West is an American philosopher, author, critic, actor, and civil rights activist who is also a prominent member of the Democratic Socialists of America. He holds the Class of 1943 University Professor title at Princeton University, where he teaches in the Center for African American Studies and the Department of Religion. West is known for his integration of political and moral insight and criticism, as well as his role in the post-1960s civil rights movement. His work primarily examines the role of race, gender, and class in American society and how individuals respond to their "radical conditionedness." His intellectual approach draws from a range of traditions, including the African American Baptist Church, pragmatism, and transcendentalism.