History of Cornel West in Timeline
Cornel West is a prominent American philosopher, theologian, political activist, and public intellectual known for his outspoken voice in left-wing politics. He ran as an independent candidate in the 2024 United States presidential election. West's work often addresses issues of race, class, and justice, drawing from a variety of intellectual traditions, including Marxism, pragmatism, and prophetic Christianity. He is a social critic who engages in public discourse on contemporary issues and is recognized for his contributions to American intellectual life.
June 2, 1953: Cornel West Born
On June 2, 1953, Cornel Ronald West, an American philosopher, theologian, and political activist, was born.
1970: Enrolled at Harvard College
In 1970, Cornel West enrolled at Harvard College after graduating from high school.
1973: Graduated from Harvard
In 1973, Cornel West graduated from Harvard magna cum laude in Near Eastern languages and civilization.
1980: Received Ph.D. from Princeton
In 1980, Cornel West received a Ph.D. from Princeton University, becoming the first African American to graduate with a Ph.D. in philosophy from that institution.
1984: Joined Yale Divinity School
In 1984, Cornel West went to Yale Divinity School, holding a joint appointment in American studies.
1988: Professor at Princeton
In 1988, Cornel West became a professor of religion and director of the program in African American Studies at Princeton University.
1993: Race Matters Publication
In 1993, Cornel West published "Race Matters", one of his most influential books.
1994: Professor at Harvard
In 1994, Cornel West accepted an appointment as professor of African American studies at Harvard University.
1997: Elected to American Philosophical Society
In 1997, Cornel West was elected as a member of the American Philosophical Society.
1998: Alphonse Fletcher University Professor
In 1998, Cornel West was appointed the first Alphonse Fletcher University Professor at Harvard University and was also inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa at SUNY Plattsburgh.
1999: Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
In 1999, Cornel West was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
2000: Senior Advisor to Bill Bradley
In 2000, Cornel West worked as a senior advisor to Democratic presidential candidate Bill Bradley, later supporting Ralph Nader after Bradley's primary loss.
2000: Meeting with Lawrence Summers
In 2000, Lawrence Summers, the new president of Harvard, reportedly rebuked Cornel West for various issues, including missed classes and his CD "Sketches of My Culture", leading to tension between them.
2001: Appeared in The Matrix Reloaded
In 2001, Cornel West appeared as Councillor West in "The Matrix Reloaded".
2001: Released Sketches of My Culture
In 2001, Cornel West released his first album, "Sketches of My Culture".
April 2002: Civil Disobedience with Rabbi Michael Lerner
In April 2002, Cornel West and Rabbi Michael Lerner engaged in civil disobedience by sitting in the street in front of the U.S. State Department in solidarity with suffering Palestinian and Israeli people, and West emphasized the importance of recognizing the humanity on both sides.
October 2002: Harvard Crimson suggests Law and Order episode based on West's conflict
In October 2002, The Harvard Crimson suggested that the premise of the "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" episode "Anti-Thesis" was based on Cornel West's conflicts with Lawrence Summers.
2002: Returned to Princeton
In 2002, Cornel West returned to Princeton University after leaving Harvard.
2003: Appeared in The Matrix Revolutions
In 2003, Cornel West appeared as Councillor West in "The Matrix Revolutions" and provided the voice for the character in the video game "Enter the Matrix".
2004: Advised Al Sharpton's Presidential Campaign
In 2004, Cornel West advised Al Sharpton's presidential campaign.
2004: Democracy Matters Publication
In 2004, Cornel West published "Democracy Matters", another of his influential books.
2004: Released Street Knowledge
In 2004, Cornel West released his album "Street Knowledge".
2004: Supported John Kerry
In 2004, Cornel West, despite supporting Ralph Nader in 2000, signed the "Vote to Stop Bush" statement, urging voters in swing states to vote for John Kerry.
2006: Founded Center for African American Studies
In 2006, Cornel West helped found the Center for African American Studies at Princeton University.
May 2007: Demonstration Against Israeli Occupation
In May 2007, Cornel West joined a demonstration against injustices faced by the Palestinian people resulting from the Israeli occupation and to bring attention to this 40-year travesty of justice.
November 29, 2007: Speech at the Apollo Theater in Harlem
On November 29, 2007, Cornel West spoke to over 1,000 of Barack Obama's supporters at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, publicly supporting the 2008 Democratic presidential candidate.
2007: Released Never Forget: A Journey of Revelations
In 2007, Cornel West released his third album, "Never Forget: A Journey of Revelations", which included collaborations with Prince, Talib Kweli, Jill Scott, Andre 3000, KRS-One, Killer Mike, and Gerald Levert.
2008: Appearance in Examined Life
In 2008, Cornel West appeared in the documentary film "Examined Life", discussing philosophy.
2008: Contribution to Call+Response Documentary
In 2008, Cornel West contributed his insights on the global issue of modernized slavery and human trafficking in the documentary Call+Response. He also became a member of the Campaign for Peace and Democracy.
2008: Support for Barack Obama's Presidential Campaign
In 2008, Cornel West publicly supported Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, making 65 speeches in support of the campaign, but he worried privately that Obama was the "Johnny Mathis of American politics".
2008: Recognition from World Cultural Council
In 2008, Cornel West received special recognition from the World Cultural Council.
2009: Appeared in Still Bill
In 2009, Cornel West appeared in conversation with Bill Withers in the documentary "Still Bill".
2009: Criticism of Obama's Nobel Peace Prize
In 2009, Cornel West criticized Barack Obama when he won the Nobel Peace Prize, suggesting it would be difficult for Obama to be "a war president with a peace prize".
2009: Recitation of "Jim Crow"
In 2009, Cornel West recorded a recitation of John Mellencamp's song "Jim Crow" for inclusion on the singer's box set On the Rural Route 7609.
2010: Recording with Cornel West Theory
In 2010, Cornel West completed recording with the Cornel West Theory, a hip hop band endorsed by West.
April 2011: Retraction of Support for Obama
In April 2011, Cornel West retracted his support for Barack Obama in an interview, stating that Obama is "a black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs and a black muppet of corporate plutocrats" and had become "head of the American killing machine".
October 16, 2011: Participation in Occupy D.C. Protests
On October 16, 2011, Cornel West participated in the Occupy D.C. protests on the steps of the Supreme Court over the court's decision in the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case.
2011: Featured on Immortal Technique's "Sign of the Times"
In 2011, Cornel West appeared on Immortal Technique's song "Sign of the Times", which appeared on the album The Martyr.
2011: Call to Divest from Companies Profiting from Israeli Occupation
In 2011, Cornel West called on the University of Arizona to divest from companies profiting from the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.
2011: Response to Critics of Occupy Wall Street
In 2011, Cornel West expressed his frustration with critics of Occupy Wall Street, defending the movement against claims that it lacked a clear and unified message.
2011: Participation in 'Poverty Tour' with Tavis Smiley
In 2011, Cornel West participated in a "Poverty Tour" with Tavis Smiley, which became a two-part special on their radio program, Smiley & West, and a five-night special on the PBS television program Tavis Smiley.
May 2012: Guest Starred in 30 Rock
In May 2012, Cornel West guest-starred in the sixth season of "30 Rock", in the episode "What Will Happen to the Gang Next Year?".
November 2012: Obama as a 'Rockefeller Republican in blackface'
In November 2012, Cornel West said in an interview that he considered Barack Obama a "Rockefeller Republican in blackface."
2012: Publication of 'The Rich and the Rest of Us'
In 2012, Cornel West and Tavis Smiley recounted their experience on the Poverty Tour in their bestselling book, The Rich and the Rest of Us, which aimed to highlight the plight of the impoverished population of the United States prior to the 2012 presidential election.
2012: Returned to Union Theological Seminary
In 2012, Cornel West left Princeton and returned to Union Theological Seminary.
2012: Featured on Brother Ali's "Letter to My Countrymen"
In 2012, Cornel West was featured on Brother Ali's song "Letter to My Countrymen", which appeared on the album Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color.
October 13, 2014: Arrested at Ferguson Protest
On October 13, 2014, Cornel West was arrested while protesting against the shooting of Michael Brown and participating in Ferguson October.
2014: Co-Initiation of Stop Mass Incarceration Network
In 2014, Cornel West co-initiated the Stop Mass Incarceration Network, a project of the Revolutionary Communist Party USA. Later that year, he and RCP chairman Bob Avakian took part in a filmed discussion on "Religion and Revolution".
2014: Criticism of Obama as a 'Counterfeit'
In 2014, Cornel West criticized Barack Obama in an interview, calling him a "counterfeit" who posed as a progressive and defining his presidency as a "Wall Street presidency, a drone presidency, a national security presidency".
August 10, 2015: Arrested at St. Louis Protest
On August 10, 2015, Cornel West was arrested while demonstrating outside a courthouse in St. Louis on the one-year anniversary of Michael Brown's death.
August 24, 2015: Endorsement of Bernie Sanders
On August 24, 2015, Cornel West tweeted his endorsement of Bernie Sanders, stating that he is a long-distance runner with integrity in the struggle for justice for over 50 years.
July 2016: Endorsement of Jill Stein for President
In July 2016, after Bernie Sanders exited the presidential race, Cornel West endorsed Green Party nominee Jill Stein and her running mate Ajamu Baraka, referring to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton as a "neoliberal disaster".
November 2016: Returned to Harvard
In November 2016, Cornel West returned to Harvard as Professor of the Practice of Public Philosophy.
August 2017: Participation in Counter-Protest at Unite the Right Rally
In August 2017, Cornel West participated in a counter-protest at the Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. He was part of an interfaith, multiracial clergy group, and stated that Antifa had saved their lives.
September 2020: Listed as Fourth-Greatest Thinker
In September 2020, Cornel West was listed by Prospect magazine as the fourth-greatest thinker for the COVID-19 era.
2020: Co-host of The Tight Rope Podcast
As of 2020, Cornel West is the co-host, along with Tricia Rose, of the podcast "The Tight Rope".
2020: Support for Bernie Sanders' Presidential Bid
In 2020, Cornel West once again put his support behind Bernie Sanders, who mounted a second presidential bid in that election cycle.
February 2021: Tenure Denial at Harvard
In February 2021, reports surfaced that Cornel West was denied tenure consideration at Harvard, leading to threats of departure.
March 8, 2021: Announcement of Departure from Harvard
On March 8, 2021, Cornel West announced his departure from Harvard and a return to Union Theological Seminary.
June 30, 2021: Resignation from Harvard
On June 30, 2021, Cornel West submitted his resignation letter to Harvard University.
July 1, 2021: Rejoined Union Theological Seminary
On July 1, 2021, Cornel West rejoined the faculty of Union Theological Seminary, holding the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair.
June 5, 2023: Announcement of Presidential Run
On June 5, 2023, Cornel West announced he would run in the 2024 presidential election under the People's Party, sparking criticism due to the party's lack of ballot access and other issues.
October 5, 2023: Abandoning Green Party Nomination
On October 5, 2023, Cornel West announced that he was abandoning his strive for the Green Party nomination, and would instead continue his presidential bid as an independent candidate.
2023: Financial and Personal Criticisms
As of 2023, Cornel West has faced criticism regarding his spending habits, debt to the IRS, and allegations of extramarital affairs.
February 1, 2024: Establishment of the Justice For All Party
On February 1, 2024, Cornel West announced the establishment of the Justice For All Party (JFA), which he claimed would pursue a strategy of securing ballot access in specific areas.
August 2024: Polling Below 1% Nationally
As of August 2024, Cornel West was polling below 1% nationally, his campaign was $17,000 in debt, and he was no longer actively campaigning.
August 2024: Disqualification from Michigan Ballot
In August 2024, Cornel West and his running mate Melina Abdullah were both disqualified and denied entry onto the 2024 Michigan presidential election ballot.
2024: Green Party Nomination Pursuit
In 2024, Cornel West decided to seek the Green Party nomination instead, running a campaign centered around support for Medicare for All, public housing, action on climate change, and drastically cutting the U.S. military budget.
2024: Independent Presidential Candidate
In 2024, Cornel West ran as an independent candidate in the United States presidential election.
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