by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Your Black World
In a recent article in Diverse Issues in Higher Education, Professor Cornel West “went HAM” on Tulane University Professor Melissa Harris-Perry. In what might be his strongest public comments yet, West referred to Harris-Perry as a “fake” and a “fraud” for allowing herself to be used by the liberal establishment to shoot down his critiques over our nation’s choice to overlook racial inequality and poverty.
I was quoted in the article, but only as a supporter of Dr. West. Anyone who evaluates Cornel West’s track record will see that he has consistently advocated for black, brown and poor people, long before “hope” and “change” slogans were thrust onto our TV screens. In fact, Dr. West and Pastor Jeremiah Wright serve as our strongest modern-day embodiments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Similar to King, both of these men must endure the public volatility that comes with not running in lockstep with any flashy political trend.
