Biography

Dr. Cornel West, affectionately known to many as Brother West, is the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair at Union Theological Seminary. Dr. West teaches on the works of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, as well as courses in Philosophy of Religion, African American Critical Thought, and a wide range of subjects — including but by no means limited to, the classics, philosophy, politics, cultural theory, literature, and music. He has a passion to communicate to a vast variety of publics in order to keep alive the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. – a legacy of telling the truth and bearing witness to love and justice.

Dr. West is the former Professor of the Practice of Public Philosophy at Harvard University and Professor Emeritus at Princeton University. Cornel West graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard in three years and obtained his M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy at Princeton.

He has written 20 books and has edited 13. He is best known for his classics, Race Matters and Democracy Matters, and for his memoir, Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud. His most recent book, Black Prophetic Fire, offers an unflinching look at nineteenth and twentieth-century African American leaders and their visionary legacies.

Dr. West has partnered with MasterClass.com to provide teachings on several influential courses including a class with Pharrell Williams on Empathy, MasterClass’s first-ever multi-instructor class on Black History, Black Freedom & Black Love, as well as Dr. West’s standalone class on Philosophy. 

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Videos

Cornel West | The Power of Hope | Equity Talks

An Evening with Cornel West - Writer's Symposium by the Sea 2022

Dr. Cornel West in conversation with Dr. Daymond Glenn | Full Video | The Cultural Soul Project

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Booksby Dr. Cornel West

The African-American Century: How Black Americans Have Shaped Our Country

The War Against Parents

Prophetic Fragments: Illuminations of the Crisis in American Religion and Culture

Prophesy Deliverance! an Afro-American Revolutionary Christianity

Restoring Hope

Keeping Faith: Philosophy and Race in America

The Cornel West Reader

Race Matters

Democracy Matters: Winning the Fight Against Imperialism

THE COVENANT In Action

The Covenant with Black America

Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud, A Memoir

Hope On A Tightrope: "Words and Wisdom"

The Rich and the Rest of Us

Truth Matters: A Love Revolution featuring the words & work of Cornel West

Black Prophetic Fire

The Radical King

Race Matters, 25th Anniversary: With a New Introduction by Cornel West

Blog Posts

Crisis Management Lessons From 9/11: Why Top Event Leaders Prepare Before the Alarm Sounds

Crisis management begins before alarms sound. Learn how 9/11 lessons translate to event leadership and prevent disasters.

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Four Health Pillars That Transform Business Performance

Learn the four health pillars Olympic champion Apolo Ohno uses to maintain peak performance in business and life when perfection isn't possible.

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Time Management Secrets To Help Your Event Planning’s Success

Discover time management strategies from keynote speaker Lisa Bodell that help event planners maximize productivity and create meaningful experiences.

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AI Technology Insights (That Business Leaders Can Actually Use) with Ramy Nassar

AI keynote speaker Ramy Nassar reveals how leaders can make artificial intelligence accessible and drive real business outcomes through storytelling.

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Yellow September Lessons That Go Beyond the Applause

Yellow September reminds us that mental health conversations at events can save lives—here's how to create meaningful connections beyond applause.

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Stage Fright Doesn’t Have to End Your Speaking Career (This Mentalist Proves It)

Learn how mentalist Christophe Fox transformed paralyzing stage fright into Fortune 100 CEO presentations through preparation and mindset.

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