Book Dr. Cornel West through The Keynote Curators

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. 

Contact us for Dr. Cornel West fees and availability

Read More

Videos

Booksby Dr. Cornel West

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

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

The War Against Parents

The War Against Parents

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

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

Prophesy Deliverance!  an Afro-American Revolutionary Christianity

Prophesy Deliverance! an Afro-American Revolutionary Christianity

Restoring Hope

Restoring Hope

Keeping Faith:  Philosophy and Race  in America

Keeping Faith: Philosophy and Race in America

The Cornel West Reader

The Cornel West Reader

Race Matters

Race Matters

Democracy Matters:  Winning the Fight  Against Imperialism

Democracy Matters: Winning the Fight Against Imperialism

THE COVENANT In Action

THE COVENANT In Action

The Covenant  with Black America

The Covenant with Black America

Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud, A Memoir

Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud, A Memoir

Hope On A Tightrope: "Words and Wisdom"

Hope On A Tightrope: "Words and Wisdom"

The Rich and the Rest of Us

The Rich and the Rest of Us

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

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

Black Prophetic Fire

Black Prophetic Fire

The Radical King

The Radical King

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

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

For Meeting Planners

Get in TouchContact US

Fill out the form so we can best understand your needs.

A representative from The Keynote Curators will reach out to you.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • Fill out the form so we can best understand your needs.
    A representative from The Keynote Curators will reach out to you.

  • MM slash DD slash YYYY
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form

Related Societal Issues Speakers

Blog Posts

Patience Is the Competitive Advantage High Performers Need, with Ed Viesturs

Patience Is the Competitive Advantage High Performers Need, with Ed Viesturs

Learn how patience became Ed Viesturs' greatest asset climbing all 14 eight-thousand-meter peaks—and why it matters for your goals.

Read More
The Moments Nobody Applauds: Suffield Commencement Speech [2026]

The Moments Nobody Applauds: Suffield Commencement Speech [2026]

A speech about character, trust, and the quiet moments that reveal who we really are.

Read More
Burnout in High-Performing Teams Is a Systems Problem, Not a Personal One

Burnout in High-Performing Teams Is a Systems Problem, Not a Personal One

Burnout isn't a personal failure. Ryan Estis explains why it's a leadership and systems problem, and what great leaders do differently to fix it.

Read More
Human Skills That AI Will Never Replace: Insights from Shawn Kanungo

Human Skills That AI Will Never Replace: Insights from Shawn Kanungo

AI won't save a broken workflow. Discover the human skills that matter most in an AI-driven world with innovation keynote speaker Shawn Kanungo.

Read More
War Heroes Who Redefine What Leadership Really Means

War Heroes Who Redefine What Leadership Really Means

On the verge of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, learn from top military heroes keynote speakers what leadership, grit and honor really mean.

Read More
Resilience and Core Values That Drive Extraordinary Results, with Sean Swarner

Resilience and Core Values That Drive Extraordinary Results, with Sean Swarner

Resilience speaker Sean Swarner shares how core values, visualization, and one bold step can help you overcome any obstacle.

Read More
Keynote Speaker Selection Starts Long Before the Shortlist

Keynote Speaker Selection Starts Long Before the Shortlist

Keynote speaker selection isn't about trending names. It starts with reading the room, understanding culture, and finding the right fit.

Read More
Event Creativity Strategies That Actually Make You Stand Out

Event Creativity Strategies That Actually Make You Stand Out

Discover how event professionals can break free from sameness and design truly memorable experiences by unleashing creativity and bold thinking.

Read More