June 1, 2009

  • It was a privilege and honor to see and hear Dr. Cornel West today. One of the first things I saw for the event today was a quotation in the program. It read, "I remind young people everywhere I go, one of the worst things the older generation did was to tell them for twenty-five years, 'Be successful, be successful, be successful' as opposed to 'Be great, be great, be great.' There's a qualitative difference."

    Dr. West expounded upon this statement in his speech, telling the audience not to misconstrue success as greatness. He specifically noted that while many athletes are successful, they are not great. One great athlete he mentioned was Muhammad Ali, for dominating in his domain but giving it all up in protest of the treatment of Blacks and the Vietnamese in the Vietnam War.

    There was also a strong message of mentoring in his keynote. He made it a point to say role models should be people that one can touch; that Oprah can be inspirational, but should not be a role model unless one can embrace her. Dr. West said that the youth need to be embraced, encouraged, and supported.

    Finally, Dr. West encouraged the audience to find their voices, to be original, and not echoes. He said that echoes are copies of sounds. Dr. West briefly mentioned homophobia, which was a particularly outstanding statement in light of Proposition 8 and its relation to the Black community. Some studies have indicated that about seven in ten Black voters supported Proposition 8 at the ballot box in November. What spoke to me most was when he said more people need to reach a point when they are outraged that other people are suffering.

    Hearing this affirmed my feelings with the world, and what direction society seems to be going in, as well as the glimmer of hope that I have in humanity to transcend the trend and prevent the pain we inflict upon one another.