Dinner with Cornel West

Few doubt that the philosopher and writer Cornel West is one of the giants of African American thinkers. His statue is now truly international.

His best selling book ‘Race matters’ helped force America to better understand and deal more effectively with the persistent racial inequalities in the US.

Decades since that book and many books since, West continues to be America’s philosophical moral standard bearer, demanding, as he puts to show ‘Truth to power’.

I, therefore, felt deeply honoured to be invited to have dinner and converse with a true race equality warrior. The dinner was organised by former EHRC chief Trevor Phillips, who has become good friends with West through their years of transatlantic debates and conferences. BBC’s Pat Younge and the Guardian’s Hugh Muir made up Trevor’s other guests.

Given that West had just arrived to London from Cambridge around 7pm -more about  Cambridge later- and he had to return that evening. I thought we’d probably get an hour of his time to put a few questions, and glean some insight into the present state of race in the US. But four hours later nobody wanted to leave, until Philips reminded West that he had at least an hours journey back to Cambridge from London.

Tired as he might have been, -West had given his first of three lectures at the Cambridge University –when he is in full flow, facts, figures, passion, morality, decency become the essence of who he is. On President Obama, he laments for example,

I love the brother, I was one of his biggest cheerleaders, but I would be negating my role; Martin Luther King’s history and that of Black America if I didn’t critisize our President, if I didn’t try and hold him to account."

How can any American much less the decedents of the Civil Rights movement be happy with our President using Drone planes that kill literally thousands of innocent people? How can I say Mr President you’re doing a fine job, when hundreds of thousands of Black folk are living below the poverty line. Oh, and don’t get me started in the “The New Jim Crow”, which sees our President locking up more minorities, particularly Black men, than any other country in the world. No Brothers."

He turns to the group:

This brother will not be silenced because I’m supposed to be happy with the symbolism of a Black President."

The debate then turned to the parallels here in the UK, including Black men in prisons, and the liberal elite who talk diversity but maintain a racially unequal status quo. In our chosen fields of expertise, we sadly all had the same stories to tell.

Seeking to find out what we should do in order to hold the ‘race equality line’ and even make progress during these difficult times, I put the question to West, who responded quick as flash:

This is part of it, bringing your talent together, sharing ideas, supporting one another. Oh, and another thing: Write! Tell the truth, doesn’t matter how uncomfortable it is, get the information out there.Ultimately, It’s about caring for humanity."

The conversation with West and the others reminded me that despite having to play ‘political games’ from time to time, being rooted to moral tree trunk would fantastically serve us all well.

Funny that we had some good food too, but for the life of me I can’t remember what we ate.

I’ll be reviewing ‘The New Jim Crow’ by Michelle Alexander, with the forward by Cornel West as soon as I’ve finished it

Simon Woolley