Dr. Cornel West Headlines Spring Convocation
Fullerton College presented a virtual 2021 Spring Convocation featuring a dialog with Dr. Cornel West on the college’s YouTube channel on Friday, January 22.
With the theme “Standing together on this journey for equity and justice,” in mind President Greg Schulz joined Black Faculty and Staff Collective leaders Phil Austin and Dr. Queen Peterson in an engaging dialog with Dr. West.
“Dr. Cornel West 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,” said Fullerton College President Dr. Greg Schulz. “Even on Zoom, separated by 3,000 miles, it was so inspiring to converse with him. His message of love, understanding, humility and justice are things we can all embrace.”
The pre-recorded hour-long conversation covered many important and relevant topics to higher education today such as avoiding burnout doing antiracism and social justice work and the disproportionate impact the pandemic has had on community college students. Dr. West spoke often about the power of love, humility, and acceptance.
Spring Convocation also featured individual video messages from:
- President Schulz
- Dr. Barbara Dunsheath, President, NOCCCD Board of Trustees
- Dr. Cheryl Marshall, Chancellor, NOCCCD
- Dr. Kim Orlijan, President, Faculty Senate
- Mr. Marwin Luminarias, President, Classified Senate
Fullerton College Fall and Spring Convocations are traditionally large gatherings in the Campus Theatre for faculty, classified professionals and administrators to celebrate the start of a new semester. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the Spring 2021 Convocation and the 2020 Fall Convocation have been presented virtually and are both available on the college YouTube Channel.
About Dr. Cornel West
Dr. West is a prominent and provocative democratic intellectual. He is a Professor of the Practice of Public Philosophy at Harvard University and holds the title of Professor Emeritus at Princeton University. He has also taught at Union Theological Seminary, Yale, Harvard, and the University of Paris. Dr. 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 is a frequent guest on the Bill Maher Show, CNN, C-Span and Democracy Now. He made his film debut in the Matrix – and was the commentator (with Ken Wilbur) on the official trilogy released in 2004. He also has appeared in over 25 documentaries and films including Examined Life, Call & Response, Sidewalk and Stand.
