In honor of Black History Month, Great Issues Committee and Black Student Alliance have teamed up to bring the esteemed writer and activist Dr. Cornel West to campus on Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. in the Busch Student Center’s Wool Ballrooms.
As the keynote speaker for Black History Month, West will be speaking about race and democracy with Barack Obama in the White House.
BSA president Onosadavbeji Oghre-Ikanone expressed high hopes for the event.
“In the light of recent events on campus, we wanted to raise more racial awareness and talk more about diversity and race issues,” Oghre-Ikanone said. “We hope individuals and students will come out and be enlightened about what [West] has to say.”
West is currently a professor at Princeton University and is widely known for his outspoken views on race and diversity issues. He is perhaps best known for his book, Race Matters, which deals with racism in America. He has published 19 other books and has taken part in the publishing of numerous others. West also appears in the last two movies of the Matrix Trilogy as Councilor West, and does a weekly commentary on the Travis Smiley Show on Public Radio International.
GIC Chair Steve Della Camera also hopes that the night will be a tremendous success.
“We’re working hand-in-hand with BSA. It was a joint decision to bring West to campus, and I feel it will be a good representation of Black History Month,” Della Camera said. “It will be a great learning experience to hear from West about what he does.”
Members of the Saint Louis University community can pick up free tickets in BSC 319 for early access to the event. Doors open to the general public at 6:40.