Dr Cornel West To Speak At Martin Luther King Celebration

FAIRFIELD — Dr Cornel West, a professor of Afro-American studies and philosophy of religion at Harvard University, will be speaking on Thursday, January 25, at 3 pm, at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, as part of Fairfield University’s three-day Martin Luther King Celebration.

Dr West was recently promoted to university professor, which is a title held by only 14 of Harvard’s 2,200 faculty members. He is also one of the first black scholars to be appointed to Harvard University’s highest faculty positions.

The lecture is open to the public. Tickets are on sale for $5 at the Quick Center box office at 203/254-4010 or toll free at 877/ARTS-396.

Senior Felipe Polanco, vice president of multicultural relations for the Fairfield University Student Association, and Heydi Quezada, a graduate assistant at the university, have been working with members of the university community to schedule a series of events for January 25 through 27, when students have returned from winter break. The events include a multicultural marketplace, a community awards presentation, and a Martin Luther King, Jr, Awareness Workshop for local middle and high school students. A multicultural buffet and AHANA Student Council Unity Ball, which is open to the public, will bring the events to a close. (Call Mr Polanco at 203/254-4000, extension 3868, for details concerning the Unity Ball on January 27).

Dr West is not only a well-respected writer and professor, but he plays a leading role as well-known speaker of the black community. Dr West, who came from a loving family, believes his parents gave him the most fundamental element of his life – supporting his spirit, soothing his soul. This unconditional love inspired Dr West to work hard and become the noble and scholarly person he is today.

Dr West, who is a Harvard University and Princeton University graduate, has written several articles and 15 books, including The American Evasion of Philosophy, Jews and Blacks, The Future of the Race, and Restoring Hope. One of his books, titled Race Matters, gained best-seller status in both editions and gained the attention of Time and Newsweek magazines, who published extensive profile articles on him.

Dr West’s most recent publication, The Cornel West Reader, shows the development of his tremendous career. The collection represents the hard work and dedication of an extraordinary philosopher of the modern American experience.