Cornel West Leaves Princeton To Return To Union Theological Seminary In New York

Cornel West, one of the nation’s most prominent and outspoken public intellectuals, is leaving Princeton University to return to the institution where he began his career.

West will be returning to the Union Theological Seminary In the City Of New York, which is one of the premier theological institutions in the country. He has headed up Princeton’s African-American studies department since 2002.

West arrived at Princeton after a stint at Harvard that ended when he and Harvard’s then-president, Lawrence Summers, clashed over West’s workload. Summers, who served as Secretary of the Treasury under President Bill Clinton and was later a top adviser to President Obama, accused West of not attending to his duties as a Harvard University Professor, a title reserved for the university’s most distinguished academics, in order to be a celebrity. (West had released a hip-hop CD, and would later go on to appear in both sequels of The Matrix.) The feud would become very public, and West continued to criticize Summers even after he decamped for Princeton.

West has been in the news recently for the "poverty tour” that he conducted with the talk show host Tavis Smiley, which was meant to bring attention to the plight of poor people during the recession. The pair have been strident critics of President Obama. "Most black people fell in love with the symbolism of Obama, a black man in the White House,” West told Huffington Post BlackVoices in August. "I know I did too. I like having a black man and a black woman and precious black kids in the White House. But black people are not in love with policies that are tied to the rich and well-to-do."

West also notably criticized President Obama for appointing Summers as an economic adviser.

Comments

[ZenSufi]

08:24 PM on 11/28/2011

I note that he has never taught at Cornell.

[Stephen Stafford]

12:32 PM on 11/24/2011

Doesn't say what his position is at Union.

I remember a certain denomination had him speak at one of their to do's at a certain historically Black seminary. Seminary students who did not have tickets or the funds pressed eyes and ears to the rear glass wall hoping to soak some of what he was saying in that night.

It was their program, and they could do what they want. I have always resented his not saying, "let those students come in", and that experience informs me hearing everything else he does as grandstanding. For I saw with my own eyes the night he did not speak up to let those seminarians in, all of whom were poor and Black and studying to serve Jesus.

It does matter what you do when the cameras are not running and the lights are not on. I know I decided then and there that I would never press my ear against such a glass window again, no matter how great the intellect the speaker was supposed to be. Of course, I have yet to experience another speaker replicating his choices, either.

[NYC123]

10:38 AM on 11/24/2011

This man is alway working to advance the causes of the voiceless and disenfranchised! Kudos to the man -- Cornel West!!

[PollyTics]

05:54 AM on 11/24/2011

I knew of Cornel's seemingly overzealous anger over Obama and affiliation with Smiley, but this tale of Summers explains much. I was horrified when I heard Obama had brought Summers on board (as well as so many Goldman Sachs executives), but I found Cornel's angst and coupling with Smiley curious. Whereas I am a strident supporter of OCCUPY, I have found Cornel's preoccupation with Obama to be a little creepy.

Up with OCCUPY and down with the constriction of our rights!

[quedog]

03:16 PM on 11/22/2011

peace out my brotha
good luck with your new job

[emperance]

07:29 PM on 11/20/2011

Just like Joy Behar on HLN, just BE GLAD that voice is gone.
Wish "The View" could follow suit.

BE GLAD.

[rocksage7]

11:36 AM on 11/20/2011

This guy is an AMERICAN hero.........he rocks......

[Matt12]

07:37 PM on 11/19/2011

Brother West knows that he can impact the people's movement from NYC!

[Gay Iberian]

02:38 PM on 11/19/2011

Cornel West's intellect is only marred by his religious faith. Too bad. It's sad to see an intelligent mind like his serve a false religious institution. On the other hand, he might not be so intelligent since he's blinded and sedate by his religious faith...

[CCB5er]

01:11 PM on 11/19/2011

I love Brother Cornel,, he speaks truth to power and has righteousness and love on his side, not like that creep Summers.

[quedog]

03:17 PM on 11/22/2011

yes

[dschiff]

11:36 AM on 11/19/2011

I can't speak to why Cornel left, whether it was completely voluntary or whether there was some pressure.

However, I can address Summers' complaints.
While Professor West did teach some courses, he did not publish, as is expected by Professors. He put his celebrity pursuits ahead of academics. The times I heard him speak were unimpressive; he traded on celebrity status instead of really addressing the issues.
I'm sure his music courses were great, but the religion aspect was a farce, if I can read his facial expressions properly. He admitted that the miracles of Christianity were 'unbelievable' and that he takes them on faith.

I don't know if his OWS work reflects his deeply held beliefs or his deeply held need for attention.

Either way, at his salary (over $1 million dollars a year,) I believe he was the highest paid Professor, paid almost as much as the University President.

[LeeScho]

06:50 PM on 11/19/2011

Did not publish? So the five books (two autographed) that I have on my shelves were written by the other Dr. Cornel West?

A million dollars? Why would such an undistinguished (unpublished) professor command such a salary? So he was paid more than the highly published and distingjuished holder of the W.E. B Dubois chair at Harvard, Dr. Henry Louis Gates? He was paid more than the Nobel Laureate, Toni Morrison?

Always learning means finding independent and verifiable sources of information to order and command our intellect. Anything less than that is not learning, its gossiping.

[prezusofl]

05:30 PM on 11/22/2011

None of the books he published were academic. There's a difference between social and academic writing and professors are expected to engage in academic research and publishing. His memoir doesn't count. During the time he was at Princeton, there was very little if any academic publishing done.

[Grevy Turty]

05:02 PM on 12/23/2011

They weren't academic books you tv educated twit.

[maxfax]

09:53 PM on 11/18/2011

Was he forced out?

[tjeastrich]

07:12 PM on 11/18/2011

The less we see and hear from you the better. Good luck in your new endeavor. I hope it doesn't involve a public advocacy role.

[jayes]

06:31 PM on 11/18/2011

Summers might have been right, but given his track record at Harvard and the U.S. Government, he's hard to give any credence to.

[PalmG]

02:20 PM on 11/18/2011

A lot of ig no rant posts on this thread disparaging this man for? For speaking against Obama?

Well, guess what? If you support Occupy Wall Street, thank West and Smiley. Their Poverty Tour over the summer was the catalyst for Occupy Wall Street. The Tour was the first tim the mainstream media paid attention to poverty. After they went on so many shows and articulated their gripes so well that people started to wake up, folks took to the streets.

Your gripes with West have very little to do with him, and everything to do with your unhealthy infatuation with a man (Oba ma) who continues to dismiss you.

[NeverRetro]

09:05 PM on 11/18/2011

F&F

Nothing but truth.

[emperance]

07:27 PM on 11/20/2011

R U joking?

Tavis & West GIVEN credit for the "movement"????
Not one single protestor would agree with that.
I'll bet $$.

[PalmG]

09:55 AM on 11/23/2011

I don't want you to lose your money so I will pretend you were joking.