Cornel West Speaks at The Home Depot (2 of 9)

[fitTheuplifter]

You might recall that Nelson Mandela brought down apartheid by working with and enlightening ALL of the people of South Africa. Dr. West uses his status to spread the message about the importance of the plight of poor and working class people to everybody. In that respect he is a leader who just happens to be black. The struggle that lead to civil rights in America was brought about because it was able to reach across ethnicities. The uplifting of black people is the uplifting of everybody.

[bornjust2003]

A "intellect" who unlike Black intellects of yesterday doesn't see the need to use his intellect, visibility and resources to create a viable Black organization to up-lift the masses of Blacks throughout the nation/planet. While white academics create institutions for the promotions of white supremacy, Cornel and other Black academic's are satisfied to just talk talk talk talk. Oh yea, you will lose favor amongst whites if you work for the best interest of Blacks, while talking pays.

[blahdie]

a black man in a suit has no business telling anyone how to be proud of themselves...especially when he never chills with anyone of his race to teach them.

[cincy2bg]

@blahdie I get the "idea" of what you are trying to say... but this leads me to wonder what this has to do with Cornel West?

[blahdie]

@cincy2bg

clearly he isnt wearing jeans because the place he works is too "high" class.

[cincy2bg]

@blahdie interesting.

Are you saying that West is somehow out of touch with his race because he is a member of a "high" [princeton] class?

Do you think he would be more in touch or in a place to speak about pride if he was in a different elitist/professional crowd?

[foshofly]

@blahdie I have a family full of black men and women in suits. A mother who went to Princeton, and an uncle who went to Yale, they came from a poverty ridden upbringing, and their success has not subsequently made them disconnected from black society. It is unjust to say that simply because this man has prevailed, he should not be allowed to inspire other blacks.

[fmcneillii]

@blahdie Actual Dr. west chills with many of his own race. You might need to do your research.

[blahtdm143]

He is one of the smartest black people in the world. I love to hear him speak

[davida875]

Intresting. A man who decries "Free Market Fundamentalism" going to a capitalistic business and praising the business.

[mmantech]

he's speaking to working people, if you call his speech "praising" business then you might be just looking for something to critisize him for. im ok with that but lets have a socratic dialogue about dr. west and what he stands for.

[chris902]

I like West, but it's kind of strange to watch him a corporate team building even for a major retailer like this. Part of me feels like the left needs to go after people working at places like Home Depot, but to do so at a corporate event and schill for the bosses is hard to reconcile with West's politics.

[TheEvilOyo]

Home Depot is just another low wage, soul sucking corporation like the rest. I have to admit though, he's brilliant. He's a vainglorious opportunist cashing in on the reemerging negrollectual 'movement' (market) by peddling books targeting middle class blacks but playing it neutral w/ the humanism card to reach a wider base. It's afforded him a considerable amount of fame. I wonder if he did this speech during nardelli's (another smart freebooter BTW ) tenure.

[mmyrbam]

Born between urine and feces, "inter urinas et faeces nascimur" a saying attributed to St. Augustine (not the KKK). From what I can gather, it is intended to convey the idea simply that life is messy and dirty. I think Dr. West is using it here to ask us how we come to an understanding of life and who we are in world where hardship and suffering is a constant reality, and by implication, how we rise above all the muck that we as humans have been born into.

[trevorgodchild]

professor i wish i had your strength ..iadmire you so much..i wish i had you as a role model growing up..as a member of generation x ...im one of the lost here im so disgusted i cant seem to even get past my experience..so i spend my life trying to understand what has happened to me ..but knowing people like you exist you give me hope..good luck brother and continued success in your endevors.i wish u was ruining for office we need more people like you in these desentive times.

[GodzEqual]

he is smart no doubt, but he is playing this character, its terribly obvious. And I for one am not entertained by his calling of all black people "brothers", and acting like its still the time of rosa parks. get over it fool. just talk facts.

[Arondeus]

He calls everyone "brother." He was on Stephen Colbert last night and called him his brother, too.

[ikeusa]

Dr. West calls friends and strangers alike "brother" out of a deep appreciation for their humanity, while being true to himself - I very much appreciate him.

[jgwphilly1969]

why is he speaking at a corporation like Home Depot? He is very much opposed to corporations which I think are tyrannical regimes. Joe

[Tougemaster06]

Home Depot actually gives back to the American people. Not all corporations are as corrupt as the majority of them in America.

[Satagz]

I think he means that born between urine and feces is the female canal of life which also known as the vagina. I think he is refering to some albeit crazy and too anatomically philosophical representation of life. that's what I got from it.

[VallaeBoy]

crazy no, anatomical  and philosophical yes.

[kwesi216]

he should cut his hair

[blackberryjuice1]

what is your problem? please get a grip. you are a disgrace. fuckery is never admonished enough. tired are the poor. why was he speaking to a corporation though? home depot exploits its workers. how can he stand for capitalism? he lives within an elitist university that perpetuates the white supremist capitalist elite. cornel west is a sellout. we're not moving forward. we need reparations. reparations now. reparations for the 300 years of legal oppresion. wealth parity will cure all.

[kwesi216]

i dont care he should really cut his hair he might look like spike lee

[jgwphilly1969]

I think he makes a powerful statement by keeping his hair long, defying this self loathing that many African Americans engage in that you are articulating.

[bboy1022]

Sell-out? NO. blkbryjuc1 you need to read further into his text to understand the man. Reparations 40 years ago would have been ideal, but reparations now wouldn't be the right time. Right now reparations should be in the form of Free secondary education (i.e. college/ tech school). I believe most Blacks will spend their money on something materialistic. Oh yeah, wealth will more than likely provide and keep a status-quo, so only parity will help cure all along with tolerance and education.

[blackberryjuice1]

Jobs aren't wealth, land and controlling resources are wealth. Educate yourself on a topic before you try to talk about it, there are plenty of resources on the web and books in the library, for instance Black Wealth, White Wealth or Randall Robinson's The Debt.

[jgwphilly1969]

Who said Cornel is against reparations?

[xbranch]

naw he looks straight like that, thats like his look ya know

[kajes5]

when you can't attack the message attack the messenger!! There is a dogma of white supremacy that cannot be denied.

[knsummers]

cloying

[rickv404]

His speeches are merely a rehash of previous speeches. He has only one note to play. "...born between urine and feces." I must have heard him speak that in a half dozen of these Youtube videos. That line isn't easy to forget.

[givehimdanger]

it's true, i think it's because what they want him to speak on a certain focus, critical issues within american democracy. i mean, he's knowledgeable on SO many things. check out the conversation he had with toni morrison.

[blackberryjuice1]

What does that MEAN? Black people are born between urine and feces?!?!?!? That sounds like KKK rhetoric.

[givehimdanger]

no, all of human kind is. it's an existential statement.

[CitizenNow]

Cornel West speaking NOT at Morehouse, but FOR/ON BEHALF OF corporate conglomeratocracy in the form of Home Depot?

I'm going to have to pray on that...no doubt.

[givehimdanger]

he spoke at morehouse the following evening. i watched the video from that lecture.

[bygINCpresents]

i need to sit down and talk to this man. hidden beach, make it happen. dr. west and i got something to say. don't believe me? click on my name and watch a vid from my playlist "rhapsody in black"... 6 minutes. you gt 6 minutes to spare. who knows, you may find a talent.