Prairie View A&M University announced today that Cornel West would serve as speaker for its 27th Fall Commencement Convocation on Saturday, Dec. 10. West will address over 643 students and their families, friends and loved ones.

West, a pre-eminent American philosopher, political activist and social critic, currently serves as the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Professor of Philosophy and Christian Practice at Union Theological Seminary in New York. He previously served on faculties at Yale and the University of Paris, as well as his alma maters, Harvard and Princeton, where he holds the title Professor Emeritus.

Over the years, West has written 20 books and edited 13. He is best known for his classics “Race Matters and Democracy Matters,” as well as his memoir “Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud.” He is among the most sought-after contributors on social policy and political developments. His most recent book, “Black Prophetic Fire,” offers an unflinching look at nineteenth and twentieth-century African American leaders and their visionary legacies.

As a prominent public intellectual, West is a frequent guest on the Bill Maher Show, CNN, C-Span and Democracy Now. Working in a wide range of media and genres, he partnered with MasterClass.com to provide classes on philosophy and African-American Studies. He has also appeared in several films - most notably in the film Matrix - and produced prize-winning spoken word albums. With a goal of communicating to a vast array of audiences, he especially prizes his role in keeping alive the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. – a legacy of truth-telling and bearing witness to love and justice.

About the event:

Event: “27th Fall Commencement Convocation”

Date: Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022

Time: 9 a.m. CDT

Place: William “Billy” J. Nicks, Sr. Building, Prairie View A&M University

Website: www.pvamu.edu/commencement