MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, Mass.(January 21) -Professor, activist and author Cornel West will deliver the Gerald Gill Keynote Lecture at Tufts University’s Medford/Somerville campus on January 21 at 7 p.m. The lecture is presented by the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy CSRD) at Tufts.
West focuses much of his work and research on the role of race, gender and class in American society. He received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and his master's and doctorate from Princeton. He has taught at Union Theological Seminary, Harvard, Yale and the University of Paris.
"Cornel West is one of America’s most important and transformative public intellectuals," said Peniel Joseph, director of the CSRD and professor of history in the School of Arts and Sciences at Tufts."West’s writings and public speeches implore us all to reimagine a world free of racial and economic injustice, and we are proud to host him at Tufts and the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy."
West is best known for his classic books "Race Matters and Democracy Matters," and his memoir, "Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud." His most recent book is "Black Prophetic Fire" (Beacon Press, 2014). In this book, West and scholar Christa Buschendorf provide insight into the work of six African American leaders--Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. DuBois, Martin Luther King Jr., Ella Baker, Malcolm X and Ida B. Wells.
The lecture is free and open to members of the Tufts community and the general public. Tickets are required Tickets can be reserved on line through the Eventbrite ticketing system at https://TuftsCornelWest.eventbrite.com.
The lecture, which will be held in Tufts' Cohen Auditorium at 40 Talbot Avenue, will be followed by questions and answers.
Members of the news media who would like to attend should reserve a seat and media credentials through Alex Reid at 617-627-4173.
Tufts established the Gerald Gill Keynote Lecture series in honor of Tufts historian Gerald R. Gill, a professor of history who taught classes on civil rights, African American history and race and democracy. He inspired hundreds of Tufts undergraduates.
The Gerald Gill Keynote Lecture series annually brings intellectuals and activists to campus to impel both the Tufts and Greater Boston communities to action regarding social justice issues surrounding race and democracy.
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Tufts University, located on three Massachusetts campuses in Boston, Medford/Somerville, and Grafton, and in Talloires, France, is recognized among the Premier research universities in the United States. Tufts enjoys a global reputation for academic excellence and for the preparation of students as leaders in a wide range of professions. A growing number of innovative teaching and research initiatives span all Tufts campuses, and collaboration among the faculty and students in the undergraduate, graduate and professional programs across the university's schools is widely encouraged.
