Cornel West Books, Bio, Wiki, Age, Wife, Podcast, Salary, and Net Worth

Cornel West Bio | Wiki

Cornel West (Full Name: Cornel Ronald West) is a popular American philosopher, political activist, social critic, actor, and public intellectual. As of now, West works as a co-host of a podcast, The Tight Rope, with Tricia Rose. West is also a frequent commentator on politics and social issues in many media outlets.

West is additionally a regular conversation partner with his peer Robert P. George, a prominent conservative intellectual, with the two often speaking together at colleges and universities on the meaning of liberal arts education, free speech, as well as civil dialogue. In 2020, West was listed by Prospect as the fourth-greatest thinker of the COVID-19 era. He also focuses on the role of race, gender, and class in American society and the means by which people act and react to their “radical conditionedness”.

As a socialist, he draws intellectual contributions from several traditions, such as Christianity, the Black church, Marxism, neopragmatism, and transcendentalism. Some of his most influential books are Race Matters (1994) and Democracy Matters (2004). From 2010 to 2013, West co-hosted a radio program alongside Tavis Smiley, named Smiley and West. West has also been featured in many documentaries, and made appearances in Hollywood films including The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, and providing commentary for both films. He has also made many spoken word and hip hop albums, and because of his work, has been named MTV’s Artist of the Week

Cornel West Age

West was born on June 2, 1953, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the United States. He is 70 years old. West celebrates his birthday on June 2, every year.

Cornel West's photo
West’s photo

Cornel West Height

He is a man of above-average stature. West stands at a height of 5 ft 10 in (Approx. 1.75 m).

Cornel West Family

He was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and brought up in Sacramento, California. West’s mother, Irene Rayshell (Bias), served as a teacher and principal, and his father, Clifton Louis West Jr., served as a general contractor for the Department of Defense. West’s grandfather, Clifton L. West Sr., worked as a pastor of the Tulsa Metropolitan Baptist Church. He has a sibling named Clifton West.

Cornel West Wife

West is now married to his wife Annahita Mahdavi. The pair married in 2021. Before West was married to Hilda Holloman and together they had one son named Clifton Louis (b. 1977). West’s second marriage, in 1981, was to Romona Santiago but it also ended in divorce. Later on, West married Elleni Gebre Amlak whom they afterward divorced. From 2015 to 2018, West was married to Leslie Kotkin.

Cornel West Wives | Marriages

West has been married to five wives. His first marriage in 1977 was to Hilda Holloman and together they had one son named Clifton Louis (b. 1977). West’s second marriage, in 1981, was to Romona Santiago but it also ended in divorce. Later on, West married Elleni Gebre Amlak whom they afterward divorced. From 2015 to 2018, West was married to Leslie Kotkin. West is now married to his wife Annahita Mahdavi. The pair married in 2021.

Cornel West Children

West and his first wife Hilda Holloman have a son named Clifton Louis (b. 1977). He also has a daughter named Dilan Zeytun West, born in 2001, from his ex-wife Elleni Gebre Amlak, a Jewish dentist with whom he was in a “love relationship” at the time. West’s daughter Zeytun lives in Bonn, Germany.

Cornel West Education | Harvard

West graduated from John F. Kennedy High School. In 1970, following graduation from high school, West went to Harvard College and took classes from the philosophers Robert Nozick and Stanley Cavell. In 1973, he graduated from Harvard magna cum laude in Near Eastern languages and civilization. West credits Harvard with exposing him to a broader range of ideas, influenced by his professors and the Black Panther Party.

Following completing his undergraduate work at Harvard, West enrolled at Princeton University where he earned a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in 1980, completing a dissertation under the supervision of Raymond Geuss and Sheldon Wolin, becoming the first African American to graduate from Princeton having a Ph.D. degree in philosophy.

Cornel West In The Matrix

He appears as Councillor West in both The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions and also provides the voice for this character in the video game Enter the Matrix. Additionally, West provides philosophical commentary on all three Matrix films in The Ultimate Matrix Collection, alongside the integral theorist Ken Wilber.

Cornel West Books

– “Black Theology and Marxist Thought” (1979)
– Prophesy Deliverance! An Afro-American Revolutionary Christianity (1982)
– Post-Analytic Philosophy, edited with John Rajchman (1985)
– Prophetic Fragments (1988)
– The American Evasion of – Philosophy: A Genealogy of – Pragmatism (1989)
– Breaking Bread: Insurgent Black – Intellectual Life (with bell hooks, 1991)
– The Ethical Dimensions of Marxist Thought (1991)
– Prophetic Thought in Postmodern Times: Beyond Eurocentrism and Multiculturalism (1993)
– Race Matters (1993)
– Keeping Faith: Philosophy and Race in America (1994)
– Jews and Blacks: A Dialogue on Race, Religion, and Culture in America (with rabbi Michael Lerner, 1995)
– The Future of the Race (with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., 1996)
– Restoring Hope: Conversations on the Future of Black America (1997)
– The War Against Parents: What We Can Do for America’s Beleaguered Moms and Dads (with Sylvia Ann Hewlett, 1998)
– The Future of American Progressivism (with Roberto Unger, 1998)
– The African-American Century: How Black Americans Have Shaped Our Century (with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., 2000)
– Democracy Matters: Winning the Fight Against Imperialism (2004)
– Commentary on The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions; see The Ultimate Matrix Collection (with Ken Wilber, 2004)
– Hope on a Tightrope: Words & Wisdom (2008)
– Brother West: Living & Loving Out Loud (2009)
– The Rich and the Rest of Us: A Poverty Manifesto (with Tavis Smiley, 2012)
– Pro+Agonist: The Art of Opposition (2012)
– Black Prophetic Fire (2014)

Cornel West Resignation Letter

West submitted a resignation letter to Harvard on June 30, 2021. He implied that the decision to deny him tenure was retaliation for his critical stance on Israel and the Palestinian cause. West wrote:

“Is Harvard a place for a free Black man like myself whose Christian faith & witness put equal value on Palestinian & Jewish babies – like all babies – & reject all occupations as immoral?”

Cornel West Quotes

– “We have to recognise that there cannot be relationships unless there is commitment, unless there is loyalty, unless there is love, patience, persistence.”

– “Never forget that justice is what love looks like in public.”

– “You can’t lead the people if you don’t love the people. You can’t save the people if you don’t serve the people.”

– “I cannot be an optimist but I am a prisoner of hope.”

– “You must let suffering speak, if you want to hear the truth”

– “You can’t really move forward until you look back.

– “In a democracy the poor will have more power than the rich, because there are more of them, and the will of the majority is supreme. –Aristotle”

– “None of us alone can save the nation or the world. But each of us can make a positive difference if we commit ourselves to do so. (p. 109)”

Cornel West Podcast

West works as a co-host of a podcast, The Tight Rope, with Tricia Rose. West is also a frequent commentator on politics and social issues in many media outlets. The Tight Rope episodes are generally one hour long, regularly feature guests, and are released each Thursday. The podcast has been exclusively available on Patreon since June 2021, with highlights uploaded on YouTube. This podcast also covers issues of race, social affairs, and culture. Many of the episodes were recorded in front of a live audience.

Cornel West Salary

West is a philosopher, political activist, social critic, actor, and public intellectual correspondent. Therefore, West earns a decent salary as a co-host of a podcast, The Tight Rope, with Tricia Rose. West’s average salary is $98,758 per year.

Cornel West Net Worth

West is a philosopher, political activist, social critic, actor, and public intellectual who works as a co-host of a podcast, The Tight Rope, with Tricia Rose. Therefore, West has accumulated a decent fortune over the years. West’s estimated net worth is $2 million.

How Old Is Cornel West

West is a 70-year-old who was born on June 2, 1953, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the United States.

Who Is Cornel West

West is a philosopher, political activist, social critic, actor, and public intellectual who works as a co-host of a podcast, The Tight Rope, with Tricia Rose.

Cornel West Twitter