Cornel West Quotes

I fight against racism and bigotry because I care about the people who are experiencing it.

Unless one lives and loves in the trenches, it is difficult to remember that the war against dehumanization is ceaseless.

There's still injustice happening in my world. I sing my songs at concerts and I'm so grateful that the people are ready to hear them.

When I get a case about discrimination, I have to think about people in my own family who suffered discrimination because of their ethnic background or because of religion or because of gender. And I do take that into account.

Anywhere where the humanity of people is undermined, anywhere where people are left in the dust, there we will find our cause.

I think there's so many things happening, whether it's gender inequality or immigration, there's just so many issues happening around the world where not doing anything makes you guilty.

I think if I were dying and I heard of an act of injustice, it would start me up to a moment's life again.

For pragmatic reasons, for lessening of violence and for allowing people to live better lives, I think that the march forward for GLBTQ+ rights is a worthwhile one. But for me, hopefully the frontier is alliance-making across all the social issues, whereby people can get over whatever prejudices they're holding in order to keep their eyes on making livable lives for people in all states of vulnerability, no matter what their gender, sexuality, race, class, origin, whatever.

In some perfect world where human nature is less messy and history less fraught, any and all people who had ever suffered discrimination would find common cause, gathering together under one big anti-bigotry banner.

I guess the only time most people think about injustice is when it happens to them.

Hatred of injustice is not the same thing as a love for everyday people.

None of us can think we are exempt from concerns for the poor and for social justice.

I'm for gay marriage. I don't want to do it, but I certainly think people should be allowed to, and I wouldn't vote for anybody that would be against it. But at the same time, why do we have to be good now? Why can't we be villains in movies?

Throughout my life I have cared as deeply about the songs of all peoples as I have about the rights of all peoples.

If you care about injustice, and if you care about freedom, and you care about human rights, then you care about them everywhere.

In matters of truth and justice, there is no difference between large and small problems, for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same.

Every type of discrimination whether social or cultural, whether based on sex, race, social condition, language or religion, is to be overcome and eradicated as contrary to God's intent.

Of course laws will not eliminate prejudice from the hearts of human beings. But that is no reason to allow prejudice to continue to be enshrined in our laws - to perpetuate injustice through inaction.

My values - going back to my childhood - were always based on respect for all people and rejection of bigotry and racism.

When you dehumanize a group, there's lasting consequences because they know that they're being dehumanized.

Above all, always be capable of feeling deeply any injustice committed against anyone, anywhere in the world. This is the most beautiful quality in a revolutionary.

My father was a humanitarian, but he didn't side one way or another with any certain right's groups. He just believed in people.

Denying any person their humanity is a game we should all stop playing.

Discrimination will impair democracy.

There has been great progress made in the world, but the fact that we're still fighting against discrimination means we've gone backwards and that's a shame.