On March 3, 2017, Dr. Cornel West spoke at Bovard Auditorium for an event titled “New Moment in History: Genesis or Revelation.” The event lasted from 7:30 PM – 10:30 PM.
Before the event started, the line to get into the auditorium stretched down Trousdale. As Dr. West made his entrance, the crowd cheered.
The night began with Dr. West giving a shoutout to the organizations that sponsored his visit. More specifically, to the men of Alpha Phi Alpha, the fraternity he is a part of.
After the formalities, Dr. West invested himself into his speaking. He discussed his thoughts, fears, and emotions towards America’s future under President Donald Trump.
He also encouraged students to become leaders in their communities and not let fear stop them from standing up to oppression. A moving moment in his speech was when he asked the audience about their life’s purpose.
“You’re not here that long. What type of person you gonna be? What type of choices you gonna make? What costs are you willing to pay? What kind of courage are you willing to exemplify?”
The questions he posed resonated with me well after leaving the event.
At the end of his speech, students posed questions on black love, black relations with the latino community, and more pressing issues that we are facing in the 21st century.
The most memorable part of his speech was his poetic prose. His words flowed smoothly and each sentenced pulled the audience deeper into his analysis. It seemed as though every other line made the audience clap in unison.
His speech was unflawed, #woke and thought provoking. On behalf of the USC community, I would like to thank him for sharing the night with us.
The Black ExSCellence Blog 