Princeton University professor Cornel West took the floor at Riverside Church on Sunday night to advocate for drastically changing capitalism to reduce economic inequality.
West, a prominent civil rights activist and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, led a panel discussion about the Occupy movement, economics, politics, and religion. On Sunday night, he said that Americans need to start a “revolution” on the scale of the American Revolution and the fight against slavery in the Civil War in order to combat economic inequality.
“In American history, we have had two revolutions. We need three,” West said to enthusiastic applause and cheers.
West will return to teach at the Columbia-affiliated Union Theological Seminary, where he previously taught, in July.
Sunday’s event, “A Call for Mass Action Against the Suppression of the Occupy Movement,” was meant to generate discussion about the Occupy movement and its criticisms of capitalism. A small crowd of mostly Harlem residents attended. In addition to West, the panel featured several well-known ministers, rabbis, and professors.
Richard D. Wolff, an economics professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, urged members of the working class to realize that fixing large flaws in the capitalist system is more important than making sure the poor are treated well.
“There has to be a voice that rises and says that the condition is not the issue, but the issue of the capitalist system,” Wolff said.
On the whole, the panelists focused on human equality and the need to fight fiscal malpractice by large corporations.
“When you love poor people, you hate that they are being treated unfairly,” West said, getting his loudest applause of the night.
After the panel discussion, the audience broke into smaller groups to discuss ways to eradicate or drastically change capitalism. Rabbi Michael Lerner, the founder of San Francisco’s Beyt Tikkun Synagogue, then explained various economic policy changes proposed by members of Congress, suggesting that the United States should devote one to two percent of its gross domestic product to ending poverty.
Most people in attendance seemed to like what the panelists had to say, giving them a standing ovation afterwards.
“It was very thought-provoking, and [there were] a lot of warm feelings in the room,” Upper West Side resident Maureen Silverman said.
But some of the panelists’ ideas did not sit well with some audience members. Recent Princeton University graduate Jahnabi Barooah said that she was inspired by the words of Rev. Serene Jones, the president of UTS. But Barooah added that she personally was not nearly as critical of capitalism as Wolff was.
Andrew Pinelli, CC ’14, said he thought the panelists preached radical ideas with a gentle tone, adding that the forum presented an interesting analysis of the Occupy movement and its critics. But he questioned the accolades West and the other panelists gave Occupy Wall Street protesters, saying that OWS is in some ways just a rehash of similar movements that took place in the 1960s.
Even though West does not return to UTS until July, Jones welcomed him back to the school and to New York.
“Union is a place where Cornel West’s view of the world is in our lifeblood,” she said. “Historically, Union has inspired strong public voices, which speak to our nation’s ills and ideals—be they protests against war, poverty, racism, sexism, or other societal scourges.”
West said he is excited to be returning to UTS and the Upper West Side. When asked why he was leaving Princeton, he said he decided to come back “partly for my own soul.”
“As much as I loved my time there, Princeton is just a little too far from the music,” he said, referring to Harlem’s rich musical history and culture.
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