rollingout | Over the past several months, Dr. Cornel West has been vocal in his
disapproval of President Barack Obama, as well as Dr. West’s fellow
intellectuals and cultural commentators; Dr. Michael Eric Dyson and Rev.
Al Sharpton. Speaking last year in regard to President Obama’s 2013
inauguration. Dr. West stated, “We saw, of course, the coronation of the
bonafide house Negro of the Obama plantation, our dear brother Al
Sharpton, supported by the Michael Dysons and others who’ve really
prostituted themselves intellectually in a very ugly and vicious way.”
As he spoke about the state of black intellectualism at Rev.
Sharpton’s National Action Network Conference yesterday (April 10th),
Dr. Dyson addressed Dr. West’s criticisms.
“The prophetic temptation is to believe your voice is the only voice,” said Dr. Dyson. “[You think that] your vision is the only vision. That’s what makes you a genius at a certain level. That’s the nature of genius — but you’re tripping, because you’re not the only one.”
“I don’t see [humility] in a lot of Negroes talking. They act like
it’s ‘my way or the highway’ — you ain’t Frank Sinatra!” he continued.
“Howard Thurman said, ‘You can go to the Atlantic Ocean, you can dip
your glass into the Atlantic Ocean and it may be full of the Atlantic
Ocean — but it ain’t all of the Atlantic Ocean. So stop thinking that your way is the only way. It may be a great way, it may be a powerful
way that works for you, but one size don’t [sic] fit all. So be honest
and humble in genuine terms — not the public performance of humility
masquerading a huge ego. No amount of hair can cover that.”
After insinuating that he was referring to Dr. West, Dr. Dyson spoke about his contemporary directly.
“I’ve probably known him longer than anybody on this panel. Hung out
with him,” Dyson said. “I’ve been a victim of his vicious assaults in
public. I’ve held my powder. That ain’t my usual nature. [Dr. Farah
Griffin] called me up and I listened to Farah. Because she loves us both
[and was] trying to negotiate a cease of hostilities. But I’m not going
to pretend that it doesn’t hurt for you to call me a sellout because I
disagree with you. You can be ‘ride-or-die,’ but while you’re riding —
see who your vehicle is rolling over.”
