RSN Fundraising Banner
FB Share
Email This Page
add comment
Print

Excerpt: "'There is no doubt that when you wrestle with the vicious legacy of white supremacy that you're going to sooner or later engage in a critique of capitalism and imperialism.'"

Cornel West and Chris Hedges. (photo: TeleSur)
Cornel West and Chris Hedges. (photo: TeleSur)


Chris Hedges Interviews Cornel West: 'White Supremacy's Roots Are in Capitalism'

By Chris Hedges and Cornel West, teleSUR

06 August 15

 

Speaking to Chris Hedges on the premier episode of teleSUR's “Days of Revolt," Cornel West described the essence of the Black Prophetic Tradition.

he Black Prophetic Tradition is a movement that does not only include political calculation but expands to a deep moral and spiritual form that keeps in mind compassion and deeper connections with humans, Dr. Cornel West told Chris Hedges on the premier episode of teleSUR's original show “Days of Revolt.”

Dr. West gave a glimpse of what the Black Prophetic Tradition movement is, which he profiles in detail in his recent book “Black Prophetic Fire”.

“When you look at the genocidal attacks on the one hand and the enslavement of Africans on the other hand, you have the two pillars from which constitute the lens from which you would look at the history of this nation, and that's is the best of the prophetic black tradition,” he told Hedges.

He added that some black public figures wrongly refer to the enslavement of Africans by the founders of the United States as “America's biggest sin.” He said that the violation of the humanity of th4e indigenous people was in reality the United States' biggest sin.

“The white supremacist beginnings of this nation really had to do with the indigenous people, the violation of their humanity, the dispossession of their lands and so on. But it is true that enslaved Africans would become the generators of wealth based on exploited labor that would become the precondition for American democracy.”

Commenting on the origins of the white supremacy, he said that one would have to see its roots in capitalism and imperialism, which the Black Prophetic Tradition clearly comes against.

“There is no doubt that when you wrestle with the vicious legacy of white supremacy that you're going to sooner or later engage in a critique of capitalism and imperialism.”

Calling his book a love letter to the youngsters in the U.S., Dr. West went on to describe his opposition to Wall Street and its supporters, calling on the younger generation to turn away from the propaganda of the mainstream media.

“The neo-liberals who dominate corporate media, they want to financialize, privatize and militarize. Lo and behold, the black prophetic tradition says, ‘No, we’re critical of pro-Wall Street policy to generate more capitalist wealth and inequality,’ when it comes to privatize. ‘No, we want public life. We want a sense of what we hold in common…”

He concluded that loving those who were and still being oppressed around the world, including the poor, Black people, the Palestinians under the Israeli occupation, Jews persecuted for their faith, and the LGBT community, was not just political resistance, but was also spiritual and sustainable resistance.

e-max.it: your social media marketing partner
Email This Page

 

THE NEW STREAMLINED RSN LOGIN PROCESS: Register once, then login and you are ready to comment. All you need is a Username and a Password of your choosing and you are free to comment whenever you like! Welcome to the Reader Supported News community.

RSNRSN