Tag Archives: context

Dr. Cornel West Calls Al Sharpton A “Bonafide House Negro” Self-appointed political pundit Dr. Cornel West has become known for his outlandish opinions and rambling rhetoric, specifically those directed towards the Obama Administration, but his latest lashing out has more than a few folks in an uproar. Many felt that Dr. West hit below the belt when he likened Al Sharpton to a slave in response to his speech delivery during the 50th Anniversary Ceremony of the historic March on Washington earlier this week. via Mediaite Public intellectual Cornel West tore into many of this week’s speeches surrounding the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.‘s “I Have a Dream” speech, accusing everyone from President Obama to Rev. Al Sharpton of “sanitizing” Dr. King’s vision. “Brother Martin himself, I think, would’ve been turning over in his grave,” West said of the event. “[King would have wanted] people to talk about Wall Street criminality, he wants people to talk about war crimes, or drones dropping bombs on innocent people,” he asserted. “Instead,” he lamented, “we saw the coronation of the bonafide house negro of the Barack Obama plantation, our dear brother Al Sharpton.” West went further declaring that Sharpton’s decline was “supported by [MSNBC analyst] Michael Dyson and others who’ve prostituted themselves in a very ugly and vicious way.” West and Tavis Smiley both lamented that black leadership has become “so sold-out” so as not to have the courage to be a “bull in the china shop,” break rank, and talk about “racism, poverty, and militarism” at an otherwise “bought-out” event. It doesn’t get more disrespectful than a black high-profle public figure comparing President Obama’s administration to that of a slave plantation. What a douche. Continue reading →