Dear Old Morehouse: Can We Not With Cornel West? 

Let me start by saying that I did not want to write this.

There was a time when the name Cornel West meant something to me. To many of us, in fact. There was a time when he was one of the sharpest moral minds in the public square; a philosophical firebrand who challenged systems, elevated Black radical thought, and demanded the world reckon with justice, truth, and dignity. That time was real, but unfortunately, that time has passed.

And yet, in 2025, somehow Dr. West will take the stage as the commencement speaker at Morehouse College, my esteemed alma mater. I say this not with anger, but with disappointment. 

As a Morehouse man, I believe in the sanctity of our traditions, especially our commencement. That stage is a sacred one, a place for celebrating the triumph, vision, and integrity of these young Black men before they’re loosed upon a hostile world. It should not be used for reputation rehab — certainly not for men who have spent the last 20 years abandoning the very values they once claimed to champion.

This isn’t about politics. This is about priorities.

Cornel West has, for the better part of two decades, chosen celebrity over community. From his infamous spoken word album to his media appearances alongside Bill Maher and Tucker Carlson, Dr. West has steadily transformed himself from a scholar of the people to a caricature of one. It’s only appropriate that I mention Matrix Reloaded here. It wasn’t his fault, but it doesn’t help his case.

His words are still lofty, his diction still florid, but there is a hollowness to his message now, a performance rather than a purpose. An act, not a calling. A pantomime of philosophical thinking.

At the height of Barack Obama’s presidency, when so many of us were reckoning with the significance of a Black man in the White House, it was Cornel West and his longtime ally Tavis Smiley who seemed most committed to tearing that moment down. Criticism is fair. Constructive critique is necessary. But what West and Smiley offered wasn’t critique; it was contempt. It was personal. Petty. Unrelenting. While they claimed to speak on behalf of “the people,” they spent more time bashing Obama from cable news green rooms than they did organizing or investing in actual Black communities. 

And now, as Cornel West’s star fades, as his once-revered presence in academia has become a cautionary tale, he returns to us—to Morehouse, to HBCUs—as if we are obligated to provide cover. We are not. These times are too serious to be wasted on unserious people.

Morehouse, perhaps more than any other institution, understands the weight of the moment we are in. 

We live in a time of economic uncertainty, social unrest, and ideological warfare. Our young men are preparing to enter a world where the stakes have never been higher. The class of 2025 deserves to be celebrated by someone who sees them, who reflects their hopes, and who challenges them to rise. They deserve a speaker who has walked the walk, who has committed themselves to excellence in their given field, not just self-aggrandizement through performance, but an example of purpose.

Dr. Cornel West has not done that.

He spent the better part of his career currying favor with the Ivy League: Harvard, Princeton, Yale. These are the institutions that defined his trajectory, that gave him his platform. That he now returns to the Black community seeking redemption, after years of neglect, is not only ironic, it’s opportunistic. 

He’s been an irregular fixture without a sustained presence within the HBCU landscape. He has not taught in our classrooms, mentored our students, or contributed meaningfully to our infrastructure. And yet he now wishes to use one of our most revered stages—a culmination of generations of Black excellence and struggle—as a platform to polish the turd of his public image. These times are too serious to be wasted on unserious people.

There are leaders among us (yes, some of them Morehouse men) who have carried the mantle of Black excellence with humility and consistency. There are public servants, politicians, educators, artists, and entrepreneurs who have not only spoken about justice but have done the work. Giants in tech, media, and education who are living testaments to what Morehouse stands for. I could name names, but that’s not what this is about. These are the kinds of men who should be considered. These voices should be elevated. 

Choosing Cornel West sends a mixed message. It tells our graduates that notoriety matters more than consistency. That eloquence trumps engagement. That a once-great voice, no matter how far it has strayed, is worth more than the many steadfast ones in our community. That one who has yet to atone should be forgiven because of their status and not their actions.

That is not the Morehouse I know. That is not the Morehouse that raised me.

I understand the temptation of celebrity. I understand the allure of a name that still rings out to many, even if its echo has grown faint. But we must be cautious of who we allow to represent us at our most pivotal moments. Commencement is not just a ceremony, it is a declaration. A moment of spiritual inheritance. And it must be treated with reverence.

Dr. West, for all his early brilliance, has not earned that right.

These times are too serious to be wasted on unserious people.

Our young men deserve more. More than recycled rhetoric. More than media posturing. More than a man who, historically, turned his back on the institutions that have always stood for us.

Not that our esteemed president, Dr. David Thomas, cares. This is his last graduation. As this is his swan song, it’s more of a Price Is Right trombone than a triumphant march out the door.

Let us hold the line. Let us protect the stage. Let us make allowances for voices that still believe in the power of service over stardom.

Corey Richardson is originally from Newport News, Va., and currently lives in Chicago, Ill. Ad guy by trade, Dad guy in life, and grilled meat enthusiast, Corey spends his time crafting words, cheering on beleaguered Washington, D.C., sports franchises, and yelling obscenities at himself on golf courses. You can check out his website: www.theinstigationdepartment.com or subscribe to his Substack: theinstigationreport.substack.com for more on him and his happenings. 

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The Tragic Case of Rodney Hinton Jr. And The Trauma Of Black Grief In America

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