Restoring Hope: Conversations on the Future of Black America

by Cornel West, Kelvin Shawn Sealey (Editor)

'Cornel West is one of the most authentic, brilliant, prophetic, and healing voices in America today' --Marian Wright Edelman

Nine of America's most influential artists, scholars, and public figures-Maya Angelou, Bill Bradley, Harry Belafonte, Patricia Williams, Wynton Marsalis, Charlayne Hunter-Gault, James Washington, James Forbes, and Haki Madhubuti-talk with Cornel West about their political awareness, art and politics, and the possibility of hope among African-Americans today.

Genres: Race, Nonfiction, Politics, African American

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Cornel Ronald West is an American scholar and public intellectual. Formerly at Harvard University, West is currently a professor of Religion at Princeton. West says his intellectual contributions draw from such diverse traditions as the African American Baptist Church, Marxism, pragmatism, transcendentalism, and Anton Chekhov.

Reviews

[Win Scarlett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty dated. West doesn't offer much to the conversations outside of his predictable analysis of hope and spirituality in the Black community. Not the best of his work, or a good entry for those who are curious about what makes his career as a public intellectual so stunning. There were glimmers of hope that came out some of the conversations when West allowed folks to just speak. Haki Madhubuti (founder of Third World Press) did a great job illustrating the necessity of autonomous institution building. His testimony illustrated the importance of accepting help from, being inspired by, and continuing to sustain the community one is committed to change.

[WT Sharpe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book from an outstanding philosopher. My big regret over this book is that I have a personally signed copy that fell in a mud puddle, damaging the book and ruining the book-sleeve.

[Tanisha]

Still reading...but so far this book is blowing my mind!!!

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with everything by West, this book was insightful, but I only wished it could have had more witten word by him.