More than 1,000 people crowded into Spaulding Auditorium and overflow areas last night to hear Harvard University Professor Cornel West, the keynote speaker for the College's celebration of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday.
West discussed racism in America, self-segregation, leadership and humanity.
A scholar, philosopher and activist, West currently teaches Afro-American studies and philosophy of religion at Harvard.
Throughout his speech, West emphasized the need for a realization that the evils of inequity are still a problem in America today.
"What's most frightening for me at this present moment is when people say that things are okay," West said.
But West said things are "not okay" because this is a "ghastly and horrendous century that we live in."
The realization of this problem begins with individuals' consciences, he said.
People should struggle with their consciences, because there are always societal ills that should not be forgotten.
"If we reach a point where we are completely satisfied with ourselves, then something is wrong," he said.
One problem he noted is "racial purity," the belief among many people in America that they can be utterly free of racist conceptions. He said this is not possible
"You can't completely transcend the problems of white supremacy and homophobia" he said.
"It is not possible to talk about race in America without talking about the problems of evil, and no one is free of these evils," he said.
He said individuals should instead strive for personal maturity, responsibility and accountability. He said this means becoming better humans.
"What does it mean to be human?" West asked. He answered his own question by saying that it is suffering that makes people human.
"We are most human when we bury our loved ones, because then we are really suffering," he said.
In order to become better humans, West said people need to learn history from every race, culture and religion.
He said people need to have "an engagement with reality that is neither sentimental nor cynical" and do away with cynicism by having greater empathy.
People need more courage to confront evil, West said. This courage means standing up for one's conviction as well as attacking one's conviction.
West closed by saying, "For those of you willing to keep the tradition [of confronting evil] alive, I'm with you because I'm going down fighting." The audience responded with a standing ovation.
In a question-and-answer session following the speech, a student asked West about self-segregation on Dartmouth's campus.
Students should recognize they are going to feel more comfortable among certain groups and this is understandable and normal, he said. He cautioned students not to push themselves to become comfortable among unfamiliar groups.
"It takes a while to feel at home among other races," he said. But he said people should find the "overlap" which brings them together and use it to learn from one another.
"It is very difficult to be a young person these days," West said. He said young people should always be true to themselves and challenge themselves.
Young people often believe someone will change the world for them, he said.
"No one can save us all, but what we each do can have some impact."
Another student asked what his role in fighting inequity should be in his community.
"Not everyone needs to be a community activist," West said. "Master whatever it is you're doing, then put your heart, soul and belief into it and connect it to what is going on in the community."
West graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard in 1973 and later received his masters and Ph.D from Princeton University.
Before his Harvard career, he taught at Union Theological Seminary and became a professor of religion and director of the Afro-American Studies Program at Princeton.
West has been a visiting scholar at universities including Yale, Williams, Barnard and Haverford.
An eminent writer, West has written many books including "Keeping the Faith," "Jews and Blacks," "Let the Healing Begin" and "The Future of the Race."
West gained wide public recognition for his most-acclaimed book, "Race Matters."
