Before he became an influential philosopher, activist, and social critic, Cornel West was born in 1953 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After graduating magna cum laude from Harvard in just three years, he went on to obtain his Ph.D. in philosophy at Princeton. Brother West, as he is affectionately known to many, has written 20 books exploring philosophy, politics, cultural theory, literature, and music, among other topics. His most famous work is his 2010 memoir, “Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud.” He has devoted his life to continuing the work of Martin Luther King Jr., promoting truth, love, and justice. This quote beautifully encapsulates how he approaches leadership and activism from a place of deep compassion.