Presidential candidate Dr. Cornel West has selected activist, community organizer, and professor Melina Abdullah as his vice presidential candidate in his bid for the White House. This marks the first-ever all-Black presidential ticket in U.S. history.
West, who is running to be on the ticket as an independent, announced his running mate on Wednesday on Tavis Smiley’s radio show on KBLA.
“I wanted to run with someone who would put a smile on the face of Fanny Lou Hamer and Martin Luther King Jr. from the grave,” West said. “Put a smile on their faces from the grave, and that’s the highest standard. As you know that’s not a typical standard of the garden variety politician.”
In a campaign statement shortly after making his on-air announcement, West described Abdullah as “a fierce and tireless advocate for truth, justice, and transformative change.
“Her unique Black analysis and witness helps us confront our crumbling era of empire, white supremacy, and patriarchy,” he added. “I look forward to working with her as we strengthen our commitment in our campaign for truth, justice, and love!”
Abdullah, who founded Black Lives Matter Grassroots and the Los Angeles chapter of Black Lives Matter, said in a campaign statement that she was “deeply honored and humbled” to be West’s vice presidential candidate.
“This campaign offers a real vision for the world that stands in opposition to oppressive forces and holds fast to the universal principles of truth, justice, and love,” said Abdullah, who serves as a Pan-African studies professor at California State University, Los Angeles.
“As we work arm-in-arm with justice-loving people everywhere, we reimagine and work to build a world that chooses goodwill over greed, courage over cowardice, and liberation over exploitation,” she added. “Together, we are igniting a movement to not only dismantle harmful systems but establish the firm foundations of a just, nurturing,…
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