FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, September 12, 2024
Cornel West for President
[email protected]

[Atlanta, Georgia] – The Dr. Cornel West presidential campaign urges voters in Georgia to vote for the West/Abdullah ticket at the top of their ballot, even in the face of a recent court ruling that temporarily disqualifies Dr. West from the ballot. The campaign is actively appealing the decision and remains confident in its legal case.

On Wednesday, two state court judges ruled that Dr. Cornel West and Claudia De la Cruz, a fellow presidential candidate, were disqualified from running in Georgia due to technical issues with their elector filings. However, it’s too late to remove their names from the ballot, meaning voters will still see their names on Election Day.

“We are appealing this decision, which negates the basic democratic rights of the people of Georgia to vote for the candidate of their choice,” said Edwin DeJesus, a spokesperson for the West campaign. “We will not stand by as the democratic process is undermined. This ruling is a direct assault on the voters’ rights to choose their leaders, and we are fighting to ensure that every Georgian can vote for a candidate who truly represents their values and visions for the future.”

While the legal process continues, Dr. West is urging his supporters to remain undeterred. “This is not just a campaign – it’s a movement for truth, justice and love. We are fighting for the rights of all people, and we will not be deterred,” said Dr. West. “I encourage everyone to support the West/Abdullah ticket by voting for us at the top of your ballot in Georgia.”

The campaign's platform includes:

• Economic Justice: Addressing income inequality and providing fair wages for all workers.
• Medicare for All: A comprehensive healthcare system that leaves no one behind.
• Criminal Justice Reform: Overhauling the system to end racial disparities and mass incarceration.
• Environmental Justice: Fighting climate change and promoting sustainable solutions.

Despite the court’s ruling, West’s name will remain on the ballot in Georgia. Voters are encouraged to cast their vote for West/Abdullah at the top of the ballot to continue supporting the campaign’s fight for Justice for All.

About Dr. Cornel West

Dr. West, affectionately known to many as Brother West, is the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Professor of Philosophy and Christian Practice at Union Theological Seminary.

Dr. West is the former University Professor at Harvard University, Professor Emeritus at Princeton University and the first Black person to receive a Ph.D. In Philosophy from Princeton University. He has written 20 books and he is best known for his classics, Race Matters and Democracy Matters, and for his memoir, Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud. He delivered the historic Gifford lectures at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland in Spring 2024.

Dr. West enters the 2024 Presidential contest at a time in which he describes a national crisis of moral bankruptcy and spiritual obscenity driven by a derelict duopoly of both major parties that equally places profits over people and the planet. West asserts that running as an Independent candidate affords him the opportunity and duty to deliver policy prescriptions incorporated by and for the people, instead of political parties beholden to corporations and special interest groups who feel no solidarity with poor and working-class people of all races, gender identities, and age groups.

The Cornel West Campaign to empower poor and working people everywhere stands at a pivotal moment in history, committed to being a true campaign for people around the globe. Our aim is and will always be to unite in solidarity with movements of truth and justice, who seek a choice beyond empire, white supremacy, capitalism, patriarchy, and the confines of the corporate-dominated two-party system.

About Dr. Melina Abdullah

Melina Abdullah is Professor of Pan-African Studies at Cal State LA’s College of Ethnic Studies, Co-Founder of Black Lives Matter - Los Ángeles and Black Lives Matter Grassroots, where she is also Director. She is a leader in the California Faculty Association (the faculty union), both locally and statewide, and mama of three. Dr. Abdullah earned her Ph.D. from University of Southern California in Political Science and her B.A. from Howard University in African American Studies. Abdullah has authored numerous articles and book chapters. Known by the moniker, Doc Melly Mel, she is creator, host, and producer of the radio programs Move the Crowd on KPFK 90.7 FM and This Is Not a Drill! on KBLA Talk 1580, and is a recognized expert on race, gender, class, and social movements. In April 2024, Abdullah was announced as vice-presidential pick for Dr. Cornel West in his run for president of the United States on a platform of “Truth, Justice, and Love.” She is the first Muslim to run for the vice-presidency.

Learn more about Cornel West at CornelWest2024.com. 

Learn more about Dr. West’s Policy Pillars at CornelWest2024.com/Platform.

For more details and press inquiries, please contact [email protected].