FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, August 20, 2024
Cornel West for President
[email protected]

[Lansing, Michigan] – Today, the campaign of Dr. Cornel West and Dr. Melina Abdullah announced its decision to intervene in a legal challenge initiated by the Michigan Democratic Party. The lawsuit questions the inclusion of Dr. West and Dr. Abdullah on the Michigan ballot, citing procedural concerns.

The campaign issued the following statement: "This lawsuit, focused on minor procedural details such as notarization, represents a legal tactic aimed to distract from the essential policy debates. Initiated by the DNC and the Michigan Democratic Party, its purpose is clear: to suppress the progressive voices challenging the current administration’s policies, including its support of a genocide in Gaza.”

Dr. Cornel West added, "Our campaign, supported by progressive state parties nationwide, embodies a commitment to deep systemic change. We are ready to battle it out in court to defend the voices of poor and working class people, ensuring our place on the ballot."

Dr. Melina Abdullah also commented, "The overwhelming support we have received, particularly from Michigan voters, highlights the urgent need for candidates who speak to real issues like ending the genocide in Gaza and providing workers with a livable wage here. We will not be silenced by baseless legal maneuvers intended to disrupt our movement."

Campaign spokesperson Edwin DeJesus stated, "The West/Abdullah campaign is actively intervening in this case to vigorously contest these baseless accusations. We are confident that a thorough examination in court will expose these legal maneuvers as unfounded attempts to curb the growing progressive movement. The campaign remains committed to defending its position and continuing the fight for a political revolution that addresses the rights and needs of all people.”

Elh Shine, a lead Michigan volunteer, expressed the significance of this legal challenge: "We intend to represent the voices of all the individuals who signed ballot access petitions in good faith believing their signature would be honored by the state. This legal battle is about the worth of each individual voter in the state of Michigan and whether they matter to the state."

The West/Abdullah campaign has the signatures and minor party nominations it needs to get on the ballot in 18 states. This includes 7 of the battleground states: Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Minnesota, Florida, Wisconsin and North Carolina. For more info, see our ballot access map.

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].