FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

[Saint Paul, Minnesota] – The Cornel West for President Campaign announces that it has surpassed twice the required signature threshold for ballot access in Minnesota. This achievement not only secures Dr. Cornel West's place on the ballot but also reflects the strong grassroots support for his transformative vision. Minnesota, the home state of Vice President Tim Walz, plays a critical role in the upcoming presidential election.

"Our success in Minnesota is a strong endorsement of our vision for America—a vision that champions truth, justice and love," said Dr. Cornel West. "We are heartened by the overwhelming support from Minnesotans who are ready for a profound shift in the country’s political discourse."

The significant surplus in signatures not only highlights the dedication of the campaign's volunteers but also positions Dr. West and Dr. Abdullah as formidable contenders in a state known for its progressive politics. "In the shadow of the George Floyd uprisings, the overwhelming response to our campaign by Minnesota voters is an indicator that people still want transformative change," added vice presidential candidate Dr. Melina Abdullah.

Nick Shillingford, the lead volunteer in Minnesota, expressed his enthusiasm: "People, and young people specifically, are very excited to have someone they can vote FOR rather than just someone they feel they have to vote against. I asked a woman who was jogging with her earbuds in to sign the petition and for a brief moment I was afraid she was going to be upset that I was interrupting her jog. But while I was explaining the campaign she said "I love Cornel West, I'll sign anything for Cornel West" and she began signing. Minnesota is a state that has a huge community that cares about justice, human rights and the environment so the West campaign is a natural fit in this state.”

The campaign's success in Minnesota is part of a broader strategy to engage deeply with issues that resonate with Americans, including abolishing poverty and homelessness, racial justice, and environmental sustainability. The West/Abdullah platform offers an alternative to the policies championed by the major party candidates, aiming to transform the political dialogue and bring real solutions to the poor and working class.

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].