FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Saturday, September 7, 2024
Cornel West for President
[email protected]

[Richmond, Virginia] – Dr. Cornel West and his running mate, Dr. Melina Abdullah, have officially secured a spot on Virginia's presidential ballot for the 2024 election after surpassing the signature threshold required. This confirms strong support and a desire for change among Virginians.

Dr. West expressed his enthusiasm, stating, "We’re celebrating today—Virginia has officially welcomed us onto the ballot after surpassing the signature threshold! This achievement in Virginia, along with our other victories, fuels our campaign’s drive towards truth, justice, and love."

Edwin DeJesus, a spokesperson for the campaign, also highlighted the strategic focus ahead, remarking, "With Virginia now secured, our focus shifts to Pennsylvania. We are prepared to take on the challenges ahead and ensure that Dr. West’s message reaches every corner of the state. We believe the federal courts may provide some relief, as the current system unfairly burdens First Amendment rights."

The West/Abdullah campaign remains deeply committed to serving the people of Virginia and addressing critical issues such as abolishing poverty and homelessness across America. This also amplifies a voice for those often unheard in our political discourse.

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, Georgia, Minnesota, Florida, Wisconsin, Virginia and North Carolina. For details on where Dr. West and Dr. Abdullah will appear on the ballot across the United States, please see our campaign’s 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].