Bridging Generations With Open Minds

"He is who he is because somebody loved him." "Don’t strive for success; strive for greatness." "Don’t imitate others; be inspired by them." "Activate the apathetic ones among us."

The lines above are some of my favorite bits of wisdom I gleaned from Dr. Cornel West (the cool intellectual dude who wrote Race Matters in the early 1990s) when he graced Youngstown, Ohio, with his presence in February. I just so happened to be among the handful of students privileged to hear him speak twice on Feb. 26 — first during the “Private Conversation,” and then again at the public address.

Let me take a few seconds to explain why this is profound:

One. I had missed out on the initial Race Matters hype because during the early '90s, I was busy being a preschooler.

Two. I missed it again in high school social studies because I went to college instead, so my education is kind of random.

Three. My concept of him extended as far as what I’d seen on the Colbert Report and heard in Lupe Fiasco songs: He’s a "brilliant old black dude."

Four. Past encounters with “brilliant” people had me assuming that he’d be this cocky, "I-know-everything-so-listen-closely-to-my-wisdom" kind of guy.

Five. I’ve found that old people can often be unpleasant.

But, as it turns out, (a) I’m just in time for Hope on a Tightrope, his latest book, and (b) he is the exact opposite of whatever it was I was expecting.

He wasn’t a cranky old man at all. Listening to him was like listening to your favorite uncle tell stories about beating up your dad when they were kids. No boring fairy tales with morals at the end were told that night. Dr. West chatted with us about why it’s important to bridge the generation gap and why you can’t look to the people on TV to be your role models. It was nothing like climbing the top of a mountain to have the guru answer your question in riddles. Dr. West keeps it real.

So needless to say, I am quite taken with my new, informed image of Cornel West, especially since I intend to be a cool intellectual dude if I ever get around to growing up. I also intend to be a poet, so it was doubly awesome that he reminded me of Naomi Shihab Nye who smiles at everyone, oozes with poetry, and even complements the olives at lunch. (I got to be one of her guides when she came to the 2008 English Festival).

But best of all (for me anyway), is that I’m already a laid-back nerd who rocks a fro, glasses, and scarves, keeps poems in her pocket and is fond of olives.

So Race Matters and Hope on a Tightrope are naturally at the top of my summer reading list. Reading them will remind me that love is important; money isn’t everything; to think original thoughts; and to allow myself to be moved.

Photo: Courtesy of Cherise Benton, who apologizes for its fuzziness as Dr. West "doesn't stand still for too long."