A dialogue between Dr. Cornel West and communist leader Bob Avakian
November 13, 2014 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
by Herb Boyd
A dialogue between Dr. Cornel West, one of the nation’s foremost public intellectuals, and Bob Avakian, the leader of the Revolutionary Communist Party, on the issue of “Revolution and Religion,” is sure to be as lively as it is provocative. To witness how they will parry on the apparent contradiction of Avakian’s politics of revolution and West’s African-American prophetic tradition is, as the great James Baldwin wrote, worth the price of the ticket.
Their exchanges will be framed in the same friendly context but critical dialogue as the previous debates between West and the RCP’s Carl Dix. In fact, in his most recent book, “Prophetic Fire,” West speaks fondly of Avakian, and it is noted that he suggested the communist leader write his life story, “From Ike to Mao and Beyond: My Journey from Mainstream America to Revolutionary Communist, a Memoir.”
Parts of that journey will undoubtedly surface in the dialogue, just as certainly as Dr. West will disclose the revolutionary potential of Christianity. Under the subtitle “The Fight for Emancipation and the Role of Religion,” the two compelling thinkers will square off at Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive, Saturday, Nov. 15, 3 to 7 p.m.
The ticket prices are on a sliding scale: $25 general admission, $15 for students, youth, unemployed and underemployed, $100 premium seating and $250 premium seating with gift (TBA). Tickets are available online and at Revolution Books in New York City. For group ticket rates, contact Revolution Books at 212-691-3345.
This article was first posted by Herb Boyd on 11/13/2014 in the New York Amsterdam News. Reposted by permission.
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