Campus News

Scholar Cornel West will lecture as part of Week of Soul celebration

Scholar Cornel West will lecture as part of Week of Soul celebration

The university will host a presentation by philosopher, author, critic and civil rights activist Cornel West on April 8 at 7:30 p.m. in the Grand Hall of the Tate Student Center.

West’s visit is part of the university’s annual Week of Soul celebration that will bring a variety of activities and entertainment options to campus beginning April 5. The week’s events are sponsored by the University Union Student Programming Board’s Committee for Black Cultural Programs.

Week of Soul begins with a concert by R&B and soul singer-songwriter Chrisette Michele on April 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Tate Student Center Grand Hall. The 26-year-old breakout star won a 2009 Grammy Award for “Best Urban/Alternative Performance” for her song “Be OK.”

Concert tickets are free for students with valid UGACards who pay activity fees on the Athens campus and $10 in advance or $20 on the day of the show for everyone else.

On April 6, the annual “Soul Food Fest” will be held on the lawn adjacent to Tate Plaza. Lunch will be served beginning at 11 a.m. and is $2 for students and $7 for everyone else. Food will only be available while supplies last, so early arrival is encouraged.

Hypnobro, a popular hypnotist, will work his magic on students April 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Tate Theater. Admission is free for students with valid UGACards who pay activity fees on the Athens campus and $5 for all others.

West will lecture on his life experiences during his visit to UGA. Admission is free for students with valid UGACards who pay activity fees on the Athens campus and $5 for everyone else.

One of America’s most provocative public intellectuals, West has been a champion for racial justice since childhood.

His writing, speaking and teaching weave together the traditions of the black Baptist church, progressive politics and jazz. The New York Times has praised his “ferocious moral vision.”

Currently the Class of 1943 Professor at Princeton University, West burst onto the national scene in 1993 with his bestselling book, Race Matters, a searing analysis of racism in American democracy. Race Matters has become a contemporary classic, selling more than half a million copies to date.

Week of Soul 2010 will conclude with a screening of the 2009 film Invictus April 9-11 in the Tate Theater. Invictus is a biographical drama based on Nelson Mandela’s life during the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa. Show times are 3, 6 and 9 p.m. daily. Tickets are $1 for students with valid UGACards who pay activity fees on the Athens campus and $2 for everyone else.

Event tickets for Michele, Hypnobro and West are available at the Tate Student Center cashier’s window, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.