(WatchDogReport.org) – Long-shot Independent presidential candidate Cornel West has announced Black Lives Matter activist Melina Abdullah as his chosen running mate in the 2024 election.
West, a leftist and a socialist, said he wants a running mate whose mind, heart, and soul are devoted to empowering poor and working-class communities. Abdullah is, like West, a renowned scholar and advocate for racial justice, and was the chair of the California State University’s Pan-African Studies department. Abdullah commented that she felt as though God was speaking to her when she was offered the position, and that she accepted it immediately.
An adherent of Islam, she spoke in an appearance on the Tavis Smiley Show about being a Muslim in an era of increasing division and mounting geopolitical tensions. Abdullah argued that Christianity and Islam are spiritually “aligned” when people submit to God’s will.
According to his campaign’s press release, the 70-year-old academic and philosopher has qualified to appear on the ballot in the states of Alaska, Oregon, South Carolina, and Utah. Another Independent candidate, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has reportedly qualified in five states so far – Hawaii, New Hampshire, Nevada, North Carolina, and Utah. West initially ran in the Democratic primary, then switched to the Green Party and veered further to the left before opting to stand as an Independent.
West has spent most of his career working in academic and activist spheres. He holds several advanced degrees, including a Ph.D. in philosophy at Princeton. Abdullah has never run for a political position before. West said he wanted to run with a person who would put a smile on the faces of Martin Luther King Jr. and Fannie Lou Hamer.
Abdullah clarified that Black Lives Matter does not endorse political candidates but that individuals linked to the organization may endorse her separately. She stated that she would not cease her work in organizing local chapters of the organization. West claimed that the association with Black Lives Matter would not pose any political “burden” despite the organization calling for the defunding of the police and being allegedly linked to the destruction of property during protests in 2020.
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