CU Boulder is excited to welcome Dr. Cornel West, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair at Union Theological Seminary, for an evening of conversation about the future of democracy and American universities. The event will be moderated by Dr. Elias Sacks, Associate Professor of Religious Studies & Jewish Studies and Faculty Director for Public Scholarship in the Office of Faculty Affairs at CU Boulder. 

Dr. West—one of the world’s most renowned public intellectuals—will engage with our university community about some of the most fraught questions facing higher education today: Why do the humanities matter for democracy? What are the most pressing challenges facing our society, and how do literature, history, philosophy, religion, and the arts empower us to address those challenges? How can universities shape the civic life of a nation and elevate the voices of its members, and how can we both defend and reimagine higher education in a time of political polarization and anti-intellectualism? In exploring these questions, Dr. West will wrestle with the past, present, and future of democracy and intellectual life in the United States and beyond. 

Dr. West is author and editor of more than thirty books on topics of democracy, race relations, religion, and philosophy. These publications include Race Matters (1993), Democracy Matters (2004), and Black Prophetic Fire (2014). Dr. West’s most recent work, Truth Matters (2025), is co-authored with American political philosopher Dr. Robert George and discusses the importance of truth-seeking and civil discourse for polarized societies. Dr. West and Dr. George previously participated in a panel discussion at CU Boulder in 2021 on the subject of civil discourse across the political divide. 

"I'm thrilled that our community will have the opportunity to think with Dr. West. At a time when genuine conversation across political and intellectual divides has become all-too rare, his passion, vision, and love of learning can help us come together to imagine what we want the future of our universities—and our democracy—to look like," said Sacks.

The evening of conversation is part of CU Boulder’s Restoring Trust project, a Sawyer Seminar supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The event is sponsored by CU Boulder’s Office of Faculty Affairs and in partnership with the Center for Humanities & the Arts, the Center for African & African American Studies, the Division of Arts & Humanities in the College of Arts & Sciences, the departments of Ethnic Studies and Religious Studies, Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship (PACES) in the Office for Outreach and Engagement, and Strategic Relations & Communications.

Space is limited; save your seat and register today. For more information, contact restoringtrust@colorado.edu.