Cornel West   Cornel West Interior Worlds     Educator and philosopher Dr. Cornel West is the Class of 1943 University Professor of Religion and African American Studies at Princeton University. Known as one of America’s most gifted, provocative, and important public intellectuals, Dr. West has won numerous awards, including the American Book Award, and has received more than 20 honorary degrees. His best-selling book Race Matters (1993), which has sold over 400,000 copies, changed the course of America’s dialogue on race, justice, and democracy; and his book Democracy Matters: Winning the Fight Against Imperialism (2004) was a # 11 New York Times bestseller. His writings, along with his frequent lectures, have brought him widespread attention and honors.