West Abdullah
Policy Pillars

Affectionately known to many as Brother West, Dr. West is the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Professor of Philosophy and Christian Practice at Union Theological Seminary.

Dr. West is the former University Professor at Harvard University, Professor Emeritus at Princeton University, and the first Black person to receive a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Princeton University. He has written 20 books and is best known for his classics, Race Matters and Democracy Matters, and his memoir, Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud. He also delivered the historic Gifford lectures at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland in May 2024.

Dr. West is a lifelong lover of music and has produced three music albums: On Sketches of My Culture, Street Knowledge, and Never Forget - in collaboration with artists such as Prince, Andre 3000, Jill Scott, and many others.

Dr. West enters the 2024 Presidential contest at a time in which he describes a national crisis of moral bankruptcy and spiritual obscenity driven by a derelict duopoly of both major parties that equally places profits over people and the planet. West asserts that running as an Independent candidate affords him the opportunity and duty to deliver policy prescriptions incorporated by and for the people, instead of political parties beholden to corporations and special interest groups who feel no solidarity with poor and working-class people of all races, gender identities, and age groups.

Dr. West's campaign to empower poor and working people around the globe stands at a pivotal moment in history. Its aim is and will always be to unite in solidarity with movements of truth and justice, who seek a choice beyond empire, white supremacy, capitalism, patriarchy, and the confines of the corporate-dominated two-party system.

Dr. Abdullah is a Professor of Pan-African Studies at California State University, Los Angeles, where she has also served as Department Chair. A respected scholar and dedicated activist, Dr. Abdullah is deeply involved in organized labor and social justice movements, holding roles such as the Chair of the Council for Racial and Social Justice with the California Faculty Association’s Los Angeles Chapter. She has been a lifelong union organizer and a delegate to the County Federation of Labor, melding her academic expertise with grassroots activism to champion causes such as the "Cops Off Campus" campaign and the establishment of Ethnic Studies in educational curricula.

A founding organizer of Black Lives Matter, Dr. Abdullah continues to lead the Los Angeles chapter and serves as Director of Black Lives Matter Grassroots, driving local and national initiatives that aim to dismantle systemic racism. Her leadership has been pivotal in various campaigns for justice and equity, including #BlackWomenAreDivine and #EndPoliceAssociations. Dr. Abdullah's commitment to social change is also evident through her role in media, where she produces and hosts "Move the Crowd" on 90.7FM KPFK, furthering public political education.

Beyond her professional and activist roles, Dr. Abdullah is a devoted mother and a champion of community engagement and empowerment. Raised in Oakland, California, by a family of union workers, she embodies the values instilled by her ancestors and strives to pass on a legacy of resilience and advocacy to her three children and her community in Los Angeles’ Crenshaw District. Her extensive contributions to social justice have earned her numerous accolades, including the Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance “Champion of Change” Award and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Award from Loyola Marymount University.