Dissonance

Balancing Prophetic Vision with Practical Justice:

 An Open Appeal

Dear Dr. West

I write to you as one deeply inspired by your lifelong commitment to justice, truth, and the empowerment of the marginalized. Your intellectual contributions, rooted in the prophetic tradition and informed by the wisdom of figures like Du Bois, Fanon, and Cone, have profoundly shaped my understanding of the struggle for human dignity. For that, I am immensely grateful.

However, I must also share my profound dissonance regarding your recent third-party candidacy in the 2024 presidential election. Your willingness to critique both the Democratic and Republican parties is, of course, consistent with your principled stance against neoliberalism and the commodification of human lives. Yet, given the stakes of this election, I am left questioning whether this approach inadvertently enabled forces that perpetuate systemic racism, economic exploitation, and social regression.

As someone who admires your clarity on the dangers of white supremacy and the insidious ways it operates, I wonder if your campaign underestimated the enduring grip of ‘whiteness’ on American society—not just as a political phenomenon but as a spiritual and cultural condition. The rise of overtly racist policies, coupled with the manipulation of populist fears, underscores the reality that piecemeal reforms, as unpalatable as they may seem, often act as necessary bulwarks against explicit harm. 

Your critique of the two-party system resonates, but I struggle with the apparent blindness to how a third-party bid, without the structural support to succeed nationally, could empower the very forces you so eloquently oppose. The rollback of hard-fought social equity during Trump’s previous administration—ranging from the militarized response to BLM protests to the emboldening of far-right ideologies—provides a sobering reminder of the stakes.  

This is not to suggest that we abandon the prophetic vision of a more just and loving world. Rather, it is to ask: How might we better navigate the tension between the immediate protection of the vulnerable and the long-term dismantling of oppressive systems? How can we, as individuals and communities, embody a praxis that critiques yet does not inadvertently harm? 

You have often emphasized the importance of love as a radical force for change. I appeal to that very love—to reconsider the strategies we employ and the platforms we engage to effect the transformation we seek. I believe your voice is uniquely positioned to inspire the kind of holistic movement that integrates spiritual renewal with systemic change. 

With profound respect and hope for dialogue,  

Yours,