SAN DIEGO — Social justice advocate and philosopher, Dr. Cornel West visited San Diego today to talk to 150 middle school and high school students. Many of whom are from underserved communities.
It's a visit hosted by UC San Diego with the intent to motivate those who oftentimes feel marginalized.
Dr. West is famous for being a social justice advocate and he’s been interviewed thousands of times on big T.V. networks, but he made the drive to San Diego to speak to our future generation.
His visit helped inspire dozens of young students to continue to reach their goal, and ignore racial barriers.
“The focus on these kids is to show them we love them, we care for them and we want to expand their minds and their hearts and their souls. And UC San Diego is to be congratulated for it, this is a very unique institution," said Dr. West.
His way of examining the crisis of black leadership in America is what has inspired many nation-wide.
“We have to lift every voice, if you lift every voice you don’t police other voices. you don’t act as if those voices have to agree with you,” said Dr. West.
Now even middle school and high school students in San Diego county who have dealt with poverty and injustice are breaking barriers.
“Equity, equality are such important topics. I really do believe in representation. I feel like everyone deserves a voice and everyone deserves to be heard,” said Layla Redden, a senior at E3 Civic High.
While Elijah Johnson who is also a senior at E3 Civic High, said “Sometimes it's hard, you know, but I always just push myself and I pray about everything, I always get through it and I'm motivated to go to college and aspire to do my dream.”
Laylah and Elijah will both be attending college next year and they acknowledge that they would not be where they are if it wasn’t for the hardships in their life that shaped them.
Meanwhile, professors add that having Dr. West visit students with similar backgrounds showed that they are able to see how they have just as much of a chance to accomplish their goals.
WATCH RELATED: Celebrating Black history | CBS 8 Special (Feb. 2022).