(The Hill) Independent presidential contender Cornel West announced Melina Abdullah as his 2024 running mate Wednesday, rounding out his left-wing ticket for the White House.
In a radio appearance on “The Tavis Smiley Show,” West said Abdullah will join his third-party presidential bid as he looks ahead to November.
“I wanted someone whose heart, mind and soul is committed to the empowerment of poor and working people,” West said. “She has a record of deep commitment and investment in ensuring poor and working people are at the center of her vision.”
Abdullah is a professor at California State University in Los Angeles and formerly chaired the Pan-African studies department. Like West, she is a noted scholar and racial justice advocate.
“I was not expecting the phone call I got last week,” Abdullah said in the segment. “It was the furthest thing from my mind.”
“Immediately my heart just soared. I haven’t felt that kind of life-giving energy since the last child I had,” she said. “My soul and my spirit and it felt as though God was speaking to me said ‘yes’ immediately.”
Abdullah, a Black Lives Matter supporter, also identifies as Muslim. Speaking about what it means to be a Muslim running mate at a time of increased divisions in the country over faith and geopolitics, Abdullah sought to draw parallels between multiple religions.
“When we talk about Islam we talk about people who submit to the will of God,” she said. “Christianity and Islam and every other faith, if you think about the core of who we are as spiritual people, we’re all aligned.”
