Dr. Cornel West | Edward W. Said Memorial Lecture | On the Future of Justice and Solidarity.

On 25 April 2025, the Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies (CCMS) at SFU inaugurated the Edward W. Said Memorial Lecture with an Keynote Speech from and conversation iconic philosopher, civil rights activist, theologian, and public intellectual Dr. Cornel West at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts. The lecture entitled "Where Do We Go From Here? On the Future of Justice and Solidarity" addressed the legacy of late Palestinian-American literary critic and public intellectual Edward Said, black liberation, Palestine activism, and hope through love in the age of rampant fascism and global crises.

Moderated by Dr. Adel Iskandar, Associate Professor of Communication and Director of CCMS at SFU, opening remarks were offered by anti-racism activist Mamadou Ba, and closing remarks were delivered by Dr. Peter Hudson, Associate Professor of Geography at UBC. Musical performance was delivered by Syrian oud virtuoso Mouhannad El-E'ek.

This event was cosponsored by BC Black History Awareness Society, SFU's Department of Indigenous Studies, SFU's School of Communication, SFU's Institute for the Humanities, SFU's Department of English, SFU's Cassidy Centre for Educational Justice, SFU's Department of Geography, SFU's School for Contemporary Arts, SFU's School for International Studies, SFU's Department of History, UBC's Department of Geography, SFU's Institute for Black and African Diaspora Research and Engagement, SFU's School for Public Policy, and Anti-Racism Coalition Vancouver