As Black History Month 2008 draws to a close, celebrate with Cornel West’s Never Forget 101 course created “to unsettle, unnerve, and un-house you, as we wrestle with the history of the modern world by highlighting the doing and the suffering of people of African descent.” Think.MTV features Cornel West as their Artist of the Week, and has created a series of short clips with West taking questions from a diverse representation of voices including black musical artists in a virtual lecture hall, as well as children in an actual classroom setting.

West’s signature raw, lyrical lecture style is a delight to listen to as he tackles questions by artists including George Clinton and Lupe Fiasco about wealth discrepancy, gang violence, the role of hip hop in contemporary society, and the search for unity in America.

Even though March is just around the corner, we should all remember to keep sight of the centrality of the history of African Americans to the history of America itself. The better we understand where we came from, the better we’re able to understand and change the world around us. and check out these fun AND educational black history destinations. Also, take a look at West speaking about his book “Democracy Matters” below.