In 1992, four white policemen were acquitted by a jury of assaulting Rodney King, an African American man, despite video footage showing them repeatedly beating King on the ground while he lay unarmed. The verdict sparked protest and violence on the streets in what have become known as the Los Angeles riots. These riots are considered to have galvanized Cornel West’s most influential book, Race Matters, published the following year.

West is among the most distinguished scholars today on race, African American cultural theory, critical thought, music, religion, and philosophy. He has authored several seminal texts, including Democracy Matters (2004) and, more recently, Black Prophetic Fire (2014). West has held numerous professorships and fellowships, including at Harvard and Princeton.

This week, Srećko Horvat, a member of the Progressive International’s cabinet, spoke with West about internationalism, solidarity in the multipolar world, and the dangers of a rapidly changing climate.