So-called public intellectuals like West, bell hooks, and, yes, Henry Louis Gates Jr. himself, seem to me both dishonest and selfish--they're in it for the money and the power as much as out of any sense of obligation or responsibility to the black community.
I think West and other public intellectuals are liars.
Some 50 million additional individuals with incomes between 100 and 125 percent of the poverty level are also potentially eligible for legal services