Professor Cornel West, an independent candidate running for president in 2024 announced that he has chosen Dr. Melina Abdullah to be his running mate.

West announced during an interview on The Tavis Smiley Show on Wednesday that he chose Abdullah, a professor and the former chairwoman of Pan-African Studies at California State University in Los Angeles as his pick for his vice presidential candidate.

“At this historic and pivotal moment, it is my profound honor to stand alongside my dear sister, Dr. Melina Abdullah, a fierce and tireless advocate for truth, justice, and transformative change,” West said. “Sister Melina’s incredible courage, keen intellect, and deep vision have greatly served the cause of liberation in education, worker rights, and both racial and gender justice.”

Abdullah is also known for being one of the co-founders of the Los Angeles chapter of Black Lives Matter (BLM) and a Director of the Black Lives Matter grassroots.

“Her unique analysis and witness helps us confront our crumbling era of empire, white supremacy, and patriarchy,” West added. “I look forward to working with her as we strengthen our commitment in our campaign for truth, justice and love!”

While Abdullah has never served in office before, she revealed that she is “deeply honored and humbled” to join West as his candidate for vice president.

“This campaign offers a real vision for the world that stands in opposition to oppressive forces and holds fast to the universal principles of truth, justice, and love,” Abdullah added.

A recent poll from Quinnipiac University conducted between April 4 and 8, 2024, revealed that Trump had a slight advantage over President Joe Biden, independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein, and West.

Dr. Melina Abdullah, one of the founders of BLM, attends the 10th anniversary Black Lives Matter Festival in Leimert Park on Saturday, July 15, 2023, in Los Angeles, CA. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Of the people surveyed, 41 percent said they would vote for Trump, 38 percent said they would vote for Biden, 12 percent expressed support for Kennedy, and both West and Stein earned three percent.

When asked about West’s announcement of his running mate, Matthew Corridoni, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) told the New York Times that “only two candidates have a path to 270 electoral votes, President Biden and Donald Trump.”

“The stakes are high and we know this is going to be a close election – that’s why a vote for any third-party candidate is a vote for Donald Trump,” Corridoni told the outlet.

Breitbart News reached out to West and Corridoni for a statement but did not receive a response by the time of publication.