Some Ivy Leaguers believe that Cornell West is considered "eminent" in the Ivy world because he is a caricature. Can you imagine them passing up Julian Bond or Andrew Young for a aging rapper?
Julian Bond is the ultimate lightweight, whose "star" status in the civil rights crowd remains a mystery. At last report, Mr. Bond was on the faculty at the University of Virginia, teaching some junk courses in the African-American studies program. However, according to press reports, the position for Mr. Bond was essentially a "make work" position. With his political career over, Mr. Bond needed a job, and some bleeding hearts a UVa created a spot for him. Needless to say, Mr. Bond (who only has a bachelor's degree) was unqualified for his position.
By comparison, Andrew Young was a successful mayor of Atlanta. And, if you haven't noticed, you don't see Andrew Young hanging around with Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, or for that matter, Julian Bond.