Cornel West, a provocative public intellectual and a champion for racial justice, spoke to an overflow crowd of nearly 1,500 at Georgia Southern University’s Performing Arts Center Tuesday evening. West explored the words and actions of Martin Luther King, Jr., quoting Socrates, the Bible, Dr. King and even current hip hop lyrics to convey the importance of King’s dream in the world today. “Brother Martin’s greatness was in his depth of love for people,” West told the crowd. “His dream is a dream of hope, and don’t confuse hope with optimism. There is work to do, and sacrifices to be made. Keep your eyes on something bigger than you.”