Cornerstone University to host anti-communism event featuring regime survivors

Cornerstone University, a Christian institution in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is hosting an event titled “Why Not Communism? A Wisdom Conversation on Freedom, Faith and the Future of America” on October 1. University President Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño stated the event was organized in response to perceived shifts in public opinion toward communism and socialism, which the school views as having a “dark” history.

The event features several speakers who have experienced oppressive regimes, including North Korean defector Yeonmi Park and Chinese Cultural Revolution survivor Xi Van Fleet. Park, who escaped North Korea and survived human trafficking in China, criticized students who support socialist theories from the comfort of classrooms without understanding the reality of living under such systems. She noted that a significant portion of the global population lives under authoritarian rule.

Other scheduled speakers include Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon and scholar Dr. Gary Saul Morson, an expert on Soviet communism.