Dr. Mich ael Eric Dyson
\nMichael Eric Dyson is one of the nation&rs quo\;s most renowned professors\, gifted writers\, inspiring preachers\, k nowledgeable lecturers\, and prominent media personalities. As a teacher w ho earned a PhD in Religion from Princeton University\, Dyson has taught a t some of the nation&rsquo\;s most distinguished universities\, including Brown\, UNC Chapel Hill\, Columbia\, DePaul\, the University of Pennsylvan ia\, and Georgetown University. He is presently Distinguished University P rofessor of African American and Diaspora Studies\, College of Arts &\; Science\; and Distinguished University Professor of Ethics and Society\, The Divinity School\; and NEH Centennial Chair at Vanderbilt University. D yson is one of America&rsquo\;s premier public intellectuals and author of \;over 25 books\, including \;seven \;New York Times \;be stsellers. Dyson&rsquo\;s esteemed literary output won him the 2020 Langst on Hughes Medal\, which in the past was awarded to James Baldwin\, Toni Mo rrison\, Maya Angelou\, and August Wilson. Dyson has also won an American Book Award\, a Southern Book Award\, and two NAACP Image Awards.
\nD yson has written bestselling volumes on Martin Luther King\, Jr.\, Malcolm X\, 2Pac\, Marvin Gaye\, Bill Cosby\, and Barack Obama. Among his notable publications are "Reflecting Black: African American Cultural Criticism\, " his pioneering book of Black cultural studies\; "I May Not Get There Wit h You: The True Martin Luther King Jr.\," his first book on the civil righ ts icon that probed his radical dimensions\; "Holler if You Hear Me: Searc hing for Tupac Shakur\," which\, according to Publisher&rsquo\;s Weekly\, helped to prove that hip hop books are commercially viable\; and "Is Bill Cosby Right? Or Has the Black Middle Class Lost Its Mind?" which helped to renew a conversation on class in Black America. Dyson&rsquo\;s book on Co sby\, and his popular volume\, "Why I Love Black Women\," both won prestig ious NAACP Image Awards for nonfiction.
\nDyson&rsquo\;s most recent book\, "Unequal: A Story of America\," published in May 2022\, is a volum e for young readers penned with renowned writer and editor Marc Favreau. P ublishers Weekly says that this &ldquo\;searing look at attempts to block students &lsquo\;from learning the truth of inequality in the United State s&rsquo\; encourages readers to acknowledge the deep-seated presence of st ructural racism in America. A must-read and must-teach.&rdquo\; And Kirkus Review says that this &ldquo\;accessible\, riveting collection will inspi re readers to claim responsibility for helping to ensure that the U.S. one day lives up to its most ethical professed ideas.&rdquo\;
\nDyson h as lectured across the country\, and around the world\, in many of the bes t colleges and universities\, in public theaters and auditoriums\, and for many corporations and unions. He has also served for the last 30 years as a journalist\, media commentator\, and host\, on every major radio and te levision show\, from NPR&rsquo\;s "Morning Edition\," "The Takeaway\," and "Fresh Air With Terry Gross\," to television&rsquo\;s "Meet the Press\," "Face the Nation\," "Today Show\," "Good Morning America\," and "Real Time with Bill Maher." Dyson has served as a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Tim es\, as a contributing opinion writer for the \;New York Times\, \ ;and as a political analyst for MSNBC. Dyson has also frequently appeared on CNN and Fox News to offer political and cultural analysis. Dyson has ev en found time to make guest appearances on scripted cable and network tele vision programs such as "Soul Food\," "The Game\," and "Black-ish." While feminist author Naomi Wolf calls Dyson &ldquo\;the ideal public intellectu al of our times\,&rdquo\; writer Nathan McCall captures it best when he sa ys that Dyson &ldquo\;is a street fighter in suit and tie.&rdquo\;
\nThis is a free event. Seating will be available on a first-come\, first-s erved basis. Doors to the auditorium will open at 1:30 pm.
\nFree pa rking is available in the High Street parking deck on weekends.
\nTh is program is made possible\, in part\, by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. Any views\, findings\, conclusions o r recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent t hose of Ohio Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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