About the Speaker

Dyson has taught at some of the nation’s most distinguished universities, including Brown, UNC Chapel Hill, Columbia, DePaul, the University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown University, and Vanderbilt University. He currently serves as Distinguished University Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies, Distinguished University Professor of Ethics and Society, and NEH Centennial Chair at Vanderbilt University.

Author, Scholar, and Cultural Critic

Dyson has written bestselling works on Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Tupac Shakur, Marvin Gaye, Bill Cosby, Barack Obama, Jay-Z, race in America, voting rights, and democracy. His writing has earned national recognition, including the Langston Hughes Medal, an American Book Award, a Southern Book Award, and two NAACP Image Awards.

Voice in Media and Ministry

For more than three decades, Dyson has served as a journalist, media commentator, and host, appearing on major radio and television programs including NPR, Meet the Press, Face the Nation, Good Morning America, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and Real Time with Bill Maher. He is also an ordained minister and has preached from many of the nation’s most noted pulpits.