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Michael Eric Dyson (born October 23, 1958) is an American
academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, ...
, author, ordained minister, and radio host. He is a professor in the College of Arts and Science and in the Divinity School at
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...
. Described by Michael A. Fletcher as "a
Princeton Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nin ...
Ph.D. and a child of the streets who takes pains never to separate the two", Dyson has authored or edited more than twenty books dealing with subjects such as
Malcolm X Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an American Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figure during the civil rights movement. A spokesman for the Nation of I ...
, Martin Luther King Jr.,
Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo ar ...
,
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
,
Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ...
's debut album ''
Illmatic ''Illmatic'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Nas. It was released on April 19, 1994, by Columbia Records. After signing with the label with the help of MC Serch, Nas recorded the album in 1992 and 1993 at Chung King Studios, D&D Re ...
'',
Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and is well known in the United States for his eccentric ...
,
Tupac Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the b ...
and
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
.


Early life and education

Dyson was born on October 23, 1958, in
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
,
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...
, the son of Addie Mae Leonard, who was from Alabama. He was adopted by his stepfather, Everett Dyson. He attended Cranbrook School in
Bloomfield Hills Bloomfield Hills is a small city (5.04 sq. miles) in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a northern suburb of Metro Detroit and is approximately northwest of Downtown Detroit. Except a small southern border with the city of Bir ...
, Michigan, on an academic scholarship but left and completed his education at Northwestern High School.Michael A. Fletcher (Spring 2000)
"Michael Eric Dyson: A Scholar and a Hip-Hop Preacher."
''The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education''.
He became an
ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...
Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul c ...
minister at nineteen years of age.Marie Arana (August 24, 2003)
"Michael Eric Dyson. Telling It Any Way He Can."
''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...
''.
Having worked in factories in Detroit to support his family, he entered Knoxville College as a freshman at the age of twenty-one.Michael Eric Dyson (April 2, 2011)
"Manning Marable: A Brother, a Mentor, a Great Mind."
, '' The Root''.
Dyson received his
bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to si ...
, ''
magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...
'', from Carson–Newman College in 1985. He received a Ph.D. in religion from
Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...
in 1993 after completing a doctoral dissertation titled ''Uses of Heroes: Celebration and Criticism in the Interpretation of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.''


Career


Professor

Dyson has taught at
Chicago Theological Seminary Founded in 1855, the Chicago Theological Seminary (CTS) is the oldest higher education institution in the City of Chicago and was established with two principal goals: first, to educate pastors who would minister to people living on the new west ...
,
Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...
, the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United State ...
,
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
,
DePaul University DePaul University is a private, Catholic research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th-century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul. In 1998, it became the largest Ca ...
, and the
University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest- ...
. From 2007 to 2020, he was a Professor of Sociology at
Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private research university in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll in 1789 as Georgetown College, the university has grown to comprise eleven undergraduate and graduate ...
. In 2021, Dyson moved to Vanderbilt University where he holds the Centennial Chair and serves as University Distinguished Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies in the College of Arts and Science and University Distinguished Professor of Ethics and Society in the Divinity School. Between 2016 and 2018, he was a visiting professor at
Middlebury College Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalists, Middlebury was the first operating college or university in Vermont. The college currently enrolls 2,858 undergraduates from all 5 ...
in
Middlebury, Vermont Middlebury is the shire town (county seat) of Addison County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 9,152. Middlebury is home to Middlebury College and the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History. History One ...
.


Author

His 1994 book ''Making Malcolm: The Myth and Meaning of Malcolm X'' became a ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' notable book of the year.Calvin Reid (February 21, 2000)
"Interview. Michael Eric Dyson: Of Her s and Hip-hop. The real challenge of King's heroism is to make it a useful heroism"
''
Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...
''.
In his 2006 book ''Come Hell or High Water: Hurricane Katrina and the Color of Disaster'', Dyson analyzes the political and social events in the wake of the catastrophe against the backdrop of an overall "failure in race and class relations".Austin Considine (February 5, 2006)
"Disparities revealed in Katrina's wake / Race, class central to analysis of how nation failed victims"
''
San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. The pa ...
''.
Staff (April 2006)
"The center of the storm"
''
Ebony Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus '' Diospyros'', which also contains the persimmons. Unlike most woods, ebony is dense enough to sink in water. It is finely textured and has a mirror finish when ...
''.
Staff (January 16, 2006)
"Come Hell or High Water: Hurricane Katrina and the Color of Disaster"
''Publishers Weekly''.
In 2010, Dyson edited '' Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic'', with contributions based on the album’s tracks by, among others, Kevin Coval, Kyra D. Gaunt ("Professor G"),
dream hampton Dream Hampton (stylized as dream hampton) is an American filmmaker, producer, and writer. Her work includes the 2019 Lifetime documentary series ''Surviving R. Kelly'', which she executive produced, and the 2012 '' An Oversimplification of Her B ...
,
Marc Lamont Hill Marc Lamont Hill (born December 17, 1978) is an American academic, author, activist, and television personality. He is a professor of media studies and urban education at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Hill is the host of ''UpF ...
, Adam Mansbach, and Mark Anthony Neal. Dyson's own essay in this anthology, "'One Love,' Two Brothers, Three Verses", argues that the current US penal system disfavors young black males more than any other segment of the population.Alessandro Porco (May 2009)
"'Time is Illmatic': A Critical Retrospective on Nas's Groundbreaking Debut"
''
Postmodern Culture ''Postmodern Culture'' is an electronic academic journal established in 1990. It is the result of an early experiment in electronic content delivery via the Internet. The journal publishes commentary and criticism on a wide range of concerns inclu ...
'' – Volume 19, Number 3.
His last three books appeared repeatedly on the ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' Bestseller list.


Commentator

Dyson hosted a radio show, which aired on Radio One, from January 2006 to February 2007. He is also a commentator on
National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other n ...
,
MSNBC MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and political ...
and CNN, and is a regular guest on '' Real Time with Bill Maher''. Beginning July 2011 Michael Eric Dyson became a political analyst for MSNBC. In May 2018, he participated in the Munk debate on
political correctness ''Political correctness'' (adjectivally: ''politically correct''; commonly abbreviated ''PC'') is a term used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in socie ...
, arguing alongside
Michelle Goldberg Michelle Goldberg (born 1975)"Michelle Goldberg". Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit: Gale, 2016. Retrieved via Biography in Context database, January 28, 2017. is an American journalist and author, and an op-ed columnist for '' The New York Ti ...
against
Stephen Fry Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring ...
and
Jordan Peterson Jordan Bernt Peterson (born 12 June 1962) is a Canadian media personality, clinical psychologist, author, and professor emeritus at the University of Toronto. He began to receive widespread attention as a public intellectual in the late 201 ...
. In August 2018, he spoke at the funeral of
Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in '' Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Wit ...
. Dyson served on the
board of directors A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit orga ...
of the Common Ground Foundation, a project dedicated to empowering urban youth in the United States.Staff (2007)
"Biography: Dr. Michael Eric Dyson"
, Common Ground Foundation, board members.
Dyson and his third wife, Marcia L. Dyson, were regular guests and speakers at the
Aspen Institute The Aspen Institute is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1949 as the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies. The institute's stated aim is the realization of "a free, just, and equitable society" through seminars, policy programs ...
Conferences and Ideas Festival. Dyson most recently hosted a television show, ''The Raw Word''. ''The Michael Eric Dyson Show'' (2009-2011) ''The Michael Eric Dyson Show'' radio program debuted on April 6, 2009, and is broadcast from
Morgan State University Morgan State University (Morgan State or MSU) is a public historically black research university in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the largest of Maryland's historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). In 1867, the university, then known a ...
. The show's first guest was
Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', b ...
,Richard Prince (April 1, 2009)
"Oprah to Inaugurate Michael Eric Dyson Radio Show"
, Maynard Institute. Richard Prince's Journal-isms™.
to whom Dyson dedicated his book ''Can You Hear Me Now? The Inspiration, Wisdom, and Insight of Michael Eric Dyson''. The show appears to have been discontinued with its last episode being in December 2011.


Beliefs

Dyson's general philosophy is that American black people are continuing to suffer from generations of ongoing oppression. On
Fox News The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is o ...
with
Tucker Carlson Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson (born May 16, 1969) is an American television host, conservative political commentator and writer who has hosted the nightly political talk show '' Tucker Carlson Tonight'' on Fox News since 2016. Carlson began ...
, Dyson suggested that white Americans looking for ways to counter
white privilege White privilege, or white skin privilege, is the societal privilege that benefits white people over non-white people in some societies, particularly if they are otherwise under the same social, political, or economic circumstances. With root ...
could make individual efforts to contribute time and money to support local black communities.


Awards and nominations


Bibliography

*''Reflecting Black: African-American Cultural Criticism'', Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1993. *''Making Malcolm: The Myth and Meaning of Malcolm X'', New York: Oxford University Press, 1995. *''Race Rules: Navigating the Color Line'', Reading, Massachusetts: Addison Wesley, 1996. *''Between God and Gangsta Rap: Bearing Witness to Black Culture'', Oxford University Press, USA, 1997. *''I May Not Get There with You: The True Martin Luther King, Jr.'', New York: Free Press, 2000. *''Holler if You Hear Me: Searching for Tupac Shakur'', New York: Basic Civitas Books, 2002. *''Open Mike: Reflections on Philosophy, Race, Sex, Culture and Religion'', New York: Basic Civitas Books, 2002. *''Why I Love Black Women'', New York: Perseus Books Group, 2002. *''The Michael Eric Dyson Reader'', New York: Basic Civitas Books, 2004. *''Mercy, Mercy Me: The Art, Loves and Demons of Marvin Gaye'', New York: Basic Civitas Books, 2005. *''Is Bill Cosby Right? Or Has the
Black Middle Class The African-American middle class consists of African-Americans who have middle-class status within the American class structure. It is a societal level within the African-American community that primarily began to develop in the early 1960s, ...
Lost Its Mind?'', New York: Basic Civitas Books, 2005. *''Pride: The Seven Deadly Sins'', New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. *''Come Hell or High Water: Hurricane Katrina and the Color of Disaster'', New York: Perseus Books Group, 2006. *''Debating Race'', New York: Basic Civitas Books, 2007. *''Know What I Mean? Reflections on Hip Hop''. New York: Basic Civitas Books, 2007. *''April 4, 1968: Martin Luther King's Death and How it Changed America'', New York: Basic Civitas Books, 2008. *''Can You Hear Me Now? The Inspiration, Wisdom, and Insight of Michael Eric Dyson'', New York: Basic Civitas Books, 2009. *'' Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic'', New York: Basic Civitas Books, 2010 (editor, with Sohail Daulatzai). *''The Black Presidency: Barack Obama and the Politics of Race in America'', Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016. *'' Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America'', New York: St. Martin's Press, 2017. *'' What Truth Sounds Like'', New York: St. Martin's Press, 2018. *''JAY-Z: Made in America'', New York: St. Martin's Press, 2019. *''Long Time Coming: Reckoning with Race in America'', New York: St. Martin's Press, 2020. *''Entertaining Race: Performing Blackness in America'', New York: St. Martin's Press, 2021.


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dyson, Michael Eric 1958 births Living people African-American Baptist ministers African-American social scientists American social scientists African-American non-fiction writers American adoptees American biographers American political writers Carson–Newman University alumni Clergy from Detroit DePaul University faculty Georgetown University faculty American male biographers Michigan Democrats Princeton University alumni Writers from Detroit American Book Award winners MSNBC people Historians of the civil rights movement