The talk, sponsored by the Black and Latin Student Union, in conjunction with the Levitt Center, is free and open to the public.
Dyson has been called "one of the youngest stars in the firmament of black intellectuals,"and lauded as "one of the most important voices of his generation." Dyson earned his master's and Ph.D. in religion from Princeton University. An ordained Baptist minister, Dyson is First University Professor at DePaul University. He was formerly Visiting Distinguished Professor of African American Studies at Columbia University, and director of the Institute of African-American Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Dyson is the author of the national best seller, Race Rules: Navigating the Color Line. In 1999 he published two books, What Have We Come To: Bridging the Generation Gap, and Speaking of Race (Vol. 1): Critical Theories.
His third book, Between God and Gangsta Rap: Bearing Witness to Black Culture (Oxford University Press, 1996), was named a "Best Bet" by USA Today.
Dyson's first book, Reflecting Black: African American Cultural Criticism, was the winner of the Gustavus Myers Outstanding Book on Human Rights in North American Award for 1994. His follow-up, Making Malcolm: The Myth and Meaning of Malcolm X, was named a notable book of 1994 by The New York Times Book Review and the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Dyson has written for a number of publications, including The New York Times, Washington Post , Chicago Tribune, Vibe Magazine, and Rolling Stone. His commentary on American culture has landed him on national television and radio programs, including "Oprah," "Nightline," "Good Morning America," "The Today Show," BET and "Fresh Air with Terry Gross" on NPR.
