Michael Eric Dyson

Michael Eric Dyson is a scholar, author, ordained Baptist minister, and media personality whose work has influenced national conversations about race, culture, and politics. Dyson serves as Distinguished University Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies in the College of Arts & Science, Distinguished University Professor of Ethics and Society in the Divinity School, and NEH Centennial Chair at Vanderbilt University. He holds a Ph.D. in Religion from Princeton University and has taught at universities including Brown, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Columbia, DePaul, University of Pennsylvania, and Georgetown University.

Dyson is the author of more than 25 books, including several New York Times bestsellers such as "The Black Presidency: Barack Obama and the Politics of Race in America" and "Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America." He has written extensively on figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, 2Pac, Marvin Gaye, Bill Cosby, and Barack Obama. His book "JAY-Z: Made in America" is a New York Times bestseller recognized by Publishers Weekly and Library Journal. The Washington Post named the book one of the 50 notable works of nonfiction. Dyson's publication "Long Time Coming: Reckoning with Race in America" offers analysis of racism in America, while "Entertaining Race: Performing Blackness in America" explores Black culture, history, and performance. His works also include "Unequal: A Story of America."

Dyson has received awards for his literary contributions, including the Langston Hughes Medal and NAACP Image Awards. He has been recognized by Essence and Ebony for his influence as a public intellectual. Dyson is a contributing opinion writer at the New York Times, an MSNBC political analyst, and a contributing editor at The New Republic. He has participated in public debates, including the Munk debate on political correctness.

In addition to his academic and writing career, Dyson has been a preacher for more than 40 years, delivering sermons in prominent pulpits such as Washington National Cathedral. He is known for communicating complex ideas on race, social justice, and American history to diverse audiences and is a frequent speaker at events and conferences.