Background

Michael Eric Dyson was born on October 23, 1958 in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Son of Addie Mae Leonard. He was adopted by his stepfather Everett Dyson.

Education

Michael attended Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, on an academic scholarship but left and completed his education at Northwestern High School. He entered Knoxville College as a freshman at the age of 21. Dyson received his bachelor's degree, magna cum laude, from Carson-Newman College in 1985. He obtained his master's and Ph.D in religion from Princeton University in 1991 and 1993 respectively.

Career

Dyson ministered various Baptist churches. He has taught at Chicago Theological Seminary (instructor to assistant professor, 1989-1992), Brown University (assistant professor, 1993-1995), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (assistant professor, 1995-1997), Columbia University (visiting distinguished professor, 1997-1999), DePaul University (visiting distinguished professor, 1999-2002), and the University of Pennsylvania (professor of humanities, Department Religious Studies, 2002-2007). Since 2007, he has been a Professor of Sociology at Georgetown University. In 2010 Dyson edited "Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic". Dyson hosted a radio show, which aired on Radio One (now Urban One) from January 2006 to February 2007. He was also a commentator on National Public Radio 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.

Achievements

• Dyson has authored or edited 18 books dealing with subjects such as Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., Marvin Gaye, Nas's debut album Illmatic, Bill Cosby, Tupac Shakur, and Hurricane Katrina. The Michael Eric Dyson Show radio program debuted on April 6, 2009, and is broadcast from Morgan State University. The show's first guest was Oprah Winfrey, to whom Dyson dedicated his book "Can You Hear Me Now?: The Inspiration, Wisdom, and Insight of Michael Eric Dyson". He was also received National Magazine award from National Association Black Journalists in 1992, NAACP Image Awards in 2004 and 2006, and American Book Award in 2007. He was named Most Influential Black Americans by Ebony magazine in 2006.

Works

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• book

  • Reflecting Black: African-American Cultural Criticism (American Culture)
  • Making Malcolm: The Myth and Meaning of Malcolm X
  • Between God and Gangsta Rap: Bearing Witness to Black Culture
  • Holler If You Hear Me: Searching For Tupac Shakur
  • Open Mike: Reflections on Philosophy, Race, Sex, Culture and Religion: Reflections on Racial Identities, Popular Cultures and Freedom Struggles
  • Why I Love Black Women
  • Pride: The Seven Deadly Sins (New York Public Library Lectures in Humanities)
  • Come Hell or High Water: Hurricane Katrina and the Color of Disaster
  • Race Rules: Navigating the Color Line
  • Tears We Cannot Stop
  • The Black Presidency
  • Mercy, Mercy Me: The Art, Loves and Demons of Marvin Gaye
  • Know What I Mean?: Reflections on Hip-Hop
  • I May Not Get There with You: The True Martin Luther King
  • Debating Race
  • April 4, 1968: Martin Luther King Jr's Death and How it Changed America
  • Is Bill Cosby Right?: Or Has the Black Middle Class Lost Its Mind?
  • Can You Hear Me Now?: The Inspiration, Wisdom, and Insight of Michael Eric Dyson

Religion

In modern culture the ability to make decisions and choose the right path in life has extremely high value. But through the faith believers voluntarily surrender to God in love and joy.

Politics

Dyson is an adherent to the Democratic P|arty. He also believes that "Christians should seek to apply their spiritual and moral values to the political process rather than politicize the church".

Views

Quotations: "The strongest feature of Baptism is that ordinary people play a major role in the running of the Church".

Membership

Michael has been a member of the Democratic Socialist Society of America.

Personality

Quotes from others about the person

• Patricia Hill Collins: "Dyson manages to merge sophisticated theoretical analysis with a comprehensible and plausible interpretation of contemporary black culture”.

Connections

Dyson married Theresa Taylor in 1977, but the couple divorced in 1979. Thereafter he married Brenda Joyce in 1982, but their marriage broke up in 1992. His third wife was Marcia Louise. They married in 1992, but now are separated. His children are Michael and Maisha.

Mother:

Addie Mae Leonard

child:

Michael Dyson

child:

Maisha Dyson

Third wife:

Marcia Louise Dyson

stepfather:

Everett Dyson

First wife:

Theresa Taylor

Second wife:

Brenda Joyce