A. Scott Bullitt Lecture in American History presents Michael Eric Dyson

The Seattle Public Library - Author Readings and Library Events

Dr. Michael Eric Dyson will present a talk titled "Martin Luther King Jr and (African) American Leadership in the 21st Century." Dr. Dyson, an American Book Award recipient, and two-time NAACP Image Award winner is one of the nation's most influential and renowned public intellectuals. He has been named one of the 150 most powerful African Americans by Ebony magazine. The Philadelphia Weekly contends that Dr. Dyson "is reshaping what it means to be a public intellectual by becoming the most visible black academic of his time." Dr. Dyson's pioneering scholarship has had a profound effect on American ideas. His first book, Reflecting Black: African American Cultural Criticism, helped establish the field of black American cultural studies. Dr. Dyson's first book on Martin Luther King, "I May Not Get There with You: The True Martin Luther King, Jr. (2000)," made a significant contribution to King scholarship by recovering the radical legacy of the slain civil rights leader. His book, The New York Times best-selling April 4, "Martin Luther King Jr.'s Death and How It Changed America (1968)," has been hailed by The Washington Post as "an excellent sociological primer on institutionalized racism in America." Dr. Dyson is a Georgetown University sociology professor, a New York Times contributing opinion writer, and a contributing editor of "The New Republic," and of ESPN's "The Undefeated" website. He is also a contributing editor of Time magazine. In addition, he hosts an hour-long news and talk program on NPR, "The Michael Eric Dyson Show," where he delivers thoughtful analysis of today's biggest stories from pop culture to race relations. The A. Scott Bullitt Lecture in American History is made possible by a generous gift from the late Priscilla Bullitt Collins in honor of her father, A. Scott Bullitt. This event is supported by The Seattle Public Library Foundation and media sponsor The Seattle Times and presented in partnership with Elliott Bay Book Company. Books will be available for purchase and signing.