On Thursday, March 9, dozens of students gathered to hear the words of scholar, best selling author, and cultural critic, Michael Eric Dyson in the Memorial Student Center Auditorium for a lecture. After being introduced by Dr. James Jones, Dyson discussed his perspectives regarding Bill Cosby, the Hurricane Katrina Tragedy, and Hip-Hop icons. The student body then participated in a question/answer session challenging Dyson’s idealisms about cultural and economic issues while others complimented him on his intellect and awareness of hip-hop culture.Following the seminar a book signing and reception took place in the Memorial Student Center ballroom where Dyson greeted students and signed autographs. He then featured his other books such as, Holler If You Hear Me: Searching for Tupac Shakur; Why I Love Black Women; I May Not Get There With You: The True Martin Luther King, Jr.; Race Rules: Navigating the Color Line; Between God and Gangsta Rap; Making Malcolm: The Myth and Meaning of Malcolm X; and Reflecting Black Dyson’s latest book, ” Is Bill Cosby Right Or Has The Black Middle Class Lost It’s Mind” which addressed Bill Cosby’s speech regarding the underprivileged black community during his 2004 NAACP speech was featured along with his other books. Senior criminal justice major Cheleatha Lott says. ” I bought the Bill Cosby book and overall I was glad that he explained his views about Cosby and why he perceived that particular speech the way he did. I personally think that he is such a wonderful cultural and political figure because he can relate to youth through hip-hop and intellect.”
Currently Michael Eric Dyson is the Avalon Foundation Professor in the Humanities at the University of Pennsylvania and lives in Philadelphia.