Michael Eric Dyson to deliver keynote address at 2004 AAMC ConvocationJanuary 21, 2004
The African American Male Congress (AAMC) at Syracuse University will begin its seventh annual Talented Tenth Leadership Institute with an address from acclaimed lecturer and author Michael Eric Dyson. Dyson will speak at the annual convocation on Jan. 25 at 3 p.m. in Maxwell Auditorium. The convocation is open to the public; free tickets are available at the Schine Box Office.
“Michael Eric Dyson has reinvented scholarship,” says AAMC founder and advisor Larry P. Thomas. “He is not only known for his immeasurable contributions to the academy, but also for his intellectual contributions to hip hop. The voice and the mindset of the student leader have changed so much over the last decade that it would only make sense to have such a dynamic and empowering leader open the Institute.”
Dyson is an Avalon Professor in the Humanities at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition, he has taught at DePaul University, Chicago Theological Seminary, the University of North Carolina, Columbia and Brown universities. In his research, which focuses on race, religion, popular culture and contemporary crises facing the African-American community, he sometimes employs a new genre of scholarship, which he terms ‘bio-criticism,’ the fusion of social and cultural criticism and biographical analysis. He earned a Ph.D. in religion at Princeton University and is also an ordained Baptist minister. His appearance at SU is sponsored by the Collegiate Science & Technology Program (CSTEP), tompeters.com, The Kaleidoscope Project, and the Student Fee
A widely published author and frequent media commentator, he has written nine highly acclaimed books including the recent bestsellers “Why I Love Black Women,” “Open Mike: Reflections on Philosophy, Race, Sex, Culture and Religion,” “Holler If You Hear Me: Searching for Tupac Shakur,” as well as examinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. He writes a monthly column for Savoy magazine, is a contributing editor at Christian Century, and is a contributor for Vibe magazine. He has received awards from the National Association of Black Journalists and the NAACP.
The African American Male Congress was founded in 1998. The vision for the organization is to be the premier student organization for African American male emergent leaders. Its mission is to discuss the social, economic and political issues that affect African Americans; serve as a support system for African American men; to promote the growth and development of African American male student leaders; and to build coalitions among leaders of student organizations.
