Internationally known scholar of race, religion and contemporary culture, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, will lead off Grand Rapids Community College’s (GRCC) 2021 Diversity Lecture Series on Wednesday.
The virtual event starts at 6pm, and will be hosted by GRCC’s Office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion. Registration can be found, here.
Dyson is a Detroit native and authors more than 20 books, his most recent titled “Long Time Coming: Reckoning with Race in America.” He will speak on the topic “Pandemic, postelection blues and culture: Where do we go from here?”
In response to Dyson signing onto the series, Dr. B Afeni McNeely Cobham, GRCC’s Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer said, “Dr. Dyson is a preeminent scholar, author, and thought leader. What makes him compelling is his ability to connect the world of academia, which can be intimidating, to broader, intergenerational audiences...It is fitting that the Diversity Lecture Series, which has a long-standing record of hosting influential guests, is the medium through which GRCC and the Grand Rapids community can come together.”
Dyson is a Georgetown University sociology professor and a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times. He has won NAACP Image Awards for outstanding non-fiction literary work, an American Book Award and a Southern Book Prize.
The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is partnering with the community organization Mus(ed), to present Dyson with the Ujima Impact Award at the event. The award recognizes extraordinary commitment and contribution to research, scholarship, artistic expression, and service that uplifts the experiences of communities of color.
