ALA
Michael Eric Dyson opens the conference on a high note as part of the conference's Opening General Session, where the ALA President and others welcome you to ALA Annual Conference and set the stage for the coming days.
Named by Essence magazine as one of the 50 most inspiring African Americans in the U.S., Dyson was recommended by the ALA Task Force on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion to open the 2016 ALA Annual Conference because he provides some of the most significant commentary on contemporary social and intellectual thought, interwoven with cultural criticism, race theory, religion, philosophical reflection and gender studies. Taking on tough and controversial issues, Dyson—one of the nation's most renowned public intellectuals—is the author of 17 books including the American Book Award-winning Come Hell or High Water: Hurricane Katrina and the Color of Disaster, a New York Times op-ed contributor, an MSNBC political analyst, and former host of NPR’s The Michael Eric Dyson Show. His most recent book, The Black Presidency: Barack Obama and the Politics of Race in America, is provoking wide and engaged discussion.
Dyson, a Georgetown University professor, bridges gaps between generations, connecting civil rights identity to hip-hop culture, and forging links between older and younger Americans, especially black Americans. As a cutting-edge historian, he reaches beyond race, addressing the universal commonality of American concern. Other recent topics have included racial profiling and its impact on black America, and Dr. King for the 21st Century.
Sponsored by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Sponsors: ALA
Co-Sponso: ALA
Cost: Included with full conference registration.
