Michael Eric Dyson

Michael Eric Dyson (born October 23, 1958) is an American academic, author, ordained minister, and radio host. He is a professor at Vanderbilt University and has authored or edited over twenty books on various subjects including Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Marvin Gaye, Barack Obama, Nas's debut album Illmatic, Bill Cosby, Tupac Shakur, and Hurricane Katrina. Dyson was born in Detroit, Michigan and was adopted by his stepfather. He attended Cranbrook School and completed his education at Northwestern High School. Dyson became an ordained Baptist minister at the age of nineteen and worked in factories in Detroit to support his family.