Livingstone adds Michael Eric Dyson as scholar-in-residence

LIVINGSTONE COLLEGE

Cultural critic and author Michael Eric Dyson is a visiting scholar-in-residence at Livingstone College, where he’ll give a series of lectures and student engagement.

SALISBURY — Livingstone College has added one of the nation’s most recognizable public intellectuals to its campus community.

Author, scholar, activist and cultural critic Michael Eric Dyson has joined the faculty as a visiting scholar in residence, launching a four-part residency designed to place some of the most consequential conversations shaping Black America at the center of the collegiate experience.

Through a series of lectures, student engagement opportunities and academic experiences, Dyson will bring together urban education, faith, hip-hop, politics, culture and democracy where students are challenged to examine not only the world around them, but their responsibility to shape it.

Dyson’s residency started on Sept.18.

“I am honored to spend quality time with some of the smartest students at one of our nation’s most distinguished HBCUs as we explore important issues and ideas that will shape the future of our nation,” Dyson said.

His inaugural lecture, “Represent: The Unfinished Fight” explores Black excellence, the enduring importance of HBCUs and the transformative power of an educated mind.

The moment will carry added significance as Livingstone welcomes one of the largest and most academically competitive incoming classes in its history. The convocation included Livingstone’s first-Year pinning ceremony, which formally welcomes nearly 500 first-year and new students to the campus of approximately 1,300.

The academic profile of Livingstone’s student body reflects the college’s growing momentum. More than 40% of students have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, and approximately 450 students earned recognition as Presidential Scholars with a 3.7 grade point average.

“Having Dr. Michael Eric Dyson as a visiting scholar in residence speaks directly to my vision for Livingstone College as a relevant, regarded and respected HBCU, where we are developing and deploying change agents who are thoroughly immersed in civic engagement, cultural content and environmental justice,” Livingstone President Anthony Davis said.

Dyson has built a career translating complex questions of race, politics, faith and identity for broad audiences. His acclaimed body of work includes “Jay-Z: Made in America,” featuring a foreword by Pharrell Williams, and “Represent: The Unfinished Fight for the Vote.”

Dyson’s residency will continue with sessions examining faith and leadership, hip-hop and cultural identity, and race and democracy, positioning Livingstone as a gathering place for rigorous scholarship and conversation about the forces shaping life in America.

The residency will be housed within Livingstone’s Political Science Division and will also establish the Dyson Fellows, a selected cohort of 10-20 students who will engage directly with themes from the residency through research, scholarship and capstone projects.

Comments