Michael Eric Dyson
Michael Eric Dyson, American Book Award recipient and two-time NAACP Image Award winner, will be the keynote speaker on Friday, March 2, at the 20th Annual Soul Food Celebration, sponsored by Milwaukee Area Technical College’s Black Student Union and Office of Student Life.
Part of MATC’s Black History Month celebration, Dyson will present “Embrace the Spirit of Your Ancestors, for Their Spirits Cannot Survive Your Silence.” A reception begins at 5:30 p.m. and the program/ dinner starts at 6 p.m. at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, 929 N. Water St. Tickets are $50, and proceeds benefit MATC’s Black Student Union.
Advance tickets for the dinner will be available in Room M322 in the Main Building and in Rooms S303 and S123 (Cashier’s Office) in the Student Center at the Downtown Milwaukee Campus, 700 W. State St. Tickets are also available at the cashier’s offices at the Mequon, Oak Creek and West Allis campuses. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door. For more information, call (414) 297-7373.
Ebony magazine named Dyson one of the 150 most powerful black Americans in 2008. He hosts his own radio show called “The Michael Eric Dyson Show,” which airs in eight U.S. markets, and is a professor of sociology at Georgetown University. Dyson has published 17 books on a range of subjects, including cultural criticism, race theory, religion, philosophical reflection and gender studies. His most recent books are New York Times bestseller April 4, 1968: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Death and How It Changed America and Can You Hear Me Now?: The Inspiration, Wisdom and Insight of Michael Eric Dyson.