The 30th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration was held yesterday at 7 p.m. at the Ohio Union with Dr. Michael Eric Dyson as the featured guest speaker.
“King came out of a movement,” Dyson said. “They were working for the freedom of black people, they were students like you.”
Dyson encouraged students to do something meaningful while in school.
“Learn about chemistry, politics, culture, anthropology, and engineering,” Dyson said. “If King’s life shows us anything, it’s about the mind.”
While Dyson talked about the true significance and radical legacy of King, he also told black students that they have to challenge themselves in this culture to understand that tremendous opportunity brings tremendous responsibility.
“Let’s remember to do things for a greater purpose in mind,” Dyson said. “We should be concerned about our brothers and sisters.”
“He challenged me to go back and find out about my history and heritage,” said Lester Gates, a sophomore in psychology. “He said things in a new way that we can understand.”
Larry Williamson, director of the Frank W. Hale Jr. Black Cultural Center, and organizer of the event, also enjoyed Dyson’s speech.
“I told many of the students that he would be one of the best speakers ever heard,” said Williamson.
Dyson also discussed issues dealing with black people’s music, interracial dating, racial profiling, and the strength of black women.
Dyson is a professor at DePaul University, a minister, and an author. Recently, he completed his fourth book entitled “I May not Get there With You: The True Martin Luther King, Jr.”.
Among publishing books, Dyson has published articles for journals and magazines. He has also reviewed records and books for Rolling Stone, Christian Century, and The Nation. As one of the most sought-after speakers and commentators on contemporary issues, Dyson is now identified as a member of a group of writers and thinkers who have emerged to revive the role of the public intellectual.
