In observance of Martin Luther King Day at Rider University, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson will speak on the topic of “Race Rules: Navigating the Color Line” on Thursday, January 31, 2008 at 7 p.m. in the Bart Luedeke Center (BLC) Theater.  His speech, based on his 1997 book with the same title, will discuss the pernicious influence of racial thinking across the broad canvas of American social and cultural life, from the disjunction between how whites and blacks view the world, to the way perceptions of black masculinity thwart black leadership, to the politics of nostalgia that keeps us looking to an imaginary past rather than creating a positive future. Through painful examples drawn from within the black community - sexual conflict in the black church, the myth of the “head Negro,” relations between black men and women - he depicts our ongoing failure to break free of the rule of race. “In a color-blind society, we can only see black and white,” warns Dyson as he argues for color consciousness informed by history and shaped by hope. The keynote presentation is being sponsored by the Black Student Union, the Equal Opportunity Program, the Center for Multicultural Affairs and Community Service, the Office of Campus Life, the Student Activities Fee, and the University Lecture Series.  The event is free and open to the public.

Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, named by Essence magazine as one of the 40 most inspiring African-Americans – and by Ebony magazine as one of the 100 most influential black Americans – is one of the nation’s most renowned public intellectuals. The Philadelphia Weekly contends that Dyson “is reshaping what it means to be a public intellectual by becoming the most visible black academic of his time.” When one hears Dyson’s name, one thinks of the many hats he wears: prolific author, scholar, public intellectual, ordained minister, media commentator and radio talk show host.

Dyson is presently university professor at Georgetown University where he teaches theology, English and African-American studies. His legendary rise – from welfare father to Princeton Ph.D., from church pastor to college professor, from a factory worker who didn’t start college until he was 21 to a figure who has become what writer Naomi Wolf terms “the ideal public intellectual of our time” – may help explain why author Nathan McCall simply calls Dyson “a street fighter in suit and tie.”

“Red, Black and Green - What Does it Mean?” is the theme of the University’s month-long tribute to Black History Month.  Programming will feature conferences, various entertainment venues, and a closing ceremony.  Designed to promote awareness of African-American history and culture, all events have been scheduled to accommodate the students’ arrival for the spring term.

Other events during the month include: Black Student Union (BSU) Chill Night featuring DJ, food, fun and games on Friday, February 1 at 9 p.m. in the BLC Fireside Lounge; “Celebration of Black Love” featuring Hasani Pettiford on Friday, February 15 at 8 p.m. in the BLC Fireside Lounge, “Introducing On Fire! Spoken Word and Poetry Night” on Tuesday, February 19 at 8 p.m. in the BLC Fireside Lounge, and “BSU Color of Music” on Wednesday, February 27 at 8 p.m. in the BLC Theater.  Black History Month concludes with “Gospel Fest 2008” on Sunday, March 2 at 4:30 p.m. in the BLC Theater with a soul food dinner to follow in the BLC Cavalla Room.