Michael Eric Dyson Interview: Chicago's Impact on Obama's Political Journey

Michael Eric Dyson examines the history of race, economics, and politics in Chicago from the Civil Rights Movement on, and discusses Barack Obama’s 2003 Senate election, 2004 DNC Speech, 2008 presidential election, and meeting with Obama in the White House.
Michael Eric Dyson is a globally renowned scholar of race, religion, and contemporary culture, and as of 2021, joined the Vanderbilt faculty as Centennial Chair and University Distinguished Professor of African American and Diaspora in the College of Arts as Sciences and University Distinguished Professor of Ethics and Society in the Divinity School. An ordained minister for over 30 years, Dyson is also a prominent political commentator across several national media outlets, a contributing opinion writer at The New York Times, and serves as contributing editor at The New Republic and The Undefeated, a website from ESPN. In addition, he has authored 17 books, including The Black Presidency: Barack Obama and the Politics of Race in America (2016), and has won two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Literary Work in Non-Fiction as well as the American Book Award. He has been celebrated as one of the nation’s most visible public intellectuals, named by Essence as one of the 40 most inspiring African Americans and by Ebony as among the 100 most influential black Americans. Dyson met President Obama for the first time in the early 1990s on a black history panel at Hamburg University, and both were members of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. Once a vocal supporter of Obama, Dyson grew slightly disillusioned with what he described as the president’s “timid” response to racial politics while in office.
From the 2021 three-part HBO documentary series Obama: In Pursuit Of A More Perfect Union. The personal and political journey of President Barack Obama is explored that weaves together conversations with colleagues, friends, and critics, alongside his own speeches and interviews.
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Michael Eric Dyson, Author and Professor
Interviewed By: Peter Kunhardt
Interview Date: September 20, 2019
© Home Box Office and Kunhardt Film Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
#MichaelEricDyson #kunhardtfilmfoundation

[@dr.debbiewilliams4263]

I was shown some real estate in Chicago online. I'm a decade younger than you, but remember you encouraging me when I was sitting on a bench reading (when my eldest son was a baby) at U of Penn. I delivered speeches also as a child, and was on Visions with Vernon Odom as a little girl. I was also a part of KYW's News Studies Program. KYW News Radio 1060. I listened to KYW every day.

[@katelanm.5674]

Dr. Michael Dyson is a great teacher ! I do wish to note that his perspective on Obama in this interview differs from his perspective of him in 2010 at the State of the Black Union with Tavis Smiley

[@SirTinManRnR]

No tangibles, No vote!! ✊🏾🇺🇲👑 #B1st

[@firpomaan5544]

Please don't put your name between great people like Obama or Dr Martin Luther King both of them stood for 1 thing which is equality and bringing people together. I wouldn't even put Obama in the same sentence as MLK his greatness is unparalleled.

[@jeromedanielson4422]

I agree, Cornel West ( IN PURSUIT OF A MORE PERFECT UNION) speaks about his disappointment with Obama, calling him spineless and lacking real courage, these descriptions could never be prescribed to MLK.

[@pickettthomas3712]

This expose of Dr. Michael Dyson should be made a part of the American Historical Legend. To know the history of American is to know what future may lie ahead for the people of America. It should be taught in most American Educational Institutions.

[@firpomaan5544]

I agree but I don't want a watered down version of it or manipulated history lessons. The problem with Dyson he is all for divide and always pushing Black vs white narrative. He doesn't want to move on from it.

[@isaacalexander5286]

Mean mad black man

[@JamesDavid-yt4ec]

Really ? He doesn't seem centrist at all from this perspective.

[@sandrasassman-qw4hb]

He's explaining Apartheid nobody wants to say it outloud

[@VictoriaHeal-rq2vl]

I feel the time is upon us. By the way, Nikki Giovanni was in the curriculum in 1980 at Community College. What world do y’all live in that black authors and poets weren’t included? I was alive in the 1970’s - as young people we all felt free’er - didn’t you?

[@VictoriaHeal-rq2vl]

I feel like the idea was to force us to fight prior generations battles - we wanted to fight our generations battles. Nothing against Toni Morrison.

[@VictoriaHeal-rq2vl]

Ike should have deployed the National Guard in the 1950’s

[@VictoriaHeal-rq2vl]

Jesse was doomed because Carter was so disastrous.

[@VictoriaHeal-rq2vl]

Obama benefitted because many white people desperately want y’all to succeed. It’s just true that Asians have been left to wall flower themselves to success because Dim Dems have nothing riding on Asians having beef with America.

[@VictoriaHeal-rq2vl]

“You’re likable enough Hillary” was vewy Jewy.

[@HeywardSanders-dy8vi]

People have been saying the same bullshit since King, and Malcolm times, that nothing changed, but a lot of stupid ass minds.

[@claudejackson1555]

You can lead a horse to water,but you can't make it drink and talks like these have been going on long before King and Malcolm were born.

[@amgirl4286]

Race Hustle

[@thomasmoss9957]

@

[@nigelwoodley3656]

MR DYSON IS A “RACE HUSTLER”, AS MR THOMAS SOWELL WOULD SAY… HAVE A NICE DAY…

[@DDD-yr5os]

I saw Dyson debate with Jordan Peterson. Didn't know of the man. But after hearing him speak, he sounds like an angry racist.

[@claudejackson1555]

@@DDD-yr5os racist promotes violence, what is it about what he is saying that bothers you so much, sounds like he is chronicling resent history as it happened.

[@claudejackson1555]

What is a race hustler?

[@thekingofthings2002]

@@DDD-yr5os Yes, Dyson is a very, very angry racist. I agree.

[@socialmediaaccount404]

@@claudejackson1555 Racism doesn't have to promote violence. It can just mean you don't like an other race. Or maybe you like them just fine but you believe they can't feel pain in the way your race does. That would be racist too. Dyson hates white people because he believes they are superior and he doesn't respect black people because he believes they don't measure up. Any other race doesn't matter or really exist in his mind. He is an extremely disturbed man, could probably say he is insane. A fascinating character to be sure but not someone you should take seriously.