The Reverend Michael Eric Dyson—radio host, best-selling author, and one of Ebony magazine’s “most influential” African Americans—presents “Dr. King for the 21st Century” at Elmhurst College.

Dyson is an ordained Baptist minister, host of the NPR news program “The Michael Eric Dyson Show,” and a professor of sociology at Georgetown University. In his latest book, April 4, 1968: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Death and How It Changed America, Dyson takes a fresh look at Dr. King’s legacy and the nation’s ongoing quest for racial justice.

Dyson has appeared on “The Today Show,” “Nightline,” the “O’Reilly Factor,” “The Tavis Smiley Show,” and “Real Time with Bill Maher.” He is also a contributing editor to TIME magazine.

The lecture is part of The Democracy Forum, a series of discussions and cultural events that takes place throughout the academic year as the College explores the theme of democracy and civic engagement. The lecture also is part of the Rudolf G. Schade Lecture Series, which is sponsored in part by Harris Bank.

The Democracy Forum focuses on the forces that inspire and inhibit our involvement as members of a larger community. The lectures shines a light on issues of access—to education, to information, to economic and political opportunity—and considers their impact on the promise of democracy.

Recorded Thursday, September 15, 2011 at Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel.