Fostering a Diverse and Healthy Democracy in a Period of Polarization

Michael Eric Dyson and John McWhorter, prominent authors and thought leaders who express divergent views regarding free speech surrounding race and the portrayal of racial identity, will explore the health and future of democracy in a conversation moderated by Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Gretchen Ritter.

Dyson is the Distinguished University Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies in the College of Arts and Science and Distinguished University Professor of Ethics and Society at the Divinity School at Vanderbilt. McWhorter teaches courses in linguistics, Western civilization and music history at Columbia University, specializing in language change and language contact.