Michael Eric Dyson

Michael Eric Dyson, one of

Ebony

magazine's 100 most influential black Americans, is the author of 14 books, including "Come Hell or High Water." Dyson teaches theology, English and African-American studies at Georgetown University.

Dubbed "the hip-hop intellectual" by critics and fans for his pioneering explorations of rap music, Dyson probes the most compelling and controversial dimensions of hip-hop culture in his book "Know What I Mean?" It examines the creative expression of degraded youth that has attracted global exposure; the vexed gender relations that have made rap music a lightning rod for pundits; the commercial explosion that has made an art form a victim of its success; the political elements that have been submerged in the most popular form of hip-hop; and the intellectual engagement with some of hip-hop's most influential figures.

Dyson will moderate Saturday's men's forum.