INDIANAPOLIS — The YMCA of Greater Indianapolis will host the first event of its 2023 Monster Meeting Lecture Series, which focuses on racial healing in Indianapolis and beyond, on April 23 at 3:30 p.m. at the OrthoIndy Foundation YMCA with speaker Dr. Michael Eric Dyson.
Known for his insightful commentary on race, social justice and culture, Dr. Dyson is a professor, author and media personality. He has taught at such prestigious universities as Princeton, Brown, Georgetown, and is now a Distinguished Professor at Vanderbilt. Author of more than 25 books — including seven New York Times best sellers — he has the Langston Hughes Medal, American Book Award, two NAACP Image Awards and more. A Detroit native, he’s also an ordained Baptist minister.
Founded in 1904 by the historic Senate Avenue YMCA, Monster Meetings took place on Sunday afternoons between November and March for men (and later women) to listen to lectures on a variety of topics. The meetings played a central role in not only educating members about topics of local, national, and international importance, but also in galvanizing the community into action. Other speakers included Olympian Jesse Owens, American surgeon Dr. Charles Drew, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable Thurgood Marshall.
The series dissolved in the late 60s, and the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis revived it in 2021.
OrthoIndy Foundation YMCA is located at 5315 Lafayette Rd. The lecture will also be available online. RSVP online at monstermeetings.org
