THIS:
Unfortunately, Tyson has become the unofficial Mr. Science. He's even often referred to by media types as “The Smartest Man In America”. He's not, of course...not by a long-shot.
As a grad student in New York studying a related field, I became quite familiar with Tyson. To understand how he rose to prominence, you need to know of the Hayden Planetarium. Being the administrator of the Hayden is more like being a school principal or college administrator. But, the Planetarium isn't important for its science...it's important because that's where all the galas are. Fancy political shindig for Mayor Bloomberg with all the uptown swells? Have it at the Hayden. Clinton Global initiative fundraiser shuttling the diplomatically immune to and from Turtle Bay? Have it at the Hayden. Mark Zuckerberg is launching a new line of smart-hoodies and needs the titans of hip-hop to shill for him? Have it at the Hayden. And since he administrates the Hayden, Tyson was always on hand...hobnobbing, offering bon mots of science to people who understand nothing about physics.
And yes, the fact that he was black was a major plus. If you've ever been to a scientific conference you will quickly note that the diversity of the attendees makes the Obama campaign team look positively ethnic in comparison. There's just not a lot of American blacks in the physical sciences.