On Sunday in #nerdland, the politics of war, the history of civil disobedience, and this fall’s TV landscape, now in color.
At the top of the show: The midterms are around the corner and the United States is launching airstrikes in Iraq and Syria. How do operations against ISIS figure into the political landscape as campaigns sprint to November 4th?
On Saturday’s show, host Melissa Harris-Perry’s letter was addressed to Jefferson County, Colorado School Board member Julie Williams, in response to her push for an AP History curriculum that downplays “social strife” and emphasizes “respect for authority.” Sunday’s show will delve in further, with a look at the students protesting the proposed changes.
Two videos released this week have people talking about policing in America. The first from Beavercreek, Ohio shows the August 5th shooting death of John Crawford III while he was holding a pellet gun in a Wal-Mart store, and comes on the heels of a grand jury decision not to press charges against the officers involved. The second video comes from a September 4th incident in South Carolina. State Trooper Sean M. Groubert fired on Levar Edward Jones during a seatbelt stop as Jones reached for his license. We will discuss the role of video evidence in shaping public reaction to questionable use of police force.
Then, Michael Che makes his “Weekend Update” debut on SNL and some of the most hotly anticipated shows in the TV fall lineup make their debut. How are they commenting on issues like race, gender, and domestic violence? We have Alicia Quarles and Jason Lynch on our panel to discuss.
It’s been 20 years since Nas’ debut album “Illmatic” was released, and ultimately went on to become one of the most influential Hip-Hop albums of all time. We have producers Erik Parker and One9 to discuss their film Time is Illmatic, chronicling Nas’ evolution “from a young street poet to a visionary MC.”
Lastly, Clarence Page has been at the forefront of writing about race, politics and social change for over 30 years. The Pulitzer winning and nationally syndicated columnist joins us for a discussion on his new book, Culture Worrier: Selected Columns 1984–2014.
Be sure to read what we’ve linked above, and watch Melissa Harris-Perry Sunday at 10am ET on MSNBC! And don’t forget to tell us what story is most important to you and why on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #nerdland.
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