We’re digging in deep this Sunday on Melissa Harris-Perry.
First: the Tar Heels are singing the blues. An independent investigation found thousands of instances of academic fraud at the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill. According to the report, “over 3,100 students received one or more semesters of deficient instruction and were awarded high grades that often had little relationship to the quality of their work.” Nearly half, or 47.6%, of those students were athletes. Furthermore, these courses were offered by the university’s African, African Americans, and Diaspora Studies department. The Nation’s Dave Zirin will join Melissa from D.C. for a one-on-one discussion about the true benefits and consequences of being a student-athlete as well as the ever-vulnerable position of cultural studies programs.
Wright on Ebola. While many have focused their attention to Ebola in the U.S., Jeffrey Wright continues to bring awareness and aid to the humanitarian crisis in West Africa. The “Boardwalk Empire” and “Hunger Games: Catching Fire” actor will join us in #nerdland to discuss the Ebola Survival Fund and #CrushEbolaNow.
Bearing it all in Shondaland. Aisha and Danielle Moodie-Mills, from the Center for American Progress, Janet Mock, trans activist and author of "Redefining Realness,” and Jason Lynch, Contributor for The Daily Beast and Quartz, will take a closer look at the impact of Shonda Rhimes from her takedown of homophobic fans to Viola Davis’ most revealing scene yet.
All that, plus: law & order… and race. We’ll examine the latest leaks on the Ferguson Grand Jury investigation. Then, we’ll bring in Whitney Dow to discuss the provocative online series “Whiteness Project.”
And the legendary jazz musician and composer, Herbie Hancock, will sit down with Melissa to discuss his new memoir, “Possibilities.”
Be sure to read what we’ve linked above, and watch Melissa Harris-Perry Saturday at 10am ET on msnbc.
Join the conversation—share your thoughts about these stories on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #nerdland. Your tweets and comments might even appear on the show!