IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

The Syllabus: What you need to know for the August 18 'MHP'

The violent clashes between the Muslim Brotherhood and the Egyptian military continue into its fourth day, leaving more than 800 dead. Among the reported
Mideast Egypt
AP Photo/Hussein Tallal

The violent clashes between the Muslim Brotherhood and the Egyptian military continue into its fourth day, leaving more than 800 dead. Among the reported fatalities is Ammar Badie, the son of Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed Badie. According to the party’s website, Badie was shot in Cairo’s Ramses Square on Friday and died near the al-Fateh mosque where protesters had barricaded themselves. On Sunday’s show, guest host Joy Reid will bring you the latest on the crisis in Egypt as well as a discussion on the global history of protest as a vital tool in the democratic process.

Then—a little something on the Whig Party we just thought you should know.

Up next, a look at the GOP meeting this week in Boston. As the Republican Party continues to reorganize, rebuild, and reshape, we’re left asking, is this a party on the brink of extinction? It seems like the GOP might be suffering from an identity crisis with leaders at the state level pulling the party in increasingly extreme directions.

According to Reince Priebus, the RNC is undergoing a re-branding but are they headed for the same fate as their 19th-century predecessor? On Sunday’s Melissa Harris-Perry, Joy will take a look at the major Republican power players and the steps they are taking in their states to mold the “new” GOP.

The performance this week of a rodeo clown in a President Obama mask at the Missouri State Fair brought yet another reminder of how sensitive the discussion of race  is in this country. Right wing reaction to the clown is just the latest in a string of efforts to become the arbiters of how to talk about race. Their new thesis seems to indicate that if you see racism as a social reality in need of race based solutions then you are the racist. “Race Talk” this week will explore everything from semantics, to Oprah, to policy.

Watch Melissa Harris-Perry Sunday at 10 a.m. EST on MSNBC. Also, don’t forget to join us on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #nerdland.