This Saturday in #nerdland: America’s forgotten war, policing and a rise in violent crime, and a look at sneaker culture and one basketball star’s challenge.
Tomorrow morning we talk about the investigation requested by the Doctors Without Borders organization into the recent U.S. airstrike which devastated a trauma hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan. It was a reminder that America’s longest war – is still going. We’ll take a closer look at why we often forget that.
Violent crime has been increasing in some cities. This week top law enforcement officials gathered at a summit to discuss the issue. According to the Washington Post , much of the conversation focused on social media and the theory that officers have stopped policing as aggressively as they used to because of fears of being caught on a potentially damaging viral video.
Melissa will talk to Tracie Keesee, Co-Founder and Director of the Center for Policing Equity.
Then we’ll take a look into the history of the multi-billion dollar sneaker industry and why basketball star Stephon Marbury is calling out Michael Jordan over his iconic shoe.
All that plus an interview with Amber Rose.
Joining our Saturday morning conversation will be:
- Brittney Cooper, Assistant Professor of Africana Studies, Rutgers University
- Martin Fletcher, Author, “The War Reporter”, veteran foreign affairs correspondent
- Jason Cone, U.S. Executive Director of Doctors Without Borders
- Tracie Keesee, Co- Founder And Director Of Research Partnerships, Center for Policing Equity
- Karen DeSoto, Defense Attorney
- Emily Nagoski, Author, “Come As You Are”
- Mychal Denzel Smith, Contributing Writer, TheNation.com
- Bobbito Garcia, Author, “Where’d You Get Those? New York City’s Sneaker Culture: 1960-1987”
To prep for our discussions, feel free to check out:
- Americans and Their Military, Drifting Apart
- ‘YouTube effect’ has left police officers under siege
- Amber Rose’s SlutWalk sparks debate
- Sneaker wars: How basketball shoes became a billion-dollar business
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 issues on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #nerdland.
Mohamed Hassan