‘MHP’ Syllabus: 12.13.15

This Sunday in #nerdland: The Holtzclaw verdict, Chicago uproar, Justice Scalia’s remarks, Trump and the GOP establishment, and Star Wars.

This morning, MHP will talk about the recent guilty verdict reached in the Daniel Holtzclaw rape case and what this case tells us about the vulnerability of poor women of color.

Next we’ll touch on the DOJ’s investigation into the Chicago police department. Among cities like Ferguson and Baltimore, Chicago still stands out when you look at patterns and practices in its police department. Does changing the leadership, change what is happening? Can Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel hang on amid the cries for his resignation?

This week the Supreme Court began hearing oral arguments in Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin which challenges the university’s consideration of race in the admissions process. Justice Antonin Scalia made disparaging comments about the practicality of allowing minorities in advanced academic institutions. Although the validity of affirmative action remains debatable, Scalia’s reasoning has drawn intense criticism. Melissa will discuss the merits and disadvantages of affirmative action with her panel.

Plus, the Republican establishment’s response to the rise of Donald Trump. We’ll discuss the potential for a historic ‘brokered’ convention if none of their presidential candidates can secure a majority of the votes needed from the upcoming primaries. We’ll have new NBC NEWS/WSJ 2016 poll numbers to share.

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These aren’t the droids you’re looking for…but this is the conversation you’ve been waiting to hear. Melissa talks race and gender in “Star Wars.”

Joining our Sunday morning conversation will be:

• Dorian Warren, Fellow, the Roosevelt Institute, MSNBC Contributor, Host, “Nerding Out” MSNBC Shift
• Susan Del Percio, Republican Strategist
• Joy Reid, MSNBC National Correspondent, Author, “Fracture”
• Katon Dawson, National Republican Consultant
• Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, Chicago Alderman 35th Ward
• Rick Pearson, Political Reporter, Chicago Tribune
• Christopher Borick, Director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion
• Kenji Yoshino, Author, “Speak Now: Marriage Equality on Trial”, Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law, NYU School of Law
• Roger Clegg, President and General Counsel, The Center for Equal Opportunity (REMOTE)
• Amaney Jamal, Politics Professor, Princeton University
• Charles Camosy, Associate Professor of Theological and Social Ethics, Fordham
• Glynnis MacNicol, Writer, Co-Founder of TheLi.st
• Wesley Morris, New York Times, Critic at Large
• Salamishah Tillet, Associate Professor of English and Africana Studies, University of Pennsylvania, Author, “Sites of Slavery”

To prep for our discussions, feel free to check out:

• Daniel Holtzclaw: former Oklahoma City police officer guilty of rape
• Historic probe of Chicago police expected to be long and costly
• Justice Scalia Under Fire For Comments About Black Students
• ‘#StayMadAbby’: African American graduates respond to Supreme Court affirmative action case with humor, pride
• Carson Appears to Threaten Republican Establishment as Campaign Falters
• Trump plan pushes Muslim Republicans toward exit

Be sure to read what we’ve linked above, and watch Melissa Harris-Perry Sunday at 10am ET on MSNBC. Join the conversation—share your thoughts about these issues on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #nerdland.