Sexual assault on college campuses is not a new phenomenon, but in recent months the issue has been brought into public discourse by several cases. This Sunday on Melissa Harris-Perry, we’ll discuss the sexual assault allegations made against Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston – allegations that Winston denies. We’ll look at his claim that “The only thing as vicious as rape is falsely accusing someone of rape.” We’ll also revisit the Rolling Stone article that garnered international attention for its graphic and heartbreaking detail of sexual assault accounts at the University of Virginia. Rolling Stone has backed away from the story stating, “In the face of new information, there now appear to be discrepancies in Jackie’s account, and we have come to the conclusion that our trust in her was misplaced.” The magazine has come under fire for a lack of journalistic due diligence and for throwing the article’s source under the bus. Our guests will discuss these incidents and the impact of public rollbacks of sexual assault accusations on survivors speaking out in the future. We will be joined by:
• Dave Zirin: Sports Editor at The Nation Magazine
• Chloe Angyal: Senior columnist at Feministing.com
• Jonathan Metzl: Director of Center for Medicine, Health & Society at Vanderbilt University and professor of psychiatry
• Lisa Litt: Clinical psychologist, co-author of Trauma Services for Women in Substance Abuse Treatment, and former director of the Women’s Health Project Treatment and Research Center.
That, plus, the Cosby controversies continue. Our panelists will discuss the newest allegations. We’ll also have a one-on-one interview with Tony Hogue, who says he rescued his friend from Cosby’s apartment in 1984.
Then we will talk to National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson about her memoir Brown Girl Dreaming, a collection The New York Times called “full of poems that cry out to be learned by heart.”
In the second hour, it’s race talk. From Chris Rock and Charles Barkley to John Stewart and Bill O’Reilly– everyone is talking about race. We’ll continue the conversation with an in-depth look at the numbers. How do economic, social, and health-related numbers connect to the centuries-old legacy of racism in this country? And what are the ways in which having a black president makes these conversations harder, not easier.
Finally, we will turn to a discussion on faith and healing. Reverends Jacqui Lewis and Serene Jones both join us to talk about the pain, distrust and racial animosity being felt all over the country—and the role of faith in helping us to heal, connect, and affect change.
Be sure to tune in for Melissa Harris-Perry Sunday at 10am ET on msnbc! And don’t forget to let us know what you thing on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #nerdland.
Victoria Asbury
Jamiles Lartey