Melissa Harris-Perry at Chicago Humanities Fest
by Tracy Baim, Windy City Times 2016-11-10
This article shared 1232 times since Thu Nov 10, 2016
Political commentator, former MSNBC host and author Melissa Harris-Perry spoke in Chicago two days after the 2016 presidential election, bringing her unique brand of political expertise to an audience aching for an explanation of the results. The event was hosted by the
Chicago Humanities Festival at Northwestern University's Thorne Auditorium.
Harris-Perry did not disappoint in her deep analysis of the election results. Her focus was on slowing down the analysis and the search for solutions, not being focused on "speed." She said this was the "change election" that she predicted, and that the "shock" so many people felt on Tuesday was not was not echoed in many families of color.
Some people were saying "what will I tell my children?" on the election results. Black mothers and fathers have always feared for their children, she said, showing example after example of children murdered by racists and a racist system.
She began with the murder of Emmett Till, and showed the image of his gleeful murderers after they were found not guilty, pictured with their laughing wives. She also showed examples of sexism and violence toward women. Then she asked rhetorically, what have these same white parents been telling their children before Tuesday?
Responding to the outrage many white people expressed that a racist was elected president, she said that has often been a prerequisite to being president throughout U.S. history.
After a nuanced explanation of the presidential results, the main focus of the evening was a discussion of gun violence, including with U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly of Chicago's South Side and South Suburbs, plus advocates, journalists and mothers. The evening finished with a performance by FM Supreme.
See videos of the presentations below.
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This article shared 1232 times since Thu Nov 10, 2016
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