Melissa Harris-Perry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Melissa Harris-Perry
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Harris-Perry in 2016.
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| Born | Melissa Victoria Harris October 2, 1973 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Occupation | Author, political commentator, professor |
| Education | Wake Forest University (BA) Duke University (MA, PhD) Columbia University |
| Subject | American politics, race relations |
| Spouse | Dennis Lacewell (1999–2005) James Perry (2010–present) |
| Children | 2 daughters |
Melissa Victoria Harris-Perry (born October 2, 1973) is an American writer, professor, and television host. She is known for sharing her ideas about politics, especially about African-American politics. She has also hosted TV shows and written books.
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Early Life and Education
Melissa Harris-Perry was born in Seattle, Washington, on October 2, 1973. She grew up in Chesterfield County, Virginia. Her father was the first dean of African-American Affairs at the University of Virginia. Her mother taught at a community college. She also worked for groups that helped people with things like day care and health care.
Harris-Perry went to Wake Forest University and earned a bachelor's degree in English. Later, she earned a PhD in political science from Duke University. She has also studied theology at Union Theological Seminary at Columbia University.
Career as a Professor and Writer
Melissa Harris-Perry started her career teaching political science at the University of Chicago in 1999. She taught there for seven years. In 2006, she became a professor at Princeton University.
In 2011, she moved to Tulane University. There, she started the Anna Julia Cooper Project. This project studies how race, gender, and politics connect in the Southern United States.
On July 1, 2014, Harris-Perry returned to Wake Forest University. She became a special professor there. The Anna Julia Cooper Project also moved to Wake Forest with her. She writes regularly for The Nation magazine. She has also written two books.
Hosting TV and Radio Shows
On February 18, 2012, Melissa Harris-Perry started hosting her own weekend morning show on MSNBC. The show was called Melissa Harris-Perry.
In 2013, she apologized for a joke made on her show. It was about a family picture of former presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his family.
Leaving MSNBC
On February 26, 2016, Melissa Harris-Perry decided not to host her show for a weekend. She felt that her show was being changed without her input. She wanted to do "substantive, meaningful and autonomous work." This means she wanted to have more control over her show's content. MSNBC said that many shows were changed because of news about the election. After discussions, she left the network on February 28, 2016.
Editor at ELLE.com
After leaving MSNBC, Harris-Perry joined Elle.com on April 18, 2016. She became an editor-at-large. In this role, she focused on topics like race, gender, politics, and fashion. She worked to share stories about women and girls of color.
Hosting The Takeaway
On July 23, 2021, Harris-Perry became the temporary host of The Takeaway. This is a popular radio show. She later became the permanent host and managing editor on October 18, 2021.
In March 2023, she announced that The Takeaway show would be ending. She shared her disappointment about the decision on social media.
Personal Life
Melissa Harris-Perry married attorney James Perry in 2010. He is the CEO of the Winston-Salem Urban League. They welcomed their daughter on February 14, 2014. This is Harris-Perry's second child.
