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Melissa Harris-Perry

@mharrisperry

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Professor @wfuniversity. President @ajccenter Leader of Girl Scout Troop 10116

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2 days ago

It’s #PerryFest. Oct 2- my birthday. Oct 3- our anniversary Oct 4- @jameshperry ‘s birthday. This year we marked 16 years of marriage. For me marriage is hard. In general I dislike constraints and prefer autonomy. I’m easily hurt and need constant reassurance. But for so long marriage to @jameshperry has been joyous, fulfilling and surprising. I’d begun to think we might never have to contend with the most brutal parts of making life with another adult. Then these last few years arrived. Cancer. Familial deaths. Financial losses. Agonizing personal choices. Physical pain. Fear. Instability. And all while we have been on a journey as foster parents. In our 50s having to re-feather a nest we thought would be emptying by now. Doing our best to provide loving care for children who we love at the same time working to help them leave us so that they can return to their healing families. Co-parenting with state bureaucrats who seem to care little for us or the kids in our care. Having little space to complain or even process because we are bearing witness to the devastating effects of family separation so the stress and loss we are experiencing seems petty. But It has been hard. And through it all -there is James. And on some days— the ones when he doesn’t unload the dishwasher, or communicate about his plans, or touch the small of my back like he once did- I’m so irritated. But the anger is because of my obsession. Still all these years later, my absolute unwavering OBSESSION with this man. Fully human. Surprisingly fragile. Stunningly strong. Absolutely constant. Ridiculously funny. And still the very smartest person I know. He is - sometimes infuriatingly- the soil my future is planted in. I didn’t know what photo or video to share for our anniversary yesterday or for his birthday today. But somehow this one felt right because it captures him in our regular moments. His patience and humor and light. @jameshperry I love you with everything I am and ever will be. You are the North Star of our family and I will never stop adoring you. #happyanniversary❤️ and #happybirthday🎂 #marriage #fostercare by @mharrisperry

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12 days ago

Thanks for all the #happybirthday messages today. I’m 53 and trying to lead with honesty. These past several years have been hard. Really hard. I’m still actively grieving the toughest losses. I am so grateful to receive so many loving messages today. by @mharrisperry

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14 days ago

by @mharrisperry

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15 days ago

Forgot to post last week! We started a new module in Land, Race, and Power, my Wednesday @wfuniversity class. I created a Property Rights Railroad simulation to help students make concrete connections to the broad theories we encountered. It worked great and students were really engaged. #godeacs🎩 taken in Wake Forest University by @mharrisperry

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16 days ago

Whoops. Didn’t get this posted last week but it was a GREAT class session. For Module 2.3 of Land, Race, and Power at @wfuniversity we learned about dispossession of Cherokee land. Students listened to the This Land podcast and read selections from By the Fire We Carry. Then we were joined via zoom by @rebeccanagle. She was an exceptional guest and student exit tickets reflected their enthusiastic engagement with her ideas. We are so grateful Rebecca Nagle took the time to engage so thoughtfully with us. #landracepower2026 #teaching by @mharrisperry

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24 days ago

I had the joy of spending time with Parker in NC last week. This week I’m hanging with her in Atlanta. On Monday I was honored to join the @splcenter for their Ella Baker conversation series. And of course the Gen-Z daughter required us to #fitcheck first. 🤣 taken in Atlanta, Georgia by @mharrisperry

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24 days ago

Today in my African American Politics class @wfuniversity we discussed the #AmericanDream. To make it concrete we played an original board game I created about the American Dream. Each student moves forward or backward depending on the cards they draw from the deck. And I interject every few rounds with public policy announcements. In the end they finish the game with a number of resources and a number of versions of the American Dream. Then I reveal they were playing from different decks depending on race and gender. Yup. I literally “stack the deck” in terms of achieving the American Dream. taken in Wake Forest University by @mharrisperry

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a month ago

Parker is here this week and sitting in on some of my classes @wfuniversity. I’ve loved spending time with her this week. by @mharrisperry

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a month ago

It’s #chemo Friday and @vote4amberbaker is always positive She’s on her way for her blood draw and stopping to helping constituents with education issues. ❤️ And to be entirely honest — she’s also doing a little #baldheadbaddie flirting too. 😂 Yall be sure to check in with a little note of love and support for our friend. #breastcancerwarrior taken in Winston-Salem, North Carolina by @mharrisperry

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a month ago

Today’s #AfricanAmericanPolitics class @wfuniversity explored American Citizenship and the ways that Black struggle and strategy have shaped definitions and experiences of American citizenship. We covered a ton of ground and part of what we did was to consider cultural representations of Black citizenship. We watched the #superbowl performances of #WhitneyHouston singing the national anthem and @cocojones singing the Black national anthem. It was a useful exercise for making concrete the ways that Black folk embody, lay claim to, update, alter, expand, and remake notions of American citizenship and belonging. taken in Wake Forest University by @mharrisperry

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a month ago

It’s time for Module 2.2 (even though I said 2.3 in the video. 🤪) in the Land, Race, and Power class I’m teaching @wfuniversity this semester. Today we engage Settler Colonialism to pair with last week’s Myth of the Frontier. Students will begin by “Reading the Landscape” of Hearn Plaza (our main quad) here on campus. The goal is to get them seeing boundaries, paths, inscription, ownership, and enforcement in a land space they probably typically think of as “open” or “empty”. It’s also gorgeous today and it just feels as if we learning are learning about land— we need to go outside. #LandRacePower2026 #collegeteacher taken in Wake Forest University by @mharrisperry

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a month ago