MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry to give 2014 Jana Mackey Lecture

LAWRENCE — MSNBC reporter and scholar Melissa Harris-Perry will give this year’s lecture for the University of Kansas’ Jana Mackey Distinguished Lecture Series at the Lied Center. The series is in memory of late women’s rights activist and KU law student Jana Lynne Mackey as part of KU Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

The event will take place at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 27, and is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required.

“Jana devoted herself to fighting for gender equality and social justice for women,” said Kathy Rose-Mockry, director at the Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity. “Bringing scholars and speakers of this magnitude to campus to speak on the importance of these causes helps carry on Jana’s legacy in a positive and significant way.”

Harris-Perry’s lecture will cover sexual violence from a personal and broad-based perspective, looking at current trends and the role of race and privilege in understanding and addressing this issue. The evening’s discussion will also address everyone’s role in being part of the solution.

The host of MSNBC’s “Melissa Harris-Perry," she is the Presidential Chair Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Wake Forest University and is founding director of the Anna Julia Cooper Center on Gender, Race, and Politics in the South. Harris-Perry has written two books: "Barbershops, Bibles, and BET: Everyday Talk and Black Political Thought" and "Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America."

There will also be a campus program Oct. 28 related to the series, titled “Coming to the Table: What Can We Do to Make a Difference” which will take place from noon-1 p.m. in the Sabatini Multicultural Resource Center Classroom.

About the lecture series

In memory of Jana Lynne Mackey, KU established the Jana Mackey Distinguished Lecture Series in 2009. The young social activist and feminist was killed before her noble and inspiring work was completed. Jana dedicated her short life to pursuing social justice and true equality for women. In an effort to continue her important work, this lecture series was established to raise awareness about issues close to Jana's heart, namely breaking down barriers and fostering opportunities to secure women's rights leaders and experts with the dual purpose of enhancing understanding and calling for involvement and service while providing a platform for discussion and dialogue.

About Mackey

Mackey was well-known throughout Kansas for her advocacy for women's rights. She had spent years volunteering to aid victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. She received her bachelor's degree in women's studies from KU and was an active participant in KU's Commission on the Status of Women. Jana also served as one of the youngest lobbyists at the Kansas State Capitol for the National Organization for Women. The most unlikely of domestic violence victims, the KU law student was found dead in her ex-boyfriend's home on July 3, 2008.