Chapter 10: Operationalizing Influence and Effecting Change: A Black Woman Administrator’s Guide to Navigating Politics in Higher Education

In the spring of 2016, Melissa Harris Perry, an esteemed scholar, analyst, and advocate, decided to walk out on the widely successful MHP Show, which was broadcast on MSNBC. Perry, a Black woman who earned her doctorate in political science from Duke University, was the daughter of a scholar-activist with deep roots in the African-American community. Her decision to stop taping the MHP Show was made with great difficulty. As a contemporary leader in the field of political science, Perry was not your average political pundit on the air. Still, on the crest of the 2016 presidential campaign, Perry was frequently (involuntarily) absent from major discussions focused on the political landscape of the U.S., candidates vying for the lead during the primaries, and the implications of the impending electoral vote. As a Black woman scholar, Perry—who appeared to be positioned with the media network—was resting within the margins of MSNBC. She lost creative control over her show, her appearances were spotty and unpredictable due to network scheduling, and her insight was absent when she was barred from broadcasts in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Connecticut. Eventually. MSNBC canceled the MHP Show once it was determined that Perry would not return until her terms were met, which included the ability to decide what material would air.