Twenty-one years ago, as an undergraduate at Wake Forest University, MSNBC host and Tulane University professor Melissa Harris Perry was fortunate enough to study under the iconic Dr. Maya Angelou. This past weekend, the two women reunited for a powerful conversation about education, progress and the intellect of the United States, over which Dr. Angelou has great concern: “…what breaks my heart is to think what would our nation be like if we dared to be intelligent, if we dared to allow our intelligence to dictate our movements, our actions? What would — can you imagine?”

Interview, part I: [WATCH VIDEO]

Interview, part II: [WATCH VIDEO]