The Kasandra Michelle Perkins and Jovan Belcher Tragedy: A Reader

On Saturday morning, December 1, 2012 around 8:00am, Kansas City Chiefs football player, Jovan Belcher shot and killed his girlfriend, Kasandra Michelle Perkins in front of his mother. About ten minutes later, he went to the Chiefs’ facilities and shot himself in front of team officials. We here at R3 thought we would collect reflections about this horrific tragedy. If you have one to add, please contact us at ajohnson@memphisseminary.edu


1. Kasandra Michelle Perkins: We Must Say Her Name
2. Remember Their Names: In Memory of Kasandra, Cherica & Others
3. The Crucifixion of Kasandra Perkins:Victim Blaming, Black Maternal Homicide and Stupidity
4. Let us not forget Kasandra Perkins, who didn’t deserve to be gunned down by Jovan Belcher
5. How Can They Play? Murder, Suicide and the National Football League
6. In KC, it’s no time for a game
7. Manhood, football and suicide
8. Thoughts on the Murder of Kassandra Perkins
9. Bob Costas Was Right To Talk About Gun Violence During Sunday Night Football
10. One Lesson of the Jovan Belcher Murder/Suicide: The NFL Has a Serious Domestic Violence Problem
11. Kasandra Perkins Did Not Have to Die
12. Are Soldier and Gridiron Suicides Linked?
13. It Was a Clear Case of Domestic Violence
14. Jovan Belcher: Do We Men Really Want to Talk About This Though?
15. Burying the Real Victims
16. Strange Fruit: Kasandra Perkins & Jovan Belcher; Sexual Assault in Communities of Color
17. Costas misses the point in Kansas City Chiefs tragedy