the national action network hosted a breakfast. >> good morning. as we gather today, first let me thank all of our honorees that we are saluting this year. it is important on king day that we do things in the spirit of dr. king. as we gather today, first let me thank all of our honorees that we are saluting this year. it is important on king day that we do things in the spirit of dr. king. dr. king as a federal holiday was a result in and of itself of struggle. so we do not take it as a day off. we take it as a day on. who thought to spend this federal holiday every year with us at the breakfast. he had brought his mother to our convention many years. so we are, in our d.n.a., king-like. and no year is more important than this year. because we are meeting on a morning of king holiday where the nation has been more polarized and divided than we've seen in recent history. the rise of anti-semitic attacks, the rise of hate crimes, the right of rhetoric that has been polarizing. people that are gathering in virginia today, extremists threatening to harm blacks and jews have already been arrested days ahead. we need a spirit of civility and reconciliation, along with justice. to fight for justice is not to fight for bitterness. i was blessed to have a federal -- several conversations with nelson mandela. nelson mandela said, it's not enough to be angry, let your anger energized and charger activism, but then reconcile afterward, otherwise you become those you are fighting. the bitterness and the venom we highesting even at the corners of this country is not like dr. king and not what dr. king would want. reason that we are very careful about those we honor this day, to show that in the middle of all that is going on wrong, there are some that have shown a light. martin luther king jr. said darkness can't cancel light, -- darkness can't cancel darkness, only light can. and we want to some of those who have shown the light. certainly when we honor ileana eastman, one of those from parkside, that are fighting against gun violence. [applause] this young lady, this young lady has kept a light up. jean-pierre with moveon.org. a real voice for the light. and we honor kenneth, who has been a labor leader now and the general president of upat, and keeping the labor movement going. our national action network whod member, lee sanders, is the international president. stand up, lee. i know you're bashful. but stand up. [applause] mr. sharpton: he said, we've got to honor kenneth this year and when lee tells me something, that's what i do. we also are honoring joan mullhousen who is one of the original freedom riders. [applause] who thought it not robbery, at a time when young blacks need to know whites went to the south and risked life and limb to get this country moving forward. [shouting] mr. sharpton: she was from the south -- she is yelling "i am from the south!" that's even more of a sacrifice. she had to live down there after the freedom ride. but we honor her. [applause] and kathy, who gave this community a microphone and a megaphone, when our voices would have been silenced. she is unquestionably the reason that we've made political and economic progress, because if you cannot be heard and cannot interpret for yourself, it will not make change happen because no one will know what is going on. she, with great sacrifice, did that. so we honor them today. in fact, one of the reasons that hill has said we're not going many of youeon, -- know that we go to harlem this afternoon and do the king day event, and then everybody goes home tonight because at 8:00 sharp eastern time we're going to watch the urban one awards on tv-1. kathy hughes has commanded it, and thus sayeth the queen. [laughter] and we honor the 42nd president of the united states. [cheers and applause] i'm going to say more about that in a moment. but you don't always have to agree on a path to be going on the same path. and when tanya lombard, where's tanya, who was our board member, now vice president of at&t, said that we should honor president clinton, because although there were times of that the president and i debated issues, and more times we agreed, it never was about the path we were going, it was about which way we should take on that path. and we are now at a crossroads in this country where we are really deciding what path we're going. a path of human rights and civil rights and mutual respect and equal protection under the law, and protecting voting rights, or a path of narrow nationalism and divisiveness and polarization and pitting one against another. don't confuse those of us that debate from different lanes on the same highway going the same that are trying to take us a different highway to a different destination. bill clinton took a lot of hits and criticism because he refused to change the path. he had a lane that he wanted to go. the lynn was more centrist than us, but we were all on the same highway. not be a better day than time doing this divisiveness for us to stand and say, we remember that even when we had debate, the white house was where we could always depend that we were headed in the same direction. william jefferson clinton. [applause] i released the announcement today that -- talking about different paths, i'm writing a book on -- "rise up" is going to be the name of it. it will be out in september. talking about the crossroads. and we are at the crossroads and we are on the verge of a very dangerous period. and we're going to have to choose where we are going. in that spirit, and the book won't be out until september, so i'm not selling books today, i'm just -- i'm just getting you ready. [laughter] for my best seller. [laughter] thank you again, reverend davis, for your invocation this morning. let me bring to start us this morning a man who just did not sit back on his name, a man that did not say, that my family made the sacrifice, i can be a celebrity. but a man that took the work and said, no, i not only inherited a name, i inherited a responsibility. , for the last quarter of a century, have worked together, goneed to jail together. we have stood together all over this country. and there are times that he is al,to say, now, and calm down, because i am a little bit more northern than urban, but we have operated shoulder to shoulder and he has undoubtedly become the one that has carried on the mantle of his father around the world. may we welcome to the microphones the eldest son of dr. martin luther king and carter scott king, martin luther king the third. [applause] martin: good morning. the first thing i want to do is ask my wife and daughter to join me. i think it's very important. come on. [applause] the next generation is coming. come, come, come. quickly. going to be very quick. very brief. i wanted, first, let me thank god for always being able to be in washington, d.c., especially as we observe the 35th anniversary of the federal holiday. 1983,remember when in ronald reagan signed the king holiday bill. i remember when he said he would not sign a holiday bill and i remember when the public said, you will. and he came back and he said, i would be honored to sign a holiday bill. [laughter] isn't that right, president clinton? so i say that to say that the power really is in the people. however, we don't seem to know that. and so while we haven't had a whole lot of celebratory periods, on this holiday it is, as reverend said, about recommitting ourselves, rededicating ourselves to continuing the work. because it is nowhere near done. that's why just a few years ago at the march for our lives, we were blessed to have our daughter speak. she talked about something that most of us don't envision that can happen, she said, "i have a dream, just as my grandfather did, and my dream is to create -- first of all, enough is enough. and we want to create a gun-free world." now, you may say today when we see all of this confrontation occurring in virginia, that is not able to happen. well, it may not happen this day. but you got to put it out into the universe before it even begins to be thought about. out of the mouth of babes come propheticism. so we are so honored, and always honored be here to join reverend sharp and and especially congratulate all of the honorees. thank you and may god bless you. let's keep on working. we will work tirelessly. dad never embraced hatred, because hatred can't put out hatred, only love this do that. again, hate will not make america great, but it is love that will make america great. god bless you. [applause] mr. sharpton: before we start our award presentations, let us hear from one that has always been here for us and certainly keeping the fight i here as we fight for the rights of this fightct -- keeping the alive here as we fight for the rest of this district and the fight to keep the district what it is supposed to be, the honorable muriel bowser, the mayor of washington, d.c. [applause] ms. bowser: good morning, everybody. i am very delighted to welcome all of you on behalf of the 700,000 residents of washington, d.c. i want to thank you, reverend al, and the national action network, for always hosting this breakfast here in our nation's capital, in my hometown. and i want to offer a special welcome to president clinton, a special welcome to to martin luther king iii and his family and give our great appreciation to the king family. [applause] and i am reminded this morning of something that the president said 27 years ago. exactly. he said, "there is nothing wrong with america that cannot be cured with what is right with america." and we hold that sentiment dear today. when i look around this room, i see a lot that is right with america. we certainly have our work cut out for us in 2020. before i say more on that, i want to thank the national action network, and members of the congressional black caucus for your steadfast support of washington, d.c. and washington, d.c. statehood. we want to thank you for your commitment. we want to honor the late elijah cummings and our congresswoman, eleanor holmes norton. we had a very successful hearing on d.c. statehood, but we know there is so much more that we can do. we know that achieving statehood ,ould more than honor dr. king it is a way to fight back against cruel policies coming out of our current administration, like the one we are very concerned about, where thousands of americans would be kicked off of their snap benefits. instead, we need to focus on making bigger investments. i am very honored that we're here together to fight. we know the big issues, housing, protecting our communities against gun violence, fighting climate change and increasing opportunities for all americans. and we look forward to the residents of washington, d.c., with our two senators, to be right with you. god bless you all. [applause] mr. sharpton: give the mayor another hand. [applause] let me acknowledge several of our partners in civil rights that we're honored to have joining with us. certainly we're honored that christine clark is here. stand up, ms. clark. lawyers, committee. spencer overton is here. [applause] from our women's round table, melanie campbell is here. [applause] laura murphy is here, who has worked for many years in d.c. and among other places in the .ivil rights community and certainly, one who has continued the work of dr. king, dr. mathis is in the house. [applause] meekr congressman kendrick of florida is with us. [applause] i mentioned the rise of hate crimes and attacks that have been based on anti-semitism. ne have been honored in na to have a close working relationship with a rabbi and the religious action center. and every year they come as leaders in the jewish community to stand with us as rabbi abraham stood with dr. king. stand?ou this is their table. [applause] in that spirit on last monday there was a huge rally in march in florida. -- rarely and march -- there was a huge rally and march in florida. i went down to keynote the rally with a sister beloved, supporting brother ingram who leads the florida education association. it is unbelievable that in the state of florida, the sunshine state, the state that the president says he now resides in , the teachers do not get the pay they should, and those about ink in the schools, some food services, some custodians making less than $12 an hour. we have had a long bond with randy weingarden when she was in new york as the head of the u. f.t. and now the head of the a.f.t. dr. king fought for your union in memphis, when he was killed and we want to continue that bond with labor. in a climate that is anti-labor and, and looks out for the businesses at the top but not the teachers and therefore the students at the bottom. let's have a few words from randy. [applause] randy: i am grateful to be in your presence. i am grateful for reverend sharpton's leadership. i am grateful for the leadership of the honorees today. we are, as reverend sharpton said, both in uncertain and perilous times. and while i worry about the future, i'm clear-eyed about the level of activism and deep community work that it will take to get us through. fiercely hopeful, yet clear-eyed about the existential threat. and the reason is because of the labor movement and public education. when unions were representing every one of three workers, in some ways, community and labor were hand-in-hand. today, with the powerful forces that attempt to divide us, we have to be more intentional about building community. and so i often used to say, community is our new density. today i say, community is our responsibility. that's what utla did last year when they fought for the nurses and guidance counselors that we needed in our schools. for kids to survive. that is what the chicago teachers union did this year, with the same kind of fight in the fight for programs for kids to thrive. [applause] randi: because of the end of the day, oil public schools are far from perfect, they are the ladder of opportunity, the pathway out of poverty, the place to develop the muscle of civic participation where we both embrace america's diversity and force a common identity. when we stand hand to hand, as n.a.n. and a.f.t. have always done, we take a righteous path. but to win right now, we must all stand together. thank you very much. [applause] mr. sharpton: the other aspect that dr. king focused on in his last years, was economic empowerment and economic development. if you read his last book, "where do we go from here, chaos he addressed", that any had a vision of that in his organization, the southern christian leadership conference, ,"lled "operation breadbasket that would work with that. i became the youth director in new york at age 13, the year dr. king was killed. fighting to give blacks a piece of the pie. reverend william jones and reverend jesse jackson led that and i grew up under that tutelage. i see yolanda carroway who was a result of that. mignon is here somewhere. she and i used to pick it together, before she became dust topicket -- she and i used together before she became a big shot in washington, d.c.. [laughter] in that spirit, you must work with those in office that understand how to make the rules work, but at the same time expand the playing field so that everyone can play and win on merit. and that is represented by the state comptroller of the state of new york, who has opened new opportunities and has done it where the state has benefited, but the community has been included, honorable thomas denapoli. [applause] thomas: good morning, everyone. thank you, reverend sharpton, for setting the context for our martin luther king day this celebration this year. on stability and inclusion and strength really is a privilege for me to join with all of you. martin, last night i stopped by the memorial for your dad, the first time i have had the opportunity to do that. even though it was cold, it was warm in my heart, and it was an inspiration. and i loved the quote "out of a , mountain of despair, a stone of hope." our honorees that we're acknowledging this morning are truly stones of hope. congratulations to each and every up with of you for your life's work. special word of appreciation for my friend, president clinton. you continue to be an inspiration to me, you showed us how to win, i hope you're giving folks good advice this year, because we need to win as well, please, please, please. [laughter] as reverend sharpton indicated, money moves things. markets move things. and when i first became comptroller, reverend sharpton visited me and he gave me a task . he said, we have to do things differently. folks don't know what comptrollers do. but you know it has something to do with the money. if we're going to have economic progress, we need to make sure that every community is empowered. reverend, you know in many states now, pension funds are moving away from deploying more capital to firms of color and women-owned firms. in new york we're doing the opposite. we are redoubling our efforts. we are up to $20 billion now firms, women and minority-owned , firms, managing our capital, and putting money back into communities. [applause] we are going to continue that commitment. money talks. we will continue to press our corporate boards, as we all need to do to make sure that the corporate boards of directors are as diverse as the people of our country, as diverse as the customers they serve, as diverse as their employees. and it's also about where we don't put our money. we don't put our money into gun manufacturers anymore. too many school shootings. we have too many employees working in schools, our capital shouldn't be going to gun manufacturers. and private prisons. we don't want our money going there. that's no way to make money. [applause] and, lee and randi, i don't think your members want us to put their pension fund money there. so there is a big agenda, we all need to play a role. dr. king's words continue to stay with us. this is no time for apathy or complacency, this is a time for vigorous and positive action. i look forward to working with ande reverend sharpton n.a.n. and all of you for that vigorous and positive action that we all need. thank you. [applause] i would ask martin to join us back on stage. miss lombard, do you want to join me or do you want to sit where you are? i know i'll embarrass you up to the stage. tanya lombard, please join us. [applause] and board member lee saunders, please join us. [applause] many years ago, in the 1990's, as we wrestled with impending election in 1992, many of us wanted to see the country go in a direction that we believed passionately. there were those that said that, no, we must imitate the reagan-bush era. and go to the right. there were those of us pushing to the left. and then there were those that said, we will come down the middle and try and win so that we can deliver things for people. it was during that time that i governor, ther governor of arkansas, bill clinton. as i was attacking certain things that he said to me, al, the question is, do you want to get things done or do you want to get on the evening news? it's all right with me either rate. go in this, you find that sometimes, sometimes what you need to get done may not make the evening news, and some things that make the evening news does not mean you got anything done. we are in a time where people no longer care at the level of the white house, or the things get done. but whether we agreed on feltthing or not, we never that that president sat there are those eight years didn't care about getting things done and done effectively. what he did in africa, in terms of urban areas and development, what he did in other areas that we had dealt with racial profiling, we debated on the crime bill and other things, but we got things done in other areas that hadn't been touched. office,n he came out of his foundation, dealing in africa, dealing in haiti, dealing with climate change, dealing with disasters, it showed that this was not something he did for politics, it was something that he believed in his core. iselieve the ultimate honor when people that have not always agreed with you can respect you and honor your work. i wanted, when tonya lombard and others said we should honor the president, bill clinton, i said, i didn't always agree with him, but i want to give him the award because it is honorable to have someone that was not always agreeable to you "i respect the fact that you did things that made a big difference for me and for the nation that you presided over." may you join me in honoring the 42nd president of the united states, william jefferson clinton. [applause] mr. clinton: thank you very much. first, reverend amazingly adroit with words. he has also been more religious than i have in following his vegan diet. [applause] him, i said,dded now that you've been so great on this diet, you got such a pretty young body, -- [laughter] >> you are going to be even harder to pin down, just moving around. [laughter] mr. clinton: i thank you for the award and i thank you for the work that the national action network does. peopleto thank all the here who had anything to do with .his award martin, thank you for continuing your work. thank you for having me at your mother's funeral. i loved her very much. thank you, lee. i think i am the only as an electedmber president. and tonya, thank you. you have been wonderful. in the end, more ways than i can say, for very long time. mayor bowser, thank you for coming. i supported the sea statehood, and i tried to be a good -- i and ited d.c. statehood, tried to be a good citizen of the district whenever tear. [applause] and randim denapoli weingarten for what they do. she doesn't ever get credit for something you may not know. nine years ago, i had one of my harebrained ideas. said, you did more on this than anybody ever saw, and some of them were good. i went to the president of the afl-cio and i said, you ever think about what you could do with your pension money, if you just invested it in infrastructure? we got all these construction workers working for unions where they are in trouble and a lot of the public employed unions are in great shape. you need to diversify the portfolio. think of all the jobs we could create. he said, i don't understand this, i will give this to randi weingarten. she said, ok. i'll do it. so, talk about a dog to the bone. she got on this. here's the bottom line. promised, for $10 million in infrastructure. they are now at over $60 billion. they have created 100,000 jobs, including 15,000 in the laguardia airport project. but also involving your project in west virginia. if there is one thing that can bring working-class white people with the rest of america, rural and small-town america back to urban and suburban america, it is having universal affordable broadband. [applause] it is having a basic infrastructure program. you don't have to worry about all of that anti-immigrant rhetoric. you've got to be on the ground physically to be where you are, to build a road or a bridge. -- and she rhetoric has spearheaded the whole national labor movement work on that, and i am very grateful and proud to work with her on it. in my first term, i signed a day that said that mlk would now be a day of service. i want to recognize the late john conyers, who introduced the bill for 15 years, before it became a holiday. [applause] mr. clinton: and i want to thank john lewis and the late harris wofford for sponsoring the service bill. didi still remember what i asn john lewis said, reverend sharpton noted, that it should be a day on, not a day off. i have still got my little day on and not a day offcap. when i leave you today, i will go home and put my regular clothes on and i will have my cap on. i would like to say just a few words about where we are. nothing that is happened these last three years is saying some fundamental facts. we live in an interdependent world. honoring, all the people ,ou are honoring here today including a young woman who was at the parkland shooting. those kids did more than i ever did as president. we banned assault weapons. we had a background check law that worked, when there was no online gun sales. we had the lowest murder rate in 33 years, the lowest easy gaugin homicide rate in 46 years. don't forget that. we did it partly because the african-american community -- i got tired of going to schools in the 1992 and having kids look at me and beg me to get guns out of schools, beg me to make them safe from being shot by drive-by shooters when walking to school. [applause] we had all that. it.the public supported but it wasn't deep in their bones, a voting issue, they didn't own it. the people who were against this, that is all they cared about. s inhat happened elections, is intensity wins. people talk about this poll, that poll, the other poll. it is like a horse race. it is not over. i grew up in a town, i hope the people who disprove of -- will forgive me, but i grew up in a town which had a racetrack. i don't know how many races i saw where there was a picture of who was eating at the quarter, at the half. then secretary at comes in and secretariat comes in and wins. about this.are somehow the children of parkland issue.is a voting the whole country owes them a lot. [applause] said, there is a book somewhere that captures our .igilance our neglect just like our assets and liabilities. and i want to start with that. when you said you were a freedom rider and you were a southerner, it tickled me -- [laughter] you said,n: because, they don't own my culture, the people who disagree with me. flag. why i wear the don't let anybody kid you. america at its best is a country of inclusive tribalism. churches, our synagogues, our mosques, our temples, we like diversity. think only works if you our common humanity matters more . therefore, everyone you support should have one thing as a core belief, we should all live under the same set of rules. we should all live under the same set of rules. [applause] mr. clinton: we should have the same opportunity. there are 15 issues we should be fighting about, but at the core is, universal, easy access to vote. with the votes counted. [applause] mr. clinton: and a vigorous attempt to stop foreign influence. at the core. [applause] then, we ought to have equal economic opportunity. i don't want to talk about that in any great detail except to say this, don't you let anybody tell you that we can't all grow together. of just got to get rid trickle-down and go back to bottom-up economics. [applause] mr. clinton: somebody asked me the other day, i was doing an interview and they said, what are you most proud of? i said, i am proud of the fact that we have broadly shared prosperity for the first time in 50 years, because i think most people would do a great job in their communities and families if they had a good job and a decent chance. and we moved literally 1000 times as many people out of poverty in the 1990's as in the 12 previous years. and we had the bottom 20% of the growth, income increase slightly higher than 20% in percentage terms. 20 times and what they had before. we can do this again. i want you to believe that. we can do this again. and i am grateful for what reverend sharpton said, but the is, that all we have to do is have enough folks in congress will get this done. you got to have a majority in both houses, and the white house, and you get it done. and you will be amazed. it is not because all of us politicians are geniuses, but because the american people will do the right thing if they have something to look forward to when they get up in the morning. the most conservative states in america, there has been a rebellion against getting school buses. people said, all, it is not about culture, it is about my kids'brings and much older and future -- my kids? >> brains and my children's future. i want you to be happy today. there are no permanent victories or defeats in public affairs, you have to suit up and show up, and push back every single day. but you just remember this, you don't have to give up your culture and neither do the people who disagree with you. they just got to get over themselves enough to realize that what we have in common is more important than our interesting differences. we are still the best country in the world in the 21st century, because of our diversity. addition is better than subtraction. multiplication is better than division. room with thehis studies that prove diverse groups make better decisions than geniuses. withwant you to leave here -- . those of us who are older now have the gift of time. i leave you, i am going to see my friend, vernon jordan, recovering from a terrible fall he had. it doesn't take long to live a life. it to that time, you owe had, and that future children deserve to be on the side of vigilance and not neglect. but do not despair. than 200 25 years, everybody who has been against this country has wound up losing money. because of what dr. king said about the arc of the universe being long, but it bends toward justice. he was eloquent and brief, the reverend. so we left out a very important part -- you've got to do the bending. [applause] so, i was honored to serve as president, i was honored to the work i have done since. myring you greetings from wife, who according to the washington post last week, has now been the most exonerated person in history. [laughter] that is a mixed bag. it means you have been falsely accused more than anybody in history. [laughter] mr. clinton: but there is still tomorrow. martin luther king only lived to be 39 years old. but every day, was filled not with neglect, but with action. this is a day on. we should rejoice in this day as we are commanded, and not grow weary, for there is plenty to do. but don't you doubt it, it can be done. we can grow together again, we can vote together again, we can be viewed as a decent and reliable partner in the world again. and the most important thing is, we can give our kids the future they deserve again. god bless you and thank you for this. applause] should mr. clinton: so it is not much time. i have one request. is a friend offf many of yours, she is here. if you think i did ok, please tell her, because i got so many instructions and i cannot remember if i followed them all. [laughter] bless you all, thank you. mr. sharpton: president bill clinton! [applause] mr. sharpton: before i take the president out, i want to bring our honorary that is close to me and to you. i have a knowledge, the bishop leah daughtry is in the house. please stand up, bishop. i didn't know she was here, i have got to go back to brooklyn, where she is the boss. [laughter] [applause] that is a woman who started, came from oklahoma, came to washington, started as an on-air personality and built to where she bought the radio station that they were getting ready to change other hands. , she kept building her and her son even had to stay sometimes in the radio station, sleep there. built, now, the largest black owned media network in the world. [applause] television stations, radio stations. tonight, or burn one celebrates 40 years of radio one. everyone from jamie foxx to --ta baker to missy elliott i'll tell the old folks later who missy elliott is. [laughter] they had to salute this giant, this woman who gave us a microphone and a megaphone. we would not have elected a lot of people that made office if we didn't have that microphone. we would not have been able to fight for voting rights and 6 all the waya to trayvon martin, if we didn't have that microphone. we would not have seen a black president in the white house without that microphone. [applause] sclcn luther king, in his office, when they would start a campaign, he would say, reach upstairs, because the radio station was there, and they would drop the mic down to his office and he would talk on the radio station. we don't have to knock down walls and more. we have stations of our own, tv stations of our own, because a woman paid the price and took the risk to make sure we were hurt. me the honor in 2020 -- make sure we were heard. may we honor in 2020, kathy hughes. [applause] >> first and foremost, i give thanks to god from whom all blessings flow. we could have been anywhere else this morning, but we are here. [applause] yolanda, come over here with me, darling. she pitched me this morning for a television show. [laughter] i told her that the youngest i have ever worked with is 14. she said, would you take 13 and a half? [laughter] she is 11 years old. so i am here this morning announcing that this is my next discovery. i am signing yolanda king. all right, to her own talk show on the tv one network. . [laughter] reverend al, you are getting the trouble. i am not from oklahoma. that is our arch rival. go big red, nebraska! i am from omaha. all my life they has said oklahoma, since i have been here, except in omaha. also, reverend al was very modest. this evening at 7:00 before our program comesrs on, we have an interview with reverend al where he admits that he will share some information on that show that he is never done before. please, 7:00 p.m., not 8:00. don't be late please. please help us spread the word. reverend al,, i am so honored to be in your company. -- i scheduled on saturday was honored at the king center, but the doctors told me that i was to stay off airplanes. today is my first day out of my house in 14 days. whatever this bug is that is going around, i have had. no longer contagious, thank god. but i told my doctor that he had to bring be here on a gurney. i was not going to miss reverend al, and i wasn't going to miss you, president clinton. no questioning about it [applause] nor the other honoreesp thank you all very muchp. . reverend al started his media korea. he actually told the people at msnbc that he had to first check his contract with me because i was his manager. shared my minutes with you, president clinton. all i can say is thank you, thank you to the board of n.a.n., thank you to all the support of the d.c. community has given me. mayor bowser, you have done an excellent job of it can we please give her a run of applause? [applause] barryeks before marion went to see his creator, he called me and said to me, kathy, i want you to get behind muriel bowser. she is cut from the same cloth. and he told the truth. you have done a great job. we love you very much and we want you to be the next mayor for life in washington, d.c.. thank you so much and thank you to yolanda king she is going to be a big media star! [applause] mr. sharpton: to present our neighbor leader of the year award, we are honored to have when our national board for the last several years, the international president of a fcle. >> lee sanders will make me presentation and remarks. [applause] >> good morning everybody! before i introduce our honorary you met earlier, you met earlier, randi weingarten, my partner with the american federation of teachers. i also want to introduce to you some way will be hearing a lot about, i believe. right now he is the acting president of the american federation of government employees representing federal service workers all across the country. edward is in the house. i would like to have him stand up if he could. where are you, edward? [applause] there he is right here. welcome, brother! it is my honor to introduce this next brother who i have worked with for quite a while. he serves on the afl-cio executive council, serves on the afl-cio executive committee, and we coordinate our work together. we strategize together. the president of one of the most powerful unions in this country. he is out there in the field every single day supporting his members of the international union of painters and allied trades. he originally out of california, where he graduated from california state in 1977, but most importantly, he grew within his own union, from a 1288, union member, local 2 and established in u local, local union 12 where he was elected business manager of the local union in 1993. in a 19 96, he began serving innovative national union as a general representative. 2003, he was elevated to the position of executive general in 2013,ident, and kendrick was unanimously elected to the office of general president by the general executive board. this brother is the real deal. not only talks the talk, but he walks the walk. and he has walked with me hand-in-hand, shoulder to shoulder, all across this country. understandof you to who he is and what he is about, and what he does every single day not only for his members, but for working families across the country. dedicated, and, he is my brother, and i am proud to introduce him and honor him with this award. kendrick maiden, please come up, brother. where are you? [applause] >> lee, i am humbled. all the speakers that have spoken here this morning, i really feel like i have to add something to it, but i am humbled. i will do the best i can and talk about what martin luther king jr. means to my union. personally,s to me what it means to me to be able iam 2018. but first, i want to thank you, reverend sharpton, and the national action network for this event and for inviting me to come and speak. thank you for being an ally of organized labor, for your persistent efforts in the fight for economic and social justice, from corporate responsibility to pension diversity, and putting fighting to ensure that every person has a vote. also, as i look in this room and here all the people that have spoken, the people that are in this room, i gotta say, to be able to stand before you, again, i feel like i'm in a room of friends, a room of people who really want to see something happen for our country, a room of folk who look at the union of international painters and allied trade as an organization that is trying to be the best it can be as a partner for us to go forward as a nation. in 2018, the iupat was proud to memphis at the 50th anniversary of dr. king's assassination. united with our allies in this movement for justice and equality for those who know that story and that history we must continue to retell it. we have to continue to retell it so we reeducate and re-energize the youth, and a new activists that the movement so desperately needs. it is filled by passion. the theme really is the only way he can come under unfortunate circumstances, and there may be some truth to that, whether it protest of injustice rally , a for rights, the respect and dignity, or a literal fight for our lives. trust me. i am no stranger to the sounding alarm when our people are in danger, be it from politicians or policy. but there is an energy. there is an energy. there's a spark that happens when we come together like this , en masse, that feels more like a battle cry for me. for me, that experience was in 2018. that experience in memphis, far afscme far surpassed my , expectations of an event to mark the anniversary of the assassination of the people's hero, dr. martin luther king jr. the pure notion, the notion that we are present, we are relevant, and we matter. when i look back at one of those most inspirational speeches of our history, the history of labor, there are two phrases that strike me as i stand before you today. the first one i'll mention, is dr. king famously said one "something is going on here in memphis. something is happening in our world." those words live on and ring true today. something is happening here, right now and in the communities where we all as americans call home. it is not the defeat of the spirit, of our movement, it is not the slicing and silencing of people. it's quite the opposite. we are getting louder. we are getting stronger. and the movement has been reignited. the torch has been carried by brave women who continue to march on washington across the united states and around the world. it is fueled by the passion and perseverance of the many who are fighting against unjust brutality and punishment. it is kindled by leaders fighting against economic injustice and poverty by striving to protect and affordable education, a fair wage, and workers rights. the second phrase by dr. king that is especially relevant to us in this day, "only when it is dark enough can you see the stars." those words ring as true today as they did in 1968. the hardships that many americans face today have gotten our attention, they have pulled us together, and they have united us. we are at a critical moment right now in america, in our history as a labor movement, and in our collective fight for equality and economic justice. just as we were back in 1968, 1968, when two men went to work every day to put food on the table and provide a meager living in the hope that someday , breaking the chain of poverty for their children and the generations after them were crushed to death due to dangerous working conditions. the two men who were cute in that garbage truck, they did not die in vain. the legacy of their mistreatment didn't just upset the sanitation workers in memphis, it rattled the souls of the nation. rattled the souls of a nation of workers and generations to who demanded change until they got it. that message, spurred by dr. king and the civil rights leaders who continued to fight after his death, has reverberated around the world. but on the precipice of the 2020 election, i have to ask you to go a step further and fight to unify our cause. we are watching 45 ignore, and at times, endorse those actions, anti-worker, anti-human, and numerous other actions that are tearing our nation apart, rather than bringing our nation together. those are not the values, that is not what we need to have for the president that we chose. if we do not stand together and demand leadership in action, it is not, "what will it do to me, what will happen to me? it is, what will happen to them?" what will happen to them? what will happen to the sanitation workers in memphis? what will happen to the school teachers in west virginia? what will happen to the building trades, to the floor covering installers, to every craft that needs to move forward. what will happen? it's not just me. remember those events of 50 years ago and use that as permission to fight for economic justice, to fight for today's attacks on working people, and to fight for better leadership in this country. now, we are not here mourning the death of dr. king today, but to celebrate his message and carry on his dream. so how can we do that? we will ensure that america remains a land of opportunity. land of opportunity. through collective bargaining and career pipelines in our community that will give people to opportunity th climb out of poverty and to live a life of dignity and respect. said, we will i not hope for change, but demand action. dr. king had a dream, but he did something about it. he brought us together and help ed us fight. he inspired millions of people to stand up and fight for what is right. the stories and visions of dr. king will live and breathe and last forever based on our collective actions, and what we do with that example. we are going to carry on dr. king's dream by making sure it happens. me, as the general president of the international union of painters and allied trades, will use my voice in the building trades to make sure that happens. we are going to keep using these words, us, we, hours, because ours,, we, and k because that is the only way we can succeed as a country. now, for me, i started in this life in the movement over 40 years ago, coming up through the ranks, as we said, working long hours with my hands, earning a meager but fair wage, because i was afforded an opportunity. an opportunity to learn a craft and to negotiate my worth. i was blessed to have that, but there are many who are not. there are many that we must keep fighting for. i stand here today with the reverend al sharpton, lee saunders, organized labor. . my colleagues and cohorts, our organizations and allies, and all of you, in the hopes that we as readers can inspire leadership, action, and unity -- as leaders can inspire leadership, action, and unity just as dr. martin luther king jr. did. we pray that by strengthening our message and experience that others become the messengers in this movement. as equal citizens in this country, we are afforded certain inalienable rights. rights to order and protect. to order and protect these rights, we must exercise them with the dedication and determination that those striking sanitation workers did in 1968. [applause] kenneth: as long as i remain a member in this movement, as long as the national action network and afscme fights for all working people, working people will prevail. my name is kenneth rigmaiden. [laughter] i am a man! and we are the movement! thank you. [applause] thank you. [applause] >> all right. our next award recipient reminds me of one of my favorite quotes by bobby kennedy. bobby kennedy said, the future does not belong to those that are fearful of projects and ideas, rather the future belongs to those that can blend passion, vision and courage to the creation of an american society. joan t. mulholland is a hero. come on up. [applause] ,he sat in over 50 sit-ins worked alongside the likes of martin luther king jr., john lewis, diane nash, julian bond. she is a legend, she is history. [applause] freedom rise. she ended up on death row in parchment. she is truly living civil rights history. please welcome joan t. mulholland. [applause] joan: oh, i'm a little short. i saw somebody give the sign for this other group. i want to give a sign for my sirte. [cheers and applause] come on, sisters. [laughter] i know you're all out there. ok. just had to get that in. sing lift every voice and sing. we had the words up there. let my fellow southerner here, mr. president, he didn't have to look at those words. i was watching him. he was barely glancing that way. that says a lot for you, sir. and you are from hope, arkansas? my daddy is from hope, north dakota, but i am still a southerner. there is more than one hope, but we have to have hope, folks. we've got to have hope. [laughter] i want to tell a little story or two. i'm a southerner. we teach through telling stories. we make our point by telling stories. i got some more stories. when they opened that civil rights museum down in jackson, mississippi, the first state-sponsored civil rights museum in the entire united states, it was in mississippi, and they had a performance by some group, they were playing sort of a madly, an orchestra-type thing, a medley of songs. excuse me -- these bandanas do have some problems. [laughter] um, there are a lot of good things about bandanas but i will not tell that story. anyway, in the medley they had started, "lift every voice and sing." i was on my feet, and i looked around. nobody else was standing up. this old white lady was the first one to stand, and the only one, until gradually, folks started standing. it was shocking. we've got to remember where we came from to know where we're going. [applause] joan: now, my other story, back on the song, back in the early 1980's, when black history month was just becoming a thing everywhere, the local elementary school, the music teacher, a white lady, was looking for a song to teach the chorus. she didn't want to teach a spiritual because we had a lot of other non-christian folks in the school, buddhist, hindu, this, that, and the other. i said, you can teach them "lift every voice and sing." she hadn't a clue, but she looked it up. she not only taught the chorus, she taught every kid in the school. we all sang it at a big international potluck at the school. i bet bancroft elementary, over in arlington -- across the river for you washingtonians. the elementary school there, i bet that was the first formally all-white school in the state of virginia to sing "lift every voice and sing." it was good. i wasn't sitting in anymore but felt like i made a difference. my generation, the students, you know, those bad kids causing trouble everywhere, sitting in, causing trouble, good trouble, but trouble, we sat in at the lunch counters. we sat in in the jail, of course. in the parks. in the courthouse. i got held in contempt of court once for sitting on the wrong side of the courtroom in baton rouge. [laughter] but i have no standing convictions, thank you, supreme court. that was back in the day. we sat in everywhere. and for those of you who saw the movie "selma," they have lbj talking to dr. king. with all respect to dr. king, saying, we can't have these house, he the white was talking to the wrong person. king didn't have nothing to do with that. that was the sncc students. the student nonviolent coordinating committee. [applause] they are the ones who organized that. in fact, it was my idea. [laughter] and i organized it. now, i didn't sit-in, because i had one of those good government jobs. [laughter] but i organized it. you know, somebody has got to be -- i see everybody on the front lines. somebody has to be having their backs. the two groups are equally important and about equal numbers. lbj should have been talking to me. [laughter] i planned it, i organized it. it was the group i belonged to who was sitting down, until they were quietly ushered out by the secret service. i think there was about that much in the "post" about it. you can't hardly find nothing about it. dr. king, i respect you, but you weren't the one behind it. [laughter] well, i will accept this honor on behalf of all of those sncc students of my generation who took it to the streets and the lunch counters, and the jails. we got rid of legal segregation, but we've still got a long way to go. thank you. [applause] >> freedom rider! [applause] mr. sharpton: karine jean-pierre, an activist in these times. one that has a clear, and i feel, profound understanding of the days in which we live. as we honor her, we honor the continuity of struggle from one generation to the next. struggle does not end with anyone of us, it did not begin with anyone of us. i want to knowledge the head of our washington bureau, ebony rowley. she has been helping to run everything, and who has coordinated everything. come up, kira. she has that a n excellent job. and trudy grant has done a great job. [applause] tyreke mcmillan. come up. this young man, i always said that i wanted to help make sure that the national action network outlives me, and these young folk are doing that. now he has got to learn a little bit of diplomacy because i was at the washington office not a long-ago, and if you follow me on social-media, i workout every morning before dawn, and i said, i feel good. i do two miles on the elliptical, bicycle, weights every morning, and i'm 65 years old. and he said you don't look a day , over 70. [laughter] mr. sharpton: so he was assigned back to the supply room. but -- [laughter] give our young staff a big hand. [applause] mr. sharpton: may we salute from moveon.org, karine jean-pierre. karine: thank you so much. [applause] karine: thank you, everybody. thank you for having me and honoring me with this amazing award. i want to acknowledge president clinton, cathy hughes, joan mulholland, kennth rigmaiden, it aliyah eastmond. it is truly an honor to be with you. i want to thank reverend al sharpton and the national action network for what you do for our community, day in and day out. when i first learned i was going to receive this award from nan, it's a visionary award -- this is really wonderful. and i started to think, what does it mean to be a visionary? what does that look like to be a visionary? and it is may be fitting that i am getting this visionary award on the day that we celebrate one of the greatest visionaries that we have known, that the world has known, which is dr. martin luther king. while we remember dr. king as one of the world's greatest orators, he was also a doer, as we know, leading marchers and rallies. engaged with those who agreed with him, as well as confronting those who didn't, with resound arguments and unmistakable message. dr. king worked to make his dream a reality bit i bet, brick -- bit by bit brick by brick, , action by action. dr. king is not a visionary because he had a vision of a world free from prejudice. many people shared that vision. martin luther king is a visionary because of the strength of his belief that he could make the vision come true, and he was willing to do whatever it took to make that happen. doesn't alwaysry mean that you see things others can't. it means you believe in the things you see to the point that they are willing to give it all for the success of the vision. dreaming,of envisioning the future you want, and making it happened, is the important one. because these last few years have been hard. i think some people have stopped dreaming. but we can't stop jimmy. -- we can stop dreaming. i want to tell you a story from, a a ple place my parents came from. a place where many visionaries live and came out. it is a country known as haiti. a country that had been colonized. the indigenous people, african slaves imported to a life of bondage. but as mine slaved ancestors believed, a different -- as my enslaved ancestors believed, a different fate was possible. they staged a rebellion and won. [applause] it was the first country founded by formally enslaved people, and it deepened others ideas of what was possible, and how much as the forces that betried the former slaves struggle for independence, and their success was forever written in the annals of history and serves as the inspiration for many rebellions to follow. so when i talk about visionaries, those are the people i think of, because of the people who have the vision and the belief in that vision, i am here today. i am the daughter of a taxicab driver, a home health care aide. the daughter of a country where parents' sacrifice, i was able to go to college and then ended up working for the black president of the united first states. but most of all, i am the daughter of visionaries. the visionaries in haiti that imagined a better world and then set out to create it. the visionaries here in the united states like martin luther king, john lewis ella baker, , fannie lou hamer, and so many others who also made this life possible for me. when i think about my life, i think about the gratitude that i feel toward each of these visionaries, those whose history has shown a light on, and those it has kept in the dark. these believers made this possible for me. for me and for you, too, i suspect. that is why we can't lose sight of the power of our dreams, our vision, our imagination. nothing is as powerful as a dream believed in. nothing is more power fold then -- nothing is more powerful than dedicating your energy to make that dream a reality. dreams are what ended jim crow and got civil rights past. act passed. dreams are what got daca passed undocumentedmany young people from being deported from the only home they had ever known. dreams are what led edith windsor and others to dedicate, to decide to spend their lives together, decades before edith windsor went to the supreme court to fight for marriage equality and won. when we believe in our dreams, we make them come true. dr. king had a dream, and more importantly, he believed in it, dedicated his entire being to make that dream a reality. but visionary status is not just reserved for a select few. anyone can be a visionary. all it takes is a dream and the will to make that dream a reality. so i challenge all of you, what is your dream? what do you want this world to look like? how will you make it happen? will you dedicate your entire being, all that you are, to see that dream come true? because everyone who has dreams, it is your ability to do believe -- your ability to believe in that dream, to make it count. thank you. [applause] rev. sharpton: and as we give our last award, this young lady as president clinton said, was part of a movement that has moved america. she has been with us several times at n.a.n. because she shows the leadership and tenacity of a dreamer. may you help me in honoring her and her work, and her coworkers. our martin luther king 2020 youth award from the activist in parkland shooting worrier aalayah eastmond. warriorting aalayah eastmond. ,[applause] >> hi, my name is aalayah eastmond. i am a 2019 graduate from marjory stoneman douglas high school in parkland, florida, and now a freshman at trinity washington university here in washington, d.c. [applause] on february 14, 2018, my high school was struck with terror. 34 of my classmates were shot, 17 killed. i was in my holocaust history class, and it was struck by the perpetrator, where six of my classmates were shot, and two of them were killed. i had to hide under one of my classmate's lifeless body to hide. since the shooting at my high school, we sparked a national conversation surrounding mass shootings, which is only 2% of gun violence. and i felt like the conversation needed to be shared across the country with black and brown communities that bear the burden of gun violence. it was close to my heart because i had been previously struck by gun violence. i lost my uncle 16 years in brooklyn, new york to gun violence as well. i want to thank you guys for having me here today, but i also want to take this moment to thank my fellow activists, tatiana, and my friends over there. can you guys stand up? [cheers and applause] aalayah: a lot of people do not realize a lot of the hard work that goes into it, and tatyana lost her aunt, robert lost his sister at our high school, kaylee is a graduate from columbine high school, and arielle lost her close friend to suicide by gun. we have all been impacted by gun violence no matter how old we are, but gun violence impacts youth of color, and i will continue to share with those who look like me. thank you guys for giving me the platform today. [applause] rev. sharpton: we thank all of you for coming. let the records show that while there are those watching in virginia, we saluted the young folk from parkland, saying we must have sensible gun control. thank you. [applause] hill: at this time, we would like to acknowledge that those without whom it would not be possible. could a representative of each sponsoring organization stand? at&t, mastercard, uber, macy's, coca-cola, charter, 1199 seiu, t-mobile, ing aa. please give it up for our sponsors. i would like to bring trudy grant up now. please, trudy. give it up for trudy grant. trudy: good morning, everybody. i just want to let you know how beautiful you look out there, and i am sure you're going to look exceptionally well as this broadcasts all over the country. i am just standing to invite all of you to our national action network national convention. if you enjoyed this, this is only a portion of what we do every year. last year, we had about 15,000 people come through, with at that time, the presidential candidates there with us. so this is our invitation to you to join us. registration is absolutely free. say that again, and i want you to say that with me. registration is absolutely free. so we look forward to seeing you at the sheraton times square. the date for our convention is april 15-18, 2020. we do have representatives that can walk you through getting registered, but we certainly look forward to seeing you there. again, until next year, until this same time, this same station, thank you so much for being here with us. [applause] hill: and as we close, ladies and gentlemen, a quote from dr. king, i hope you're all going out for a day of service. god bless you, and happy mlk day. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2020] >> this is the martin luther king jr. memorial in washington, d.c. interior secretary david , virginia lieutenant governor and others offer remarks. good morning, everyone. great to see you all here today. i'm here from 93.9 with dominique and it is very much an honor to be here today on behalf of radio one to celebrate the life and legacy of reverend dr. martin luther king jr. and i want to welcome each and every one of you to the nint
Related Keywords
New York , United States , Arkansas , Oklahoma , Brooklyn , Washington , Florida , California , Whitehouse , District Of Columbia , Virginia , Togo , Haiti , Mississippi , West Virginia , Americans , America , American , Karine Jean Pierre , Mandela Nelson , Luther King , Joan T Mulholland , Trayvon Martin , Al Sharpton , Ken Starr , William Jefferson Clinton , Jamie Foxx , Bobby Kennedy , Luther King Jr , John Lewis Ella Baker , Lee Saunders , Spencer Overton , Yolanda King , Laura Murphy , Alan Dershowitz , John Lewis , Melanie Campbell , Vernon Jordan , Stoneman Douglas , Diane Nash , Fannie Lou Hamer , Randi Weingarten , Martin Luther King , Kathy Hughes , Cathy Hughes , Jesse Jackson , Lee Sanders , Muriel Bowser , Eleanor Holmes Norton , Martin Luther , William Jones , Missy Elliott , Martin Luther King Jr , Pam Bondi , Tanya Lombard , Scott King ,
comparemela.com © 2020. All Rights Reserved.