Of national our reach in the library of congress. That this very public event that brings together many of our countries and doctors. We are especially grateful to the sponsors who make this festival possible were thrilled the library could hold this over 17 years. And thats the literature has for society now history in but biography is a perennial favorite here at the festival with a terrific lineup of authors and many are making there very first book festival appearance the were pleased theyre coming back for a return appearance as an additional bonus offers will be signing the books downstairs on the expo floor. Beginning with a Panel Discussion of j. F. Kennedys birth. Said to talk about the recent books on this fascinating 35th president and family and campaign and role of the civilrights effort. So before we get started a special things to wells fargo was generally sponsor the history and biography stage the regional president would like to say a few words for pro. With the operation here in the Capital Region it is my pleasure to be here all seven years my family and i have relocated to the Greater Washington market almost seven years ago and this is the very first event i have the pleasure of attending publicly so it has been a real pleasure to be a part of the festival seven years. Were extremely proud to be a charter sponsor of the National Book festival and also on the stage 07 years to celebrate the wonderful work the library of congress does because well fargo has an active role across the country for quite some time so in the Greater Washington market last year team members have more than 110,000 students with a Different School systems donating over 61,000 books in the reading first program. So working in two different pavilions with the handson history pavilion. So now it is my pleasure to Welcome National public radio will moderate a panel. Good morning can you hear me . Jfk was born in also 100 years ago this year married september 12th, elected president january 20th and then died november 22nd in dallas at the age of 40. Because there are so many books have already been written there is a trio of authors theres so much curiosity about that mr. Darr life by talking about that for the next few minutes then we be asking what lessons from that life could apply today during those Interesting Times i will let you share that Vantage Point we brought some pictures touche share with this new literature and scholarship in with your road to camelot in no your book is about the rise in how close he came to losing so briefly talk us through those pictures. That picture is what they call a boiler room for growth actually it is the sun porch of kennedys house in hyannis port. And it is surely after the one and after the election. Kennedy at that point knows if he will be president elect but there are still a lot of states in play and this is one of those Election Nights at kennedy did not go to lou bed until 3 00 for a short nap banded those the negative for those days would be the secret Service Agents and when he woke up in his house in the compound he noticed the agents so while he was sleeping on Election Night with journalism to make it clear to never have a chance as minnesota. And then to fall over shirley before dawn. So fall live with the finish line. [laughter] so that is a look how we looking at this weight to give in the beginning of a process. The mentor in this work in the making of their president 1960 wrote a story and that this was actually five years conscious of office. In so you can still see that after the war. So to make that decision to run for president but that is what he looks like a man that all began for pro in in the Rackets Committee and with a Senate Investigation of corruption and the Labor Movement to introduce the country to the guy in the middle. In those in full evil figures and in the summer of 1957 with an antagonist on the left so she lived at his heels she did not trust him or like jam. During the heyday of Joseph Mccarthy but she changed. And then to be nominated for president with that texas delegation in the few gainers 01 in los angeles. Two days before he was nominated. Spending your time with kennedy says living with the family over 13 years. Can you hear her okay . So with that expectation but i want them to have a good time but that is the picture of my wedding. This is the and cape cod but john was not a big fan of course, is. So that was called the window in the reading cupcakes to of those are not but this was the first line is in cape cod on Kennedy Beach every dole decided to bury shannon. [laughter] so then after that decided to wash them out. For me to go to colorado and then gave me the credit card. And then he borrowed my gloves but never gives them back. [laughter] so tell the story of the Kennedy Family 19 years old just arrived from ireland in then you get the summons to park avenue. In was in your city police officer. But the secret service man said he is the nice irish and i said i will take the job but i do have another job so i went up to the elevator in the lady let me and. In said to me my name is john price said my name is kathy ice eight she said to want to see my dog to attract . And then he said go. And then she went to get it you want to see him to another track . And then made shannon rollover. In said john what you doing . I said my name is kathy and she said i know that. So when can you start . I have the jobs already. I said i have to let them know that i am leaving in she said you dont need that. [laughter]. So lets get to your ears so you chose to do this story together that is fascinating interaction of the civilrights movement. My book is the complicated relationship between kennedy and a mill k. And that influence on john kennedy would to be the first civil rights president but when he first came into office he was rather opposed with the domestic agenda is and an okay really had to push him in that the evolution and the first one is from the freedom riots when white supremacist try to bring down the interstate travel and those freedom writers inside that kennedy did not pay that much attention to that moral issue involved in civil rights so now we jump for word to the Birmingham Campaign because there were other issues before this as he was stumbling along. This is of the childrens march that king agreed to do reluctantly because he was a little afraid of putting children into the protest for fear of getting hurt but they were working for the future of these children if they wanted to do it so they will forward period some of the reaction. The police and Fire Department reluctantly used highpowered Water Cannons they were so powerful day toward the close of of the participants and lacerated their skin and the police under the aggressive chief released the police dog around the same time during the of protested very limited spread out. They were rather vicious said attacked people. The next two photos will show you the difference in the light between m. L. Kn john kennedy this is easter weekend during the protest of birmingham. Em co pay is arrested kennedy is arrested wrote this tremendous piece called the letter from birmingham from the civil rights or civil disobedience and it was a beautiful piece of work but of mass a weekend is kennedy with his weekend and wife going to you church , celebrating easter sunday. With such difficulty coming to an agreement so those events that push kennedy over the edge when they were blocking the schoolhouse door blocking them from registering defederalize the National Guard and was appalled by all the other things that occurred. Been done that very night of june 11 you can see kennedy was eager to go on television live. He didnt have a speech prepared he put something together denounced and announced he wanted to do civilrights legislation but this is the first time the president spoke about it in moral terms. Defining that moral crisis that after the of speech they could finally make kennedy come around from two 1 2 years earlier. They give for introducing your books and have a few questions then we will open into the audience. Starting with a political question so covering National Security and how often in jfk still comes up in conversation whether you talk about many times. With President Trump bringing immediate members of his family in touche the administration that was the path already brought in by the kennedys so where is that poland of politics . So i have to laugh at the Kennedy Library during centennial week. To say that from what kennedy did between 1955 in 60 because in effect on the fly the polling be outside in approach to organized thinking the National Convention of where people broker nominations in starting in 1960 we have this new group of people into the process called voters. So this is one reason for crow in starting a campaign. And to have encyclopedia knowledge in to be struck with that description of the Kennedy Campaign with the insurgent campaign and even during the 26 campaign 2016 campaign. It is hard because of what happened subsequently. But that resonate was extremely thin and the connections to the Democratic Party were extremely tenuous at best that had to be built up. And as a result in to be bored with the candidacy to understand how important it is so from talking to loper to her did she love it . To read a thing she love it. So if they are through their friends . But what i would say in terms of relevance of this story of kennedy today with the civilrights progress is never over. So this happens during the time that i will get the progress 61 through 63 but that was the same night so with that workers in jackson mississippi came home and then he was gunned down. Id in august of 63 the march washington was a wonderful event. And he gave his famous i have a dream speech. If you have a 16th Street Baptist Church bombing that killed four little girls purpose of the progress is struck back similar to see the relevance the thought we were in during the post racial world. In that issue is the progress of. I just kept running into another element of this. So just remember there is a moral tract or a movement or a political track to get things done. So in my research but what fascinated me in with politics complete the especially of his reluctance to be busted that the Department Store in the way into and from the campaign in 1960 because he was worried of the impact from the election but he didnt. He knew he had to play politics and got arrested right before the election. That turns to kennedy and then to be more of luther king. So the Nixon Campaign offered a no comment. So with kennedy and his family decided he would not speak out directly that make a call to his wife to tell her how concerned he was because she was four months pregnant. And of course, that got into the media rally rallying the black constituency walking to the polls with the election time came in after that they claim with some validity they elected john kennedy had expected him to work for him. That is what causes frustration and anger. Nevada is the challenge of writing history of memoirs but we know how the story ends there was a moment you were asked a question is where we you when kennedy was shot . And his ass that i his daughter. She was in the bedroom in she said where were you with my father were shot . Fisa i was environment she said i thought you were in the United States i said everybody was very sad would happen to your father. Were was a picture in the paper and hung that up in the kitchen live with that type of picture. The as we say in ireland and go to a little store to say there is no audience tonight because the president was shot everything is cancelled and closed down. In the radio had to be charged in my father used to keep it so with they were up and down the street. I want to make sure we have time for a couple of questions. If you have a question go to the microphone. Thank you for being here he remains my hero. But one of the things i have always liked is his selfeffacing humor whether during the various speeches and extemporaneously comes up with a humorous remark about himself is a selfeffacing way and i find that politics or political world so i was wondering if you pitch share that aspect. Humor is political. And then before we started writing but everything applies. But as the matter of political strategy he used humor so there are problems at the beginning of this political career in 1946 and though he died. In to call them openers in the kennedy speech he almost never talk to read his wealth seriously he would always use humor. When he was ready for the senate. Talking about what it would cost so as he was always appearing to be ahead of the race. So i m willing to pay but i will be dave m. If i will like it. [laughter] is in serious talk with the religion. About to become the first and only catholic to be elected president of the United States. The with those political dinners especially with at the al smith nominee in they lost in the day after the election to send a one word telegram to pope pius teeeleven. [laughter] was the election of a stolen . It is very important there has not alatas serious studies a lot of but the importance of africanamerican votes there is a story attached to that because and the nose to john a. Of robert to have that case publicized they have 1 million of the two new page leaflet to have activism on one side and eisenhower no comment on the other disturbing them all over the country it was tinted blue but instead you can see the spite of the turnout in michigan and new york and new jersey but eisenhower himself but kennedys intervention but the rnc of kentucky was positive in italy studied very hard and so that is interesting the same counties the increasing it is the evidentiary burden that they have yet to satisfy. Believe the guy say along those lines is that black voters did come out in huge numbers some states it was such a close election by several thousand votes but there were 200,000 africanamericans you turned out so they did turn the tide so those leaders said it was responsible for the live coral votes so it is pretty accurate. In 20 of those states the margin was below five Percentage Points only North Carolina was four or five because kennedy won 13 of them in the margin was less than 1 so we have a very strong case. Because he was an inspiration to me and what was created hid his name and that is our spent most of my professional life. In with the sense of politics but the other event that nobody has mentioned was cuba. And what he did at that moment that is also extremely important. That could be a little bit outside the scope of all three of your books . Cuba got kennedy into a big mess he listened to his advisers would he should not have and was devastated by what happened. Yes that is something different. So lets try very briefly that astonishing during the of missile crisis. It to talk to a friend at harvard with the next big biography. So deep in the bowels of the pentagon when they were searching for something with more or appeasement with that blockade ids so that experimental in that in some way that hasnt been too political about cuba earlier. But on cuba after the third debate with nixon when nixon was doing better with the fourth policy issues the first guy to be a poster of a campaign the of that analysis said that issue that has that exercised is not the soviet union but the cuba. So that led to rhetoric with the bay of pigs that inter and laid the basis for those hideous 13 days. Fascinating. They to all three of you. [applause]