Come in silver spring, maryland. I am honored to sew introduce chris wilson in conversation with judd ashman. He toronto the arts and humanities and this event is thanks in part to generous support of volunteers. We owe them a great debt. A few announcements before i do our intro i hope youre following the gaugersberg took philadelphia and if you post helps raise our awareness and the jdp. Your feedback is vandal ubel and to my left, your right,under surveys available by submitting a survey you also enter to win a 100 visa gift card which i assume youll spend on books. Chris wilson will be signing his book immediately after the presentation and copies are of his book, the master plan, are on sealing in the politics and prose tent which is over there. Police support this incredible institution, and the authors who came here to share their talents and grab a book. Signed books make great gifts. Today we get to hear from one of my favorite sons of d. C. , he is a selfdescribed historical teller, entrepreneur, artist, awe authorize and a great advocate for social justice himself book the master plan, journey from life in african a life of purpose is inspiring and instructive and triumphant. He turned a life sentence into a Second Chance. At 18 he was sentenced to a life in prison with no hope of parole. Honever chris tale doesnt rely on the old tropes of bootstraps and prevailing as a social actor independent of circumstances. The washington, dc of Chris Wilsons child is beset by institutional oppression and generational trauma. You find ourself struck by kneeling of here that result inside years of prison for wilson. What follows agripping narrative, determination and triumph not just for him but for the community he continues to build and nourish, through the tenets he threw for himself in prison, his master plan. This book is noor now issuing and heartplane can, sober and inspiring and real as the divide between empathy and action. Look forward to this conversation today between our author and get a effortburg mayor and found are obook in fife, jud ashman. Join me in welcoming jud ashman and chris wilson. [applause] thank you so much. Were so looking forward to the new story in silver spring. So, this is a remarkable book. We have im sure we have all read good, inspirational the tales of redemption before. I think this book delivers on that front but also happens to be outstandingly written piece and so i want to give you all a flavor of this and ask chris to just read from the prologue and then well get into the questions. How is everybody doing . Great. Awesome. Thank you for coming out. They came to my cell at 4 00 a. M. But i was already awake. Dressed, and standing by my bunk. It wasnt that i couldnt sleep. Those days i was sleeping better than ever. I was more likely my body knew this is the moment, chris, ten years, four months, in the making, lets get it done. Are you ready, wilson . Im ready. They walk me down the tier, everyone asleep at this hour, nothing but the sound of our shoes on the concrete floor. The doors buzzing as the guards push them open, then the clinging shut as we left. They put the cuffs on to process me through the last get a, the guard whispering, good luck, wilson, were rioting for you, as he locks the chain around my waist. When he extend away the was all business as usual. The transfer of bus took almost an hour and ten minutes through the rolling field offered howard county, 30 on the interstate, another 15 through the washington, dc suburbs. To the courthouse in upper marlborough to where my original trial had taken place. It was still dark. But i wasnt much to see past my own reflection. Looking back at me through the bars, across the bus window. In the basement of the courthouse another set of doors and metal detectors another set of procedures. They lock me in a holding cell with five members of ms13 street gang. Skinny, salvadorans with tattoo thorns faces because ms13 is no joke. The members of dedicated to the life. I wasnt chained but i was in my prison uniform. I never wore it because i wanted to look on the outside like the man i was inside. But it was required here. This was who the system said i was. The salvadorons watched me as suspension as i slid on to the bunch nodded but nobody nodded back. Eventually they started arguing in spanish whether or not i was a snitch and put into the cell to eavesdrop and gather information. They were in for preliminary hearings but the state had nothing, they said. So dont say anything around him. Spoke fluent spanish, i spoke three languages fluently. And sat i was walking on mandarin at the time. But i didnt react. I didnt want to spook them. We were in a cell for almost two hours, and for the last hour nobody said a word. Inmate 265975, inmade wilson, let good, wilson. I said as i left, just so they knew. I rode up in he elevator with a black female bailiff. A grandmotherly type. Her hear set, uniform pressed. She smelled nice. Nothing in prison smells lifestyle. You have a good judge, said. Shes a fair lady. Whattor sentence . Life, oh, she said as her face dropped. For lifers she knew there was no good news. Well, good luck. Oh, judge was on her eye see. Studying me as i entered. How many men like me have she seen today i wondered. How many this week . How many this month . The jury box was empty but the public benches were packed with four people, mostly women and children, waiting for loved ones to be called and i searched the crowd. But nobody looked back. All these friends and families were near other prisoners. I knew nobody was coming for me. The only person there for me, my probono lawyer, keith, was laughing and joking with the states attorney. I had known keying for more than seven years. Trusted him with my life. So when i saw him laugh wig the states attorney it threw me off if the old street mistrust came back. Trying to keep me inside forever. Why are you talking to her . Keith put is hand round my shoulder and winked, we got this, chris. He looked confident. But keith always looked confident. He looked confident the day i met million he lawyers room at the institution when way as 21yearold lifer who was was a 23 family law intern with slicked back care and a south boston accent so think i could barely understand him. It took us six years and five rejections from the judge to get the sentence modification hearing. The only way a lifer like me could get back from under, for every three months keith has slapped this ratty briefcase on at the table and smiled like he knew everything secret in the book and said, it turned your request down again, chrisbut dont worry. Easy for you to say when you get to drive home. Your honor, were prepared. If the court is ready. The states attorney hammered my crime like if new she wood. A man was shot six times, she said, shot in the middle with the chest, shot in the lower rightside of the chest, shot in the right but tox and right elbow. Shod in the hand, your honor, as he was running. Murder, your honor, while running away. Never be able to better himself, she he said. Hell never be able to say, im proud of myself. I got an associates degree. He will never know his children. Never know his grandchildren. Was shot down at 31 years of age. That defendant pointing at me, without any thought of what his life was like, took it away. The states attorney sat down and i could feel the spectators leaning fur because this whereas more than other crime. It was murder. And i was more than a prisoner. I had been sentenced to natural life in a penitentiary system in the at the age of 18 and i only had one shot, this shots, walking owl of my cell alive so everyone in the courtroom wanted to know what i had to say. Was i innocent . Was i falsely accused . Was there exextenuating circumstances like selfdefense . The judge turned to me like, well, not in conflict but curious if took a deep breath. This was it. My life in a moment. My fate in a strangers hand. My last chance or i would die in prison and a prison cell, 30, 40 years in the future, and an old man, slurping watery out of a plastic bell. But yet i felt calm. I knew what i had to do. Your or, i said, i want to tell you the truth. [applause] my first question is for all of you. Who having listened to that isnt interested to read the book . Seriously. And spoiler alert, chris is here so something good must have happened. Yes, true. So i want to backtrack in your life and you grew up in northeast d. C. And a little in temple hills. What was ick like on division avenue. I grew up in washington, dc, in the late 80s, early 90s and unfortunately around this time washington, dc was the murder capital of the united states. And so there was a lot of gun violence. A lot of drug activities, the time when the crack epidemic was sweeping through the community and changed very rapidly back then. So and part of your time was also in Prince Georges County, where your mom lived. Yes. So, my weekends were different if kind of describe myself as a hybrid. Spend monday through friday in the neighborhood in washington, dc, and then i was staying Prince Georges County over the weekend width my mom and it was very different. We had Swimming Pool mitchell mom bought the latest cars and worked hard and it was a very different experience, it was mixed race neighborhood and it was white people and just like all kinds of people and we all were cool and just a very different. It was great, actually. Now in the book you talk but growing up in the intercity and use this fantastic metaphor of platos al gory of the cave. Want to talk about that. Sure i still get teased for this but im not into supports, dont watch a lot of tv. Its a read sore im excited to be here. Here at home today. Clearly. So growing up, i would get in trouble by any grandmother because i would cross the four lane highway to go to high area and theyed a a childrens section and librarians would read to us and i read this children of friendly version of platos al gory and to such it up its pout prisoners who chaneed up and spend their lives in caves but they imagine a reality where looking into the shadows cast on the wall and one prisoner manages to escape the cave and he leaves, and he discovers this beautiful world outside of the cave and its vibrant colors and magnificent exploit its the world we know today. And so different versions and the version i read this, person is captured and return back to the cave, and he feels horrible because he knows what is outside of the cave, and everybody else inside the cave, theyre getting on him like you try to leave, thought you were better than us, and this story stuck with me because it reminded me of my community i was growing up in at the time, what people would be killed for tennis shoes on my block or killed for anything. And so all throughout my life and i weave this through the book i thought about that perspective of believing in a world that was difference from your everyday reality of what is happening on your block. So you continually use this throughout the book. To talk about people who are enlightened and people who arent. People who understand theres something more and people who dont. Right. I feel like we have a responsibility. Once you understand what is possible in the world and what you can do with your life, i feel like we have a responsibility to go back, whether its in figuratively go go back into in the cave 0 communes and help hem understand what is possible in the world littler thats why continue to tell the story. So, lets talk about what sort of led to the incident that get you locked up. So, again around this time it was lot of gun violence and my family my cousin had been shot 17 times in front of the house mitch brother was shot also. And my mom, who was dating a police officer, and he as kind of like the Denzel Washington on training day. Wasnt the Motor Vehicle but not a good police officer. And he attacked us one day, and i started carrying a gun after this, like, he started stalking our family and all my siblings started carrying guns, even my sister. So one night when i left the house a man start follow michigan and i had my gun on me but it didnt want to use it so i walked towards a gas station where people would be and its thought they wont do anything to me here i hope. And it was a lot of people throughout and these men came up to me, in their 30s, way as 17 and they surrounded me threatened me it and was like we know where you live at, where your family is, dont think youre safe andll get all of you guys and one guy tried to get behind me and i panicked and pulled my gun and started shooting and i took a persons life. And so how long after that did they catch you. I was arrested, i think but two weeks later. And i was confuse evidence because when i fired my weapon think both ran off in a different direction and i didnt know i hit anyone so i didnt even believe what i had done. So, once you are locked up, they initially take you to county jail, and i would say, having read this book, one of the most affecting chapters is when which is first gets into county jail, i believe its right after you get sentenced, they put you in solitary because they separate the lifers from the rest of the general population and it the experience of what was it, 30 days it was a month of solitary. Is literally howeverring and you describe never actually seen it described ive heard about this issue but never seen it described like that before. So, one, without sort of reliving it and horrifying everybody here, maybe talk a about bit it that and then since you have been out, have you been involved in any sort of efforts to change how we do that . Right. So, i mean i write vividly about my experience in solitary confinement, and like that incident it was about a little over 30 days but i did 117 days prior to that in solitary confinement, and lets be honest with you, the most horrific experience that you can imagine, and its strength because i wasnt allowed to have any human contact. And so i would do things like lay on the floor my cell to try to catch a breeze that would blow down the hallway. Would yell in hopes someone yelling back. Just wanted to hear or see another human being. And i just wasnt allowed to do it. And so thats a time you were 17 or 18. I was 17 i just turned 18. Okay. It was terrifying for me, just tactile sensation, i would rub the walls and count and think but offering could i remember from my childhood but i survived it. But like eventually fast forward and like today, most of us didnt make it into the book but two years ago i became a painter and start making art and one of my first paintings i did was titled solitary confine. Is torture, and so part of being an artist, it forced me to research and defend what im painting about, and what i researched and found out that in united states, 80,000 men, women and children, on the state level, are subjected to solitary confinement and solitary confinement has been deemed by in the international community, as torture and we torture our people. Regardless if theyve been already been punished but how do you expect people to come home and be productive if wore torturing them. Jud ashman eventually moved over to the institution and thats different. Lets talk about how that is different. Chris wilson it was different becausee in the sense of what you think prison is. There is a Youth Program that i was in, you had to go to therapy, i was probably like two or three times a week. It was mandatory and you had to work a job, and you had to stay out of trouble. It was a program that if you stay out of trouble and you did what youre supposed to do, you would would move up in levels. That being said, there was maximumsecurity present and everything that on the street except guns was inside a prison. We even had women inside of our prison. You can imagine how bizarre, the prison life was. People were being killed in all sorts of wild stuff. Jud ashman same time, notim long thereafter, you developed a master plan and to turn your life around. Chris wilson growing up, my mother always instilled in me, i wrote in how she i instilled ine entrepreneurship and being a good person. Its important for me to say this. I know it was convicted of a terrible calm which i am remorseful for i didnt want to do this for. I felt like my life is endangered. When i am in prison, there were a lot of people in prison who osome of them, belong to there. All sorts of stuff was happening. I knew in my heart i was aer god person. I wanted to prove it. Anyone can tell you that im good and ive changed everything, but i figured i want to show people how intelligent i am and how i am a good person and why my life is redeemable. Thats when i decided to lock myself in a sale and what i call myself a master plan. Checking off a few things that i always wanted to do. Most importantly though, was going back into the same communities that i grew up in and help lead people out of that cave, to help convince those people to later events down and embrace the beautiful life. Jud ashman while this was happening, the Political Climate in maryland wasnt so promising for some for lifers. Parole at the time the governor had said no more parole for lifers. Chris wilson i call it a positive delusion. I know the governor said, life means life and you grow old and you stay there and you die inre prison. There werent a lot of people inside the prison who had been there for 30 and 40 years. They said just get comfortable because you are not getting out. I am have always been stubborn growing up maybe in a bad way but i chose not to believe it. I believed that i could get out. Jud ashman how would you describe the master plan about what it actually is. Chris wilson so the master plan is essentially, like a philosophy of how we should live our lives. In the back of the book i have 32 or 33 things that you should remember by creating your own master plan. First, youou think about what is your end game we only have one life to live. How do you want to live it. What are people going to say about you when you are not here question mark and it is like a bucket list. We should reward ourselves. We should travel and learn different cultures. Also, it is not just about us, we should help give back and help other people. I created this list about two pages of ally of the things i wanted to do. All of my educational, image that i wanted to visit, and he sent a copy to the judge, i sent a copy to my grandmother because everyone listens to grandmas. Right. [laughter] thats the important thing about the master plan. Youu need to share it with someone and allow them to hold you accountable. Di i went to school, i would therapy, and i exercise every day for about a decade, literally everything a day. So that. Jud ashman so that story you told after how many years had you been in there . Chris wilson ten and a half years. Jud ashman obviously it works out well for you. Good question please. You talk about how throughout your life books had meant a great deal to you. You started a book club with the best names for any god booger the book pressures. Its also trash talking at the same time. When you think reading has meant so much to you. Sina. Chris wilson i think growing up and not having access to a lot of things that most children have access to, reading allowed me, and not being into sports, reading allowed me to escape. It allowed me to use my imagination and explain her world. I had no money to travel anywhere to south america or new york but i i could read about i. It allowed me to do that and it provided comfort. It still does. I read in the books every week. There is something so beautiful and totally rewarding. Especially for our young people in shapes our minds. Be three in the book there is a list of recommended reading. Its at the end. E a couple of books have meant a lot to you in your life. Chris wilson actually whole bunch. The value of the cave, was more, the very good book. The meaning of life by frank, i am liking on his last name. But it was a lot of books that i read that really change my life. I really like moby. I read that when i was very young. Hes chasing this willha and is adamant adamant about catching him but the stories themselves were very relative to our lives. We take a lot of stuff. I want to make a whole bunch of money and you work l all of your life to make money and you end up hurting yourself. I have a bunch of books in the back of this book. But there are many more. Twentythree i will know for the record that westmore was actually at her keynote at our first book festival for that book the other westmore. How difficult was it to adjust to free life after you got out . Chris wilson it was difficult but not in the sense that most people would think. Just like i said earlier, everything that was on the streets were also inside of the. Prison cells. They had video games and cell phones and it wasas crazy but it was in there. I wasnt shocked about technology and handsfree mobile devices and stuff. I didnt have that stuff but it was all around me. The most difficult thing for me was the psychological aspect of getting out of prison at 32 years old. An and not having anything toot my name, not a job, not a place to stay, i had not seen a pretty woman. I had a 10dollar phone from radioshack. I would introduce myself hey i am chris, were youou work out, y are you always on the phone, it was tough for me. My selfesteem and self is really like being beat up. This was dc, most people say what you do, most people say that to you. [laughter]. Jud ashman to make that question ahi little bit bigger. What he think we a society could ak should be doing to make that readjustment easier for people . Chris wilson that is a really good question. What i think is unless you step back as we are all lawabiding and taxpaying citizens, i hope. [laughter] someone commits a crime, they should be punished. I agree with that. More than anyone. They call it corrections. To go to prison. Whatever social deficiency, that should be corrected, we are payinghe for this by the way. They should be able r to come ot and re acclimate into your society. Now if someone breaks into your car, and they go off to prison. You dont want them going to prison and become a better prisoner a better criminal. Wh dont get out and can break into your house. We need to turn our prisons in twoo something where they can gt education. Some people say why should we p give them an education. It is a better investment to give them an education. All around the world, it reduces and changes people. We should run our prisons differently. People out in society should understand the importance of return of the education. Some people do belong in prison. There are monsters. I have met people like this. But most of the people, deserve a Second Chance. That is the most important. [applause]. Jud ashman what have you done since you have gotten out . Chris wilson ive been out of prison for seven yearsrs as f two weeks ago. I am the owner of several multi milliondollar companies in baltimore. I helped 273 people in Baltimore City get jobs. Los than ten wereob minimumwage jobs. [applause] t i have won every award in the state of maryland including the president ial award from obama. [applause] i am a semester away from earninge for my Second Degree and i have been offered a full ride at harvard. I am not made this public yet but my book is actually being turned into a feature film. Ive a movie deal. [applause] finally, the most important thing in addition to the is that i have started my own foundation. I recently awarded a scholarship to a young man who was in prison working towards his bachelors degree. I support a lot of educational programs. Philanthropy and paying it forward is the most important thing. [applause]. Jud ashman amazing. I will take a little more serious of a term personally. One of the characters when you read this book, the characters is his mother. Chriss relationship with his mother is propagated. Earlier in his life, you find her to be extremely supportive and nurturing but things take a turn for her where she gets caught up in addiction and it abusive the relationship and then, essentially abandons you. And yet, one of the first things you see when you open the book is that you have dedicated this book to her. Chris wilson right. My mom has waived, i am shaped by my mom and with the entrepreneur ship. She is important to be respectful towards women and polite. Even when i was bad, i was polite. [laughter]. She was very instrumental in my life. It took me a long time, i am 40 now. It took me a long time to understand the relationship with my mom. I was a mama boy. She was a when you turn 18, and youre leaving the house, he would say i am never leaving you. Me and my m mom was attached. What i didnt understand then was the ptsd that people experience, the trauma from that experience. My mother turned on me. For most of my life i didnt understand why. She would say mean things to me like she was ship i was never born, she abandoned me when i went off to prison. But through a lot of therapy, i was able to understand that her people actually hurt people. Who my mom is experiencing had areally nothing to do with me. She was suffering. Now i understand that. My mom unfortunately, took her life. I talked to her before she did it. It was some things that she wanted me to remember to finish my plans and dont blame her and stuff. I feel really bad about it but the take away from it is that i dedicated it to my mom. I know my mom was injured and hurt so i dont take my experience personally from her. Its important for me to say this to because im assuming theres a lot of moms in this room and people, to me i dedicated it to my mom. Mothers are so important, dancer cole [laughter] the moms are everything. Is the most important thing. Even if it is not your mom, and your mother is saying get in the house and everybody listens to her. It is just such an important aspect of our society. [applause]. Jud ashman i have to thank you for sharing that with us. It is deeply personal as of this sbook in its entirely is deeply personal. Thank you. So we have around 15 minutes left and i would like to open it up for any audience today for q a. We do have a microphone. Where is it . I we have a question here up front. [inaudible conversation] im an easy question. I wonder about the first step. You say hi to a young woman. I should talk to you. What did you do next and next to start your path westmark. Chris wilson my selfconfidence was beat to pieces by the women of washington dc. [laughter]. I just decided that im just going to focus on my education, go back to school, and am going to get a good job and going to get a house, im going to do all of these things that dc women would like. I dont recommend this but thats what i did. I eventually, got my green card and i drove back to dc and felt good. Thats not the most important thing. Just impressing women. The most important thing and thats what i realized was focusing on bettering myself. So i did focus on my education. I went and got a bicycle. People laughed at me. I just went to college every day and i got a job and i did it the oldfashioned way. The american way. Living will. I work within the system. Jci. The guys really look up to you. Can you give me just two words or two sentences that i can take back to my students to say chris wilson said x, y, and z. The first thing speak one. Chris wilson always surround yourself with positive people, amazing people. Some of the most innovative people. Book crushers, exercise and focus, read the newspaper. I would say to them, run yourself with people like that. The second thing i would say, is when you get out of prison and even layer in there, create your only your own personal list. Look at five people in the fie field, experts in the field. These are your advisors. I dont operate without my board of advisors. These are people are going to help you get through life. Thats what i would suggest. Jud ashman who has the next question judy clark. I just wanted to say thank you and what a wonderful story. The question is, how can i become involved in your foundation, want to help i w wat to volunteer, want to help with Reentry Program how would i go about doing the question mark. Chris wilson i appreciate that. Thank you. Right now currently, i am finding some programs behind the fence. Ive a mission to get my book in every prison in america. I am working with some folks at the gate, steve jobs, emerson, 3000 prisons. I want to get my books into every prison. How you can help elise in the state of maryland, all my book is in all of the juvenile systems. Send them books. Send my book. I am biased but is a good book right. [applause] [laughter] i believe my story will resonate with at least some of these people behind the fence. How you could support, you can sendd some books to some folks. You should read it, its a good book, then send it off. Put it in the hands of people who my story willes resonate wi. Its an excellent book. I will vouch for that, it is an excellent book. While why were you not allowed to use primary colors in prison. Chris wilson someone has read the book. [laughter] followed me on social media. In prison, at least in the state of maryland, the primary colors are gang activity. That wasnt allowed. Us it was gray and may be like some but Everything Else is forbidden. You see my art, monday motives, picasso and stuff i use a lot of vibrant primary colors my work because i was deprived of it so much. Chris wilson they did allow us to use some primary colors but you couldnt do a red truck or redshirt. You just werent allowed to use the vibrant colors like that. This is my first time hearing your story. Its bringing me to tears. Im from new york. I was a former teacher, and i am just wondering is there anything you do with the younger age level twoag before they get to this. Nt thats where i see it. These children who have so much potentialti but the means are nt there forum. To be inspired toe hear from people like you i think can make a world of difference that such an early age. Do you work with children at earlier ages. Would you consider doing itr . Maybe even at the eighth grade level question mark. Chris wilson thanks for your kind words. I every day of the week, im going to schools, past couple of days have been going to different places and is a very important because especially in communities like i grew up in, its important for young people to see people who look like them and come for more they come from that are successful. L. We always tell them that you can be a dr. And entrepreneur or whatever they want to be but its Important Forum to actually see that. I tell them not to worry, it is possible. Did you have a relationship with your father at all . Chris wilson i had a brieft relationship with my father right before i went off to prison. When i was away in trial, my father was killed. Regrettably, the last conversation with my father i cussed him out. Us my dad saidd to me was, youre o intelligent, youre so book smart, why did she p show people how smart you are. At least get your high school diploma. He brought me a ged book which eventually was mailed to me when i went off to prison and thats what started everything. But a i didnt have a relationsp with him. I feel like myo actions today, i get to honor my father and my mother by being successful and upgrading my education. Jud ashman we need the mike. Question. Thank you. Who you living with the dc question mark. Chris wilson i was living with my grandmother. E on division avenue. But i live in baltimore now. Whos gonna play you in the movie . [laughter]. Chris wilson so this isnt signed yet but s michael the jordan right now. How great is that. [applause] leave question over here. Are you doing. It really touched me heart, your story. As a black man who murdered, and having lived in baltimore. I feel about the moment, the young man that was killed, by a White Police Officers and what you tell the people in the organizations that you work wi with. How do you relate to that . Chris wilson is a deep question. I relate to it in a sense that, i have my art and my companies and i could lay low and be safe. But i work every day. At ground zero in these neighborhoods. It hurts me to say, but Baltimore City is one of the most most dangerous city in america right. But i dont run, i stay in these communities do the work because people who look like me,ei are still being killed every day. Ive been blessed by god, to have a Second Chance to live my life. That doesnt mean i can just run off somewhere and hide and just be successful and ride around in my car or whatever. Thats not what my life was meant to be. I am going to stay on ground zero and try to save as many lives as possible thats important. Wh they need to hear from people have been through what theyve been through. [applause]. Jud ashman so chris when you look back on it, do you think that this period of time where you were locked up, ironically is where you more fully god out of the cave. Chris wilson but i dont want to people to think that you have to go to prison. We dont recommend that. But honestly, rockbottom, i write about this too, is a sie psychological aspect. Rockbottom, you can always go further but i just want to do something different. Its not working out. You want to breakf law, you want to be a criminal, is only working out. We should be doing something else. There was a certain. My life that i want to do something different. I was honestly never a violent person, know that person was just putting the situation, especially our children it is so important lease in the state of maryland, we shouldnt judge ours childrenke on the mistakes they made as children. There is 300 full in the state of maryland who committed crimes in maryland that have no way of getting out when they did this when they were children. What is that say about our society if we treat our children that way . What is your endgame chris question mark how do you want to be remembered . Chris wilson this is the question he asked throughout the book. I think for me, its a pride to somebody because throughout the book and throughout my life, want to be an entrepreneur but i have learned some things, over the past couple of years. The power of philanthropy and helping other people and not ask anything in return. What, i mean, by that is i so my art for a lot of money, my foundation, but is important for me to remember that i made it this far because of a handful of people all who were not related to me, saw potential in me. They screamed at me they sent me emails, all coming from a place of love. They pushed me to be the person i am today. I imagine the world where we find people who will say you know what you are not my child but i am m going to help you. Thats how i made is that this far. Theres something about so beautiful about getting a full ride and dont pay it back, i pay it forward. That is the most important thing that ive learned. [applause] i just want to say is the proud mayor of gaithersburg maryland, it is an honor to have youu and to bring your story to our community. Lets give chris a great round of applause. [applause] [laughter] [applaus [applause]. [inaudible conversation] looks or until next door. Chris will be back to sign books. [inaudible conversation] every year but tv covers book fairs and festivals around the country. Heres a look of some events coming up. Next weekend is the ajc, decatur festival that takes place outside of lamanna. And will be live on saturday, from a National Book festival hosted in washington dc. Later in the fall, look first at the brooklyn book festival in new york city. The southern festival books in nashville. For more information about upcoming books and book fairs coming up. Book tv. Org. Heres a quick look at whats airing this evening in prime type and book tv. We sit down with robin turner at the annual rotarian conference free to pass. If you can keep it. Also Princeton University professor, weighs in on race gender and class in america. Media Research Center founder and president brett brazil is that the media is biased against president trump. Reports on the use of technology and space to improve the field of archaeology. An historian, douglas, timo union spies who private who provided intelligence to president lincoln doing the civil war. This device prime time lineup. Check your Program Guide for more information. It is my honor to people to introduce scholar. A washington. She is the author, her new work at terrible thing to waste. Racism and its assault on the american mice. Research to how harmful environmental factors disproportionately impact marginalized communities and what needs to be done to address and remedy the negative effects