Transcripts For CSPAN2 Book Discussion On Showdown 20151005

Tonight we are here, gathered here this evening and i view this really as the intersection of history and the future. What do i mean by that . The intersection of history and the future . We are in Lincoln Theater in this theater. This was the only place where black folks could calm and be entertained in the theater because they couldnt go downtown. They would come right here. This theater was nearly demolished by a wrecking bull, almost torn down but we saved it renovated it and its now one of the jewels of the city of columbus. History tonight. [applause] and the intersection of our future of arts and culture in the black community, the rehabilitation that rejuvenation, the recreation of this Lincoln District in the process. History in the future, the intersection. Wil haygood who was raised in columbus, went to east high school, played basketball. Everything he learned in life he learned it here in the city of columbus. [applause] his values, his skill, his inspiration and in fact his first writing job was for the post which was located right around the corner in this very neighborhood. Wil haygood as someone who never forgot about our city even though he has gone on to win awards, written multiple books, great books. One of his books turned into a movie. Someone who cares deeply about his past, deeply about the city of columbus and he is now one if not the premier, Great American biographers in our country. Someone we are proud of in the city of columbus. [applause] wil haygood, somebody needs to tell the stories of our people or they will be lost. And he does it in an eloquent way, in a way thats exciting and moving and inspiring for the future, for our children. I say we could never plan ahead unless we understand from where we calm and wil haygood has been that person that has explained where we come from so that we can march on to the future and he has many more stories to tell history and our future intersecting here tonight at Lincoln Theater. Thurgood marshall. You no Thurgood Marshall visited columbus many times. We did some research on him. It was somewhere between nine and 13 or 14 times he visited columbus. In fact it goes all the way back to 1938 when he first came to columbus first recorded time he came to columbus. He may have come before then but in 1938 he came to columbus to five years after he graduated from howard law school. He came to our city to advocate, to participate, to speak and many times thereafter often at the naacp annual meeting in the city of columbus. He probably stayed at saint claire hotel which is right around the corner on garfield, because back in those days black folks couldnt stay at the hotels downtown. Like they couldnt go to the theaters downtown, so they came to this area of our community, the harlem of the midwest. And i can envision her good martial walking up and down the streets of mt. Vernon avenue going to our churches, walking up and down the streets. I can envision Thurgood Marshall being in this theater at some point in time because everybody came to this theater on longstreet during that period of time. So this is an intersection between history and our future and Thurgood Marshall helped set the path for the future of our country in many ways. He helped set the path for all of us here tonight to enjoy the fruits of democracy in the greatness of our constitution. He was a true american that did so many good things to lift up our nation. Lincoln theater, haygood, marshall all at one time in one place in the city of columbus, how fitting. [applause] the son of columbus, he is our son. He picks his city in this theater where Thurgood Marshall probably spent time on the streets of longstreet avenue. Tonight youre going to hear about the lowdown with the showdown. Thank you. [applause] the one thing i forgot to tell you is that i spent 16 years as president of the king arts complex and now i have been six years as the chairman of its board and its great to have the two institutions collaborate. This is the first of many to come. It is my pleasure to give you a brief overview of wil haygood although he needs no introduction to this audience. He has authored seven nonfiction books including a trilogy, a biography of iconic 20th century figures hailed as culturally important by the los angeles times. The king of the cats, the life and times of Adam Clayton Powell jr. A New York Times notable book of the year. The second book of great no word see in black and white, the life of sammy davis junior a multiple award winner and the next book was called sweet thunder, the life and times of sugar ray robinson. Named as a best book of the year by forbes. His other books are too on the river, about a 2500mile journey down the Mississippi River and a family memoir, the story needs no introduction. A story of eugene allen the white house butler who served eight president s turned into a blockbuster movie. For 17 years he was a national and Foreign Correspondent with the boston globe. In 1990 he covered the civil war in somalia and was taken hostage by the rebels. He was eventually released with the aid of a pakistani and troops. On another Foreign Correspondents he found himself standing outside south africa, the South African prison where Freedom Fighter Nelson Mandela was released after 27 years in prison, imprisonment. A little known fact he was one of the few american journalists to report from behind the berlin wall. Mr. Haygood has been the John Simon Guggenheim fellow and the National Endowment for the humanities fellow. These are two of the highest awards bestowed upon an author. Mr. Haygood has been called americas cultural historian. He has explored the social and historic dynamics of this country as few writers have. The works of mr. Haygood come to life as he says his work to engage in a conversation going back to the old schools way of life simply he says that stands for revitalization of the public and i would agree. That is what he says motivates them, revitalizes him and gives him the insight to write these meaningful historical journeys. As mr. Haygood says his subjects must inspire him. By that he means they are welcome at his dining room table for sunday dinner. He wants to be able to talk with them and thats how he chooses his subjects. His book, tells about the harlem congressmans rays rise to power and fame. It reveals one of the effective legislative persons in the history of congress. Adam Clayton Powell junior like Thurgood Marshall formed a bond with Lyndon Johnson that the major legislation through the house like no other. King of the cats is historically significant. Adam Clayton Powell crossed paths with Thurgood Marshall has a occasionally communicated. At a common common bond in their interests were aligned. This is another one of those journeys that wil haygood takes us to better grasp the significance of a historic figure who happens to be africanamerican. In black and white the life of sammy davis junior we learn that sammy davis junior was a fierce dedicated passionate civil rights advocate. He coordinated and pulled together both blackandwhite entertained as to assist Martin Luther king and the Civil Rights Movement. We witnessed the struggle that sammy went through in his conversion of his religion. We get an inside seat to his interaction with the rat pack, Frank Sinatra and company. We are witness to history when sammy places a kiss on Richard Nixons Richard Nixon and his career is forever diminished. The book also tells us that in the Nixon Kennedy race for president it was clear that based upon the history nixon was more deserving of the black vote than kennedy. We witnessed firsthand that no entertainer had the skills of sammy davis junior. Theres a scene where he plays every instrument in the orchestra and we all know about his ability to sing and dance. Sweet thunder, life and times of sugar ray robinson. Sugar ray were often sent pound for pound baby the best price fighter the world has ever seen and that would include mohammed ali. Will will tell us that sugar ray was not justified her. He was the harlem renaissance man. He loved the arts. That included literature, dance, song and art. Sugar ray and directed with all the great entertainments and artist during the harlem renaissance. This cat was hip and this cat was cool and wil told us about it. He could to save sugar ray in a light that no other author could have brought to light and willow resurrected an icon. The story of eugene allen, the butler who served eight president s was turned into a very successful blog buster movie. Again wil brings to light someone who is invisible to america. Wil gives us the dignity, the grace, the discipline and the hard work of an individual who believes in the american dream. He brings to life an individual who is president but invisible during critical times in our American History over eight president s. Only wil haygood had the insight to give us the perspective and the cultural competence to do so in such a magnificent way. Showdown, Thurgood Marshall brought the constitution to light. He said to find the rules i will live by the rules and there will be greater in game. Showdown was recently in the made for the prestigious 2016 Andrew Carnegie medal for excellence in law nonfiction. [applause] and not that the trade magazine and technical journals arent the endall but will has received for showdown four stars. They are from journals and magazines across this prestigious literary world, star reviews from publishers weekly, kirkers review, the library journal. The atlantic magazine said last. Wil haygood has rehabilitated Thurgood Marshall was showdown. Haygoods decision to focus on marshalls confirmation hearing proved ingenious. We at the Lincoln Theater inducted wil is her first inductee into our hall of fame. Boy were we smart. Wil also did our first fundraiser with the publication of the sammy davis junior buck. Pat brzezinski in the library, we met in the office for five years ago, i dont recall but i think what the library has done and should addition to this one looked to bring the Community Together is extraordinary. Wil and i were talking about family members who traditionally have not read and each of us gave our brother copy of showdown. Each of our brothers and engaged the book like nothing else. We had a conversation different from any other we have had before. This is the magic that wil haygood has provided for this community, this state and this nation and i think when the world looks at america and says this is the journey that we went through to arrive at the crossroads we are today, this book brings us to a place that i think we can gauge and a discussion about race where no other has before it. Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you mr. Wil haygood. Sit back, relax, hold on and enjoy the show. Thank you a million times over. [applause] [applause] for some reason, the older i get, the less i mind people saying extravagant beautiful lovely things about me. [laughter] i find that somewhat peculiar. Im going to have more to say about larry james in a moment. When i was growing up in this neighborhood going to Monroe Junior High School right down the street, me and my sister would walk to School Together and those were the days when everybody had a transistor radio you could hold it up to your ear and listen or put it in your pocket. There was a very catchy tune from those days that i remember. It started out with the spoken verse and then it went into song and it starts like this. Hey man, i hear you were pretty good on your feet. Well dont you know theres a dance down on market street. Hey, hey theres going to be a showdown. Hey, hey, hey theres going to be a showdown, a showdown. I have been humming that a lot. [laughter] even if i did leave my band back in d. C. An evening like this wouldnt be possible without a Great Coalition coming together, organizations across the city that had haunted and merged to make this night possible and to bring a native son home. I am very mindful that great people, great organizations are represented here tonight starting with a and bill connor, susan bradford. She is wearing a dazzling dress. I take note of that. The Lincoln Theater, dimitri is neatly with the king arts complex, the Columbus Public Library and of course the mayors office. I cant fight everybody individually but there are some people here that i would like to acknowledge. I will say a Little Something about you and then you can stand up. Some of you know that i teach at my alma mater, Miami University in oxford, ohio. The lady who signs my paychecks is here so why wouldnt i introduce her first . Laughed so she is the provost of Miami University callahan. [applause] a dear friend of mine who used to protect me in the rough streets back in the day. We know him as a championship price fighter. Randall johnson. [applause] the Athletic Director of the Ohio State University eugene smith. I think he is here. [applause] one of the great attorneys of this country alex shumate. [applause] a guy i used to talk with a lot about sports, jerry saunders. [applause] last year i received the Rosetta James foundation award. Its named after an alabama civil rights pioneer. She is 90 years young. Rosetta james is here and i would like her to stand up. She is an icon of the American Civil Rights movement. [applause] [applause] she is up in the balcony. [applause] she marched with Martin Luther king jr. [applause] i cant tell you how touched i was when she called me and said she wants to calm. A guy who i grew up with on the northside of town, a friend of mine, talk a lot about Thurgood Marshall over the past five years, bob dylan. [applause] i studied at miami under this professor. He was in the Civil Rights Movement and marched with john lewis the soma hero. He was also jailed for marching in the movement. Rick small meyer. [applause] his wife is here. She has served me some mighty fine meals during my days at oxford ohio. [applause] a writer can dream of a moment like this when their book has been selected. In the Citywide Program to be read by everyone at the same time. I will be coming back in a month with some multiple, multiple, multiple what did we used to call those . Multiplechoice questions. [laughter] i cant thank the library enough where he used to go on saturday mornings with my 50 cents. There was never a car in my family. I could go to tokyo, i could go to paris and i could go to memphis tennessee and i could go to chicago if i could get myself into the library. The genius behind all that has been pat was senseki. [applause] i will be returning to the city. Im going on a 24 city book tour and i will be returning to the city october 21 to appear at the Ohio State University. That invitation came from vice provost of diversity and inclusion at Ohio State University and her name is sharon davies. [applause] my cousin just flew in today from atlanta, charles nichols. [applause] my two sisters, diane and wanda, are here. [applause] my very suave brother is here from los angeles, harry haygood. [applause] hes the man that i got to know some years back as i wrote a story about him, chief james jackson. [applause] i teach media, journalism and film at miami and the chairman of the department played a large role in getting me to leave for zones and journalism and he is here. Dr. Richard campbell. [applause] David Harrison has done a lot in this community on social justice issues. The president at columbus state college, David Harrison. I think he is here. [applause] donna james, wonderful. Thank you. [applause] it was great that the king center honored africanamerican judges this year and their legacy honorees. There was a man in this community, when he graduated from college and wanted to teach and he sent all the africanamerican teachers to champion junior high school. But there were too many teachers down there. So he switched gears and went to all iowa State University law school. He launched his career into law. I had a chance to get to know him. The first letter he ever wrote to me was about the brown bee board of education decision. He authored one of the last great legal decisions in this country linked to brown v. Ward of education, the decision that desegregated the School System in this city in 1974. He became the first africanamerican federal judge from this community. I think every africanamerican lawyer owes him a great debt. You can put his name in the same paragraph as Thurgood Marshall and he would be proud to do so. His name, judge robert m. Duncan [applause] i have traveled from washington d. C. With a book for him and his family. His wife, surely duncan is here and im so honored by her presence. I would like her to stand up. [applause] [applause] doing my research for the Thurgood Marshall hook, showdown, i came across a letter from a lady named arthur ross. I was in arkansas visiting the archives of senator John Mcclellan who was one of the segregationist that did not want Thurgood Marshall to ascend to the high court. By the second day of the hearings it was thought that marshalls nomination was in trouble because he was being grilled so harshly. A young lady wrote a letter and she concluded her letter to her arkansas senator with these words. Chances are that the nomination will be turned down. Color doesnt make the person, its character that makes the man. One of these days senator, the president of the United States will be a black man. Years later a kid worn in the city in 1954, the year of thurgoods march became a writer that kid now a grown man would find himself growing through the fields of journalism from pennsylvania and boston massachusetts to the Washington Post and washington. The kid, now a man and a writer had an inkling that the senator from chicago in 2007 might win the 2000 election so the kid became a man and a writer, went out and tracks down an africanamerican. Stefan rouson after the story that the kid born in 1954 wrote, the kids, the man who became the writer Stefan Rouson was hired as a technical at wiser to the movie at the hollywood movie producer started to make in 2012 one day Stefan Rouson was in the white house. He bumped into the black precedent to barbara ross had addicted would be in the white house. [applause] that president asked Stefan Rouson what he was up to. He said ive just been hired to be the technical adviser and i stopped in the white house today because i wanted to get a little gift for the writer for wil haygood who wrote the story. The negro president who barbara ross predicted would win turned on his heels and went back into his office and came out. He said he had something in a blue leather case in case in velvet. He gave it to Stefan Rouson who said thank you mr. President. I know for a fact wil is going to love this. And the president said, i think you will love it too. The gift that the kid born in 1954 received from the negro president who barbara ross had rejected is the president ial ink pen that i have taken from out under lock and key in my home and brought here tonight and have signed every book that you will leave here with this evening. [applause] nothing, nothing is more personal than deciding who you are going to dedicate your book to. Showdown has been dedicated to two people, both like Thurgood Marshall are trained in the law. They are residents of this city. I wanted to do a Little Something special for these people. So this firstperson received the first copy of this book from the Printing Press and i also went to a jeweler in washington because i wanted a gold plated nameplate designed to put in front of the book. When i asked the jeweler commerce i was going to cost come he told me and i said maybe i should go with a postit. [laughter] but i didnt go with a postit. I went with the goldplated nameplate and it says the first copy of this book, showdown by wil haygood to roll off of the Printing Press is exclusively for michael b. Coleman. [applause] i would like the mayor to come up and accept this book. [applause] thank you very much. Thank you. I have always wanted to feel like the mayor and this has given me an opportunity to do so says i have written a citation to go along with the book. I gave myself the power to issue a citation. This is mayor colemans. It says, to mayor coleman. In the dark days of legal segregation and statesponsored terrorism the black sharecroppers and their families of the deep south gazed out upon the fields they worked. They were looking for hope. They wanted to dream so a man arrived on the scene and began marching into the state and federal courthouses throughout the south. He began changing the laws. He won rights for those in the fields and rights for those in the big cities too. Some of these people began to look to him as moses. His name is actually Thurgood Marshall. As laypeople we do not need to annoint man or woman a saint but it helps us to know our heroes as ambitious. Since you have taken Public Office you have sought to lift up. Like Thurgood Marshall your vision has helped all races, creeds and colors. Thurgood marshall once said of someone he greatly admired, he didnt wait. He took the bull by the horns read you didnt wait for the tide come he made them. Its been noted in this midwestern city and beyond that you broke barriers. You didnt wait for the times, you made them. You have earned your place in the collective memories of so many as you prepare to leave city hall. Consider this book that is then dedicated to you, a mighty wave from Thurgood Marshall and a literary valentine from a writer born in the very city you have led. Wil haygood Lincoln Theatre september 29, 2015. [applause] [applause] speak the next book dedication reads, the second copy of this books showdown by wil haygood to roll off of the Printing Press is exclusively for larry james. I would like larry james to come up to the stage. [applause] larry, with the power invested in me. [laughter] i will now read your citation. To larry james, in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s the big fancy law firms of this great nation would have nothing to do with Thurgood Marshall. His name would never go on one of their buildings and he knew it. He did not bemoan his plight. He had a higher calling. He was fighting in the trenches on behalf of justice and freedom time passed and the walls came tumbling down but history as we know can turn rather beautifully now there are many buildings and even an airport with a named Thurgood Marshall. Since 2001 larry james has had his name graced on a law firm in downtown columbus. Crabb, brown and james. [applause] yet even with that distinction time and time again larry james has returned to the trenches, fighting in the name of justice and freedom. He has one so many of his showdowns. Larry james is Thurgood Marshalls kind of lawyer. Someone at once asked Thurgood Marshall about his personal successes. I dug way dp said. Larry james in the universe of law, art, books and philanthropy you have said a glorious standard. This book is dedicated to you because like thurgood, you have dug way deep. Wil haygood, Lincoln Theatre, september 29, 2015. [applause] [applause] one of the things that president Lyndon Johnson said after he nominated Thurgood Marshall and after Thurgood Marshall was confirmed, he said i want every black mothertobe able to look across the breakfast table in the morning and knowing now that her son or daughter can become a Great Supreme Court justice or a great judge. The mother of algernon marvel he was one of those ladies. She looked across the breakfast table and brought a dream into her son. I am very proud to prepare, to have a conversation with the judge who was yet one more of those seeds that sprouted in the glow of the great Thurgood Marshall. Please come to the stage. [applause] c thank you. Have a seat. [laughter] and now for the book. There have been an excess of 20 biographies written about Thurgood Marshall so sub or what was the impetus or showdown which tells Justice Marshall story through the context of the confirmation process . Well, while there have been multiple hooks on marshall with this book im hoping that well someone once came to Duke Ellington and said that they were going to make a song and that they were going to rerecord a song bed Dizzy Gillespie had made and duke said, dont. Dizzy has closed the door on that song. So i lied, im hoping that people will pick up my book and someone else comes to them with an idea to write a book about Thurgood Marshall that they will say dont, wil haygood has closed the door on that. [applause] what i think though, what really was a magnet to me was that marshalls hearings were five days stretched over 12 days and his nomination sat in limbo for six weeks. Before marshall the Supreme Court had been all white. Before him, no nominees hearings has lasted more than a day. So with southerners leading the charge i knew that there was great drama and dad and i wanted to figure out why that happened and why they wanted to stop Thurgood Marshall. And he told it dutifully. Excuse me . You told the beautifully. Okay. We are going to talk at length about the confirmation proceedings but its also a very poignant story about the relationship between two great men, relationships between thurgood and Lyndon Johnson and you shed great light on this. Why dont you tell us why you chase chose that and used it as a subject. These were two men who were somewhat poor in their youth. Neither was born with a silver spoon in their mouth and so when you are poor i think it soaks inside of you. I think it does something to you its sort of gives you a quicker gear into people, especially if you are inclined to help people. So Thurgood Marshall the naacp lawyer went to texas to fight a Voting Rights case in 1948 when blacks were being for for bidden for the most part in the democratic primary. Marshall took the case all the way to the Supreme Court in one. A young Senate Candidates started winning election after election and that Senate Candidate was Lyndon Johnson. So you cant argue, and i know some people think its the other way around but you can argue no Thurgood Marshall, no Lyndon Johnson because with the help of the blacks in texas they kept sending Lyndon Johnson back to the senate and in the senate he gained seniority and he became as we all know senate leader. Wil theres a recent Lyndon Johnson felt so comfortable around black syntaxes. Fdr had something to do with that. He appointed young Lyndon Johnson to head the National Youth Program Throughout the state of texas and Lyndon Johnson was given a card to drive around the state and visit blacks in houston and dallas and san antonio and he would constantly tell them that one day things are going to be better. And i wont forget you. I think that started him in a very humane way. We are going to get to Lyndon Johnson and why he was hellbent on the marshall nomination but first i want to have some personal context for Thurgood Marshall. Now he was raised in segregated baltimore and you gave us a great glimpse into the justices family. Was there a defining moment or a set of circumstances that made him the fierce advocate that he was . Where was he inspired . Some from his father who told them to fight back if anybody uttered racial epitaphs at him but Thurgood Marshall had a job and i have stored and one day he hopped on a railway car and he was told to go stand in the back. He said well, mr. Conductor i cant because these hats might fall out of my arm and they may get squished and then i would have to pay for them. The conductor argued with him, shoved him and he fell down and he summoned the police and young Thurgood Marshall at 19 years old was arrested. He thought that was wrong and of course it was wrong. The hat store owner fortunately came down and bailed Thurgood Marshall out so he had been jailed as a young man for no reason except the color of his skin. That resonated with him. That resonated a lot and that was coupled with the fact that his father used to like to take him in and out of state and federal courthouses because thurgood learned at a young age that the law subjugated blacks. He guarded in his mind, i need to make the law elevate blacks so he was constantly fighting the active subjugation against the hope and promise to elevate. And he got much of the impetus about how they could elevate from a young dean at howard university. Charles hamilton houston. A great lawyer. Harvard trained coming came to howard to resuscitate the program is often argued. How important was that relationship in setting the trajectory for thurgoods career and tell us about the impact of the sojourn they took in the summer of 33, thurgood and houston. Dean been houston was a formal man, very sophisticated and wanted to go down south to look at the School System. He didnt want to go by himself. He was afraid, with good reason so we asked this tall strapping one time student of his who graduated number one in his class, recent graduate, he asked marshall if you would like to write in the car with him and they were going to visit schoolhouses and they were going to take notes and they were going to file a report to get back to naacp headquarters in new york city. They were both stunned at the rigid conditions of the schoolhouses and many southern communities. You talk about of what you call the statesponsored terrorism earlier i have it is the same thing but what impact does that have as he traveled throughout the south in his quest for justice and how did he handle that . One of the Amazing Things into read the book was witnessing their reading and research the amazing river a of Thurgood Marshall and the lawyers who were with him. He will often get to a town though local black farmers would have to hide him. They would take turns with their shotguns take tours through the night he was the nations best hope a oneman crusade. The lawyers that he would recruit who was the architecture of this legal strategy to go over here to file a case to take it to the Supreme Court then go to texas and florida and michigan there were some up north as well but the book is shaped around five days of the hearing. You have to give context which is why you have many stories. I wanted to take the reader outside because hearings could be civil but this was not covered by the press either. Talk about freedom of the press the senator from mississippi and north carolina, South Carolina and arkansas. They were powerful neighbor called barons they had a huge staff. Also called a pack of wolves by a the l. A. Times. That is a nice line. [laughter] that was a fair characterization. Back getting back to his troubles a couple of those senators but to explain that i was struck by the circumstances to be killed in the line of duty with with Voting Rights activist to come home one night to it and then they went to bed and of klansman headstock dynamite under their house and Christmas Party bathhouse blew out. One died immediately one was rushed to hospital he had slept thurgood third commercial would have been there that night did not in florida area mores daughter and said she was untrained to be home by christmas. She was seated segregated section nobody got word to her that her family was trying to find her when she stepped off the train on Christmas Day she did not see her mother and father and thought that was stranger and saw relatives and said a prayer is mom and dad . They said we have to talk to. She said we are sorry. But your father is dead and your mother is holding on and wants to see you at the hospital. The doctors told the family if she could hang on for seven days they thought she would make it but she died on the sixth day. The interesting postscript fast forward 1967 when i was at her house interviewing her over the course of four hours before i get ready to leave she said kid you come to my a kitchen and to help get something down from the top shelf . Nevada was working from her living room to her writing remise stopped in my tracks. There is a big oil painting with 4 feet by 5 feet. It was a dove her father rather budget of thoroughbred marshall. I said oh my god. This is more. Why did he tell me this painting was hanging here . She said i dont know why. On the day that marshall was confirmed of friend of mine in florida knew how close he was to me and my family to have this oil portrait painted and shipped to me. I was stunned. Here i was sitting for hours and here he was on the other side of the wall. I am sure he is proud of the work the with the work with though Legal Defense fund and as you chronicled his life he ran the Legal Defense fund if dr. King was the moral and spiritual leader Thurgood Marshall was a sterling advocate the ones at the Legal Defense fund is a fair to say he trained his sights to dismantle separate but equal with plessey vs. Ferguson. That is also the brown decision that we discussed for parole but spending much time in the south many cave before brown to highlight the diversity cases when you could have written this book for the simple reason to show the versatility. He was day highbrow lawyer also with his feet squarely on the round. This was of world war ii era in a small town in lawrenceburg tennis a. So this mother wants to take her radio back her africanamerican son and the mother said this doesnt work and the clerk a young white males said you are a lie. And the sun looked up as if he was in shares of the hedges called his mama a liar. But the clerk slapped the black soldiers mother. The soldier unleashed a punch seconal maybe summarized as an act of the under. [laughter] iran did not the clerk the through the window and by nightfall the city was engulfed in a riot. Many blacks and whites were shot and they called marshall to the rescue. And payne got most of those that were convicted but that one night those that work on a case that were stopped and told them one time he was speeding he said he wasnt a said keep going and they stopped him again. The second time they checked for alcohol. And then the third time they said you cannot drive the car anymore. Then they went 15 ers their share of stops them to say tworoom get out the middle marshall to get out and he was being arrested for drunk driving. There is a river called the the duck river and the blacks were lynched and thrown there in the families would have to go get them. The three share respect marshall in the back of a car and were headed off to the duck river. The lawyers to read of the car quickly found another ride with a newsman that was following them so they followed the car and assurance got scared there would be found out if they attempted to kill marshall so they took him into town so he survived that night by the skin of his teeth. When the sheriff stop them there were a couple of patrol cars that did not intervene. A said get another car and they wanted him to walk to the jail but he knew he would be shot in the back if he walked away. He said you have to walk with me i will not walk by myself. Spee maggie lived long enough for you to write the book. [laughter] marshall was skinny. There was no foundation federal department of civil rights in the south to protect and a black lawyers so to form an Unusual Alliance to j. Edgar hoover. He would bring back knickknacks for hoover who probably threw them in the trash can bet the other iconic figures but what a dealer attribute that to . Hoover detested the kkk to these terrific stories to say i was down in florida they were walking down the street they have to do something about that. And hoover were just get worked up. And a lot of that was based on the fact that marshall was of lawyer and at least hoover held to himself the you think that was ted commonality . Yes. Marshall was very careful not to label themselves liberal. That u. S. Constitution is u. S. Constitution and the truth needs no defense. It says you cannot do that he used to carry that in his pocket. Is a make a great scene in the movie. After the harriet more case there was scuttlebutt so marshall knew not to call the airport to because the clerks might tell somebody he has a ticket for friday night at 730 so thurgood would walk out of his motel it is dark too slowly made his way to the airport. Is started to walk across the street slowly. And they start to walk across the street and commercial is nervous one of them pulls out the fbi badge to say j. Edgar hoover sent us the mission is to get you to the airport to get you out of here safely. That is a breezy and. As they get to the airport the agents walked up to the desk that klerk said there are more flights going back tomorrow. The fbi lean over the counter to go nose to nose to say you better find a seat on the next airplane for this man or else. Then and Thurgood Marshall was in the air. Lets talk about the confirmation hearing. I read about those five days of the hearing especially the episodes i couldnt help but think the behavior of a gang of five to stifle black of finance met. Did you leave that impression . Is that my Southern Roots . [laughter] no. I ever north carolina. So that is what made the seveners do stop to make marshall angry. And then there was the first nail in the coffin. The second was the 1965 Voting Rights act the third was the nomination of martial to the u. S. Supreme court. To the entire american judicial system to name marshall to the highest court in the mind. So when he announced that there was not a Seat Available so he had to use his Political Savvy the machen nations of johnson politics to make that available. How do you make that Seat Available . Johnson was hell bent on integrating the u. S. Supreme court there was no seat but there was a justice and they have texas roots tuesday tom how are you doing . Al is the wife . I wish i had of boy. I have all daughters. I love them dearly but you have a boy. I will tell you i want to make Ramsey Richard v. General. But i cannot do it because you were on the high court they would accuse me of nepotism. But i know how much you love that boy and a daddy in the country would be proud to see his son to the high court. But my hands are tied. There is nothing that i can do because there is no vacancy. I wish there was. [laughter] one day later i interview justice clerks daughter and one day later Justice Clark had a lifetime appointment in fine health when told to say i am tired of the court. [laughter] city is time for me to take it long vacation may be placed a call for travel around the world. So what happened that clark steps down lbj nominates marshall doesnt tell us single senator until the day of the nomination and one month later former Justice Clark and his wife are sent first class tickets around the world on a factfinding mission. [laughter] what is the tone of the hearings from the outset . Did you get the impression from a research that it was done mostly from transcripts to do that from the confirmation hearings . Let me correct that a case some of my miami students are out there. There would not track down as many people as i could. Oldfashioned shoe leather makes up my book but the spine less hearings and to get out that when i have been today. The journalist was not there. Is in the senator ted kennedy. Is these were great people and one of the things they tried to paint marshall of the u. S. Constitution and. That was pretty bizarre and for those leading figures and the figure with hot Harvard Law School with 35,000 books with loads and loads of books about history, the art, religion and was a very smart man but nowhere did your friend ever feel there was so wide or paragraph to justify the quality for the black man. I want to come back to Strom Thurmond and they set the tone because it seems that they do space use share of the questioning. Yes. They have seniority in the senate along time and was known as the old bulls. To stop the hearings that got quiet that said mr. Virgil deal like the white people of the south . It was like a camera fell because that is what the southerners wanted to ask because their mind said that up ended our way of life. Marshall was considered public enemy number one. Off throughout the south. The of man in his 60s interviewed said when i was little in my community my parents would tell us if we are bad marshall will come get you. [laughter] and this is a line in my book he told a i did even know what a Thurgood Marshall was. [laughter] these old bulls did it come to this table with clean hands. They had a murder is passed. Bin Strom Thurmond father murders a white man so if you look in terms of fathers and sons as a subtext Strom Thurmond and his father of lot of blood and tears these are people who brought family blood also a subtext of interracial sex that was the gear of the levine case. You have heard about this couple there is a movie about that right now. They were arrested in the state of virginia weeks before the hearing started for sleeping in the same bedroom to say we will stop the charges if you leave the state so they did and came to washington d. C. And Strom Thurmond asked marshall about the living case Strom Thurmond was sleeping with his black made fathering a child and paying hush money not to talk about it. And wes is directing those comments. That is the attempt to hurt Thurgood Marshall during the hearings. Those southern democrats make the argument his opposition to Justice Marshall was not predicated on race but what he saw as an advocate relabeled marshall as an activist. Was that fiction . It was fact. There was option you had to be enacted this layer. So maybe you dont have to be enacted this but maybe the constitution adapts to the times but the fate the framers wrote it in such terms. Those disagree with that but i believe that it is inorganic document. Why dont you doubt confessions . I had a client once a black kid can finally voluntarily. There is of little known fact to lead through the first period four days your day five and as the hearings were dragging on lbj had field and a strategy. Favors spread out over 12 days that made Thurgood Marshall very nervous but then johnson was so nervous he said he may not make it. They are tough. Goodness gracious. Said he was hellbent to integrate the Supreme Court. En to work with him very well of the brown case he didnt know where he was summoned to the white house but johnson said and i need you on standby because if he doesnt make it i am coming after you. He was a republican and not known as a civilrights fighter. Canada winkelman was the first africanamerican ever to a clerk on the Supreme Court with justice frankfurt. Exactly. But Justice Marshall was confirmed 69 11 but those 20 votes were unaccounted for. Tell us about those. That is amazing. Senators go to washington to vote for their constituents that is their job. When johnson started to make phone calls it went like this. Senator, my goodness. Ic there is a bridge scheduled to go up in your home town next year. My source tells me they may put your name on average. Let me tell you. There might not be a bridge. There may not be more money for bridge if you vote. And then to sit in the coffee shop all day long and 20 were so fearful of johnson that day did it they did not vote. And that is astonishing. They are sworn to vote and johnson put the fear of god into them if they did not vote. Marshall, yes, he was confirmed to Pay Attention to the arcade rules of the senate. If those southerners did not like marshall could stop the white house before they reached 60 votes they could filibuster the nomination soon tears death. They got a handful of votes so was a close vote if you look at it that way that the white house had some concerns with adam powell was just turnout for ethics violations people were linking the names band end to the president the last day of the hearing detroit europes and a massive race riot. The same time as milwaukee because of decades of paying with day lack of opportunity. So many things happened besides the powerful man that made Thurgood Marshall himself worried he had sleepless nights. Because they kept coming back to the mantra of soft on crime and iran that as a result with the inmates are running the institution so they were trying to draw some synergy with the confluence of fact do you think to up the game put more pressure on the other senators including the democrats . They got word out to the voters if you love marshall right to your senator write letters to the white house to flood the of by house but did good many of them were very poignant. The justice served on the bench. Based of you have cleaned did he enjoyed his time on the bench as mudid he enjoyed hn the bench as much as he enjoyed is time as the advocate . That is a good question because i was just motion and we have to wrap up. I think Thurgood Marshall new power important to was to have a gifted wonderfully talented lawyer on the Supreme Court who is black. With his job traveling around the country the court turned right shortly after pearl little think they were the happiest years of his life to you could burn an awful lot about the Thurgood Marshall legacy am sorry so many people have said that he was lost in history so the book brings him to rehabilitate him. I will take a compliment. I would have a minute or two with questions from the audience. You have written a number of books. How does this fit in to the great africanamericans about whom you have written . Where does he fit . I think my books are about american and african American History. And are told through a lens when all these people are rebels the causes were freedom and that is a good airing goal. These are great stories. Of that Group Marshall was the supreme figured there doubt. You could see eyetoeye. In but it is best summed up like this. On the day marshall was nominated, he was in the white house with three African American brothers and one of those was eugene allen. The most powerful address in the world in the 50s is in the 60s to go back to his native virginia now he is serving marshall. To have seen the law could subjugate blacks. Marshall looked at those black butlers is yet his mindset was i will keep using the law to elevate you. And that is why i love the majesty and mystery of history. [applause]