My name is Justin Desmangles i of the chair of the foundation celebrating the 41st year. [applause] for decades. I want to and extend my gratitude to an hour founder our founder who was one of the great artists, warriors of our time, ishmael reed is with us today. [applause] i also want to think our friends here the center for being so generous in in particular the director and to fellow board member presently the poet laureate at the center cisco jazz festival San Francisco jazz festival. [applause] the american book awards are hosted by the jazz center. Jazz has the uniquely american art form the american is a and the thread of telling it like it is to invite openly all cultures to develop and to seek peace with one another. And with that National Conversation that is exacerbated by a violent political crisis that has taken hold of the country in the rest of the world and with the viciousness of the american book awards and the before Columbus Foundation is it midways medicinal to he