The book was widely sold and is said to have highly influenced the cause of abolition and we will have a guest to discuss the book watch books that shaped america featuring narrative of the life of frederick douglass, monday, live at 9 00 p. M. Eastern on cspan, our free mobile video app, or online at cspan. Org. Scan the qr code to listen to our companion podcast where you can learn more about the authors of the books featured. My name is wayne coleman, the head of archives at the institute and i want to welcome all of you to the event tonight. As we commemorate the 60th anniversary of the 1963 childrens crusade, we do so tonight with a talk between journalist paul kix who is the author of you have to be prepared to die before you can begin to live. Eight Minneapolis Police officer suffocated george floyd, paul was struck by the parallels to the may of 1963 photo of a black teenager in birmingham, alabama being attacked by a white Police Officer in an aggressive German Shepherd. These
We see that continuing to roll culminating in the march on washington in 1953. And then the gigantic, heavy, media drenched birmingham where king writes the eloquent letter from birmingham jail that you all read. But we are going to do today is take a step back. Whats happening between 1961 and 1964 . Created, we know they were involved in the freedom rides. But what are they doing as an institution . What is it that they are doing . Theyre are going to plan and execute one of the most toshes civil rights call it a demonstration would not do it justice. One of the most incredible civil rights events of the era and thats going to take place, they call it the mississippi summer project. Colloquially, it becomes known as freedom summer. We will see a large freedom summer in 1964 and they will do another freedom summer again in 1965. How do we get there . Why freedom summer . What leads sncc and field secretary bob moses to focus so much on mississippi . Why mississippi . Thats the focal p
But then one of the governors aides suggest he listen more closely to the line that follows in birmingham they love the governor. The next line anybody remember . Boo, boo, boo. Sung by a group of female africanamerican backup singers. Including, by the way, the great mary clayton who originated the role of the acid queen in the whos tommy. That has nothing to do with what were talking about tonight. I just think thats a cool fact. So ronny and the boys never got their citation from the governor. We have chosen this line as the title for our program tonight because it is like the legacy of George Wallace debated, parsed, and still relevant in the 21st century america. We are fortunate to have three respected and accomplished scholars with us tonight to explore the role of George Wallace in birmingham civil rights struggle and the legacy of wallace in our politics and culture today. Our first speaker will be dan t. Carter. He has served as professor and visiting scholar at emory univers
Of the california ballot in next years general election. George wallace made his first run in National Politics in 1964 where he enters a few key primaries and does well there. His first Major National run comes in 1968. Where he has set himself up through these public appearances that he makes during the desegregation of aids and during the standin schoolhouse. He sets himself up to be his voice and standing against all of these changes that the federal government is making. He takes what hes been making and he broadens it for a national audience. And thats a debate that really resonates with a lot of pop feeling their concerns have not been heard and feeling they are living in a know, the federal government is moving too fast with their decisions and feel like their voices arent being heard. So George Wallace, in 1968, sets himself up as a very successful candidate for president. He wins five southern states, and receives over 10 million votes. So he really speaks to a minority that
What prompted you to read the book this way . I wanted to write some thing to mark its 50th anniversary in business 50 years of my life, of kings legacy and his life coincided with my coming of age. So part of it was to do those two tasks. I felt i had connect it to the king legacy and yet i felt there was something about my life that needed to be told in order to understand how king impacted me and how i got involved in this amazing journey of editing kings papers. Well, its an excellent read. You and i are at the same generation i too am coming of age in the six days in the book i must say was bittersweet army because i knew dr. King. He was my mentor. I knew him to last years of his life. And bitter because the way he was taken from us because of racial hatred in this country. I guess we start at the beginning because the beginning of your book here on the mall with dr. King and near the end of your book, 50 years later with his monument, which you help to design. And in between, co