Service. They had been raised with the sense that they had a duty and a responsibility to serve the american people, and they both did, in very, very extraordinary ways. And you know, i think john f. Kennedy the inaugural address remains one of the drof greatess of alltime. I have to agree and say fdr in the events of his time as president shaped the nation, shaned that generation in profound ways. President kennedy, even nixon, is only three years older than kennedy and later president bush, Herbert Walker bush, is only six years older than kennedy and world war ii shapes them. So many other kennedy siblings serve in the war, either in the military or in civilian roles, and i think president kennedy would have encouraged us, were he alive today, to always value Public Service and consider Public Service in its many forms as a way to strengthen the nation and make the world better for the people around us. Alan, a great place to end todays conversation. Thank you for joining us. Doing
Actors david selby and Craig Wallace. All these men have either appeared on the ford stage or created works that appeared on the ford stage. We are to have them with us today. Like to say weve been watching demonstrations unfold in our neighborhoods and across the nation. We know we have work to do. We commit to using our platform to tell stories that speak to the present moment with courage, abrahamion, and lincolns presidency. A specific play in which they all took part, assess every very sacrifices, which fords theater premiered in 2012. This play explores the relationship between president lincoln and the abolitionist Frederick Douglass. It seems particularly important this week to consider the leadership of these two great americans as they helped our country find its way through one of our greatest crises. I want to start this afternoon just by welcoming you all, thank you so much for being with us from across the country, d. C. Ornia, and washington, i want to start with richard
Challenges our society has had trouble with in recent years this is a time that makes us wonder how strong institutions will be how we rise to a challenge like this but because at the time of testing but also think of americas strength what we are good i had as a country and to address the enormous problems. Host how did we get here . Thats a complicated question. Our country has always tried to strike a balance between the dignity and quality of the individual on one hand and some strength of community on the other our society in the past halfcentury has emphasized the individual, liberty, freedom, dy that has brought some enormous advantages and benefits but there is another side to the coin that can look like fragmentation and isolation and alienation and loneliness and we have seen all that and era marked by a crises to the financial crisis to a pandemic that forces us to look to the sources of our strength and ways to drive us to the history and politics is not always good at doin
Schwartz, for his generosity and making this event and many of our programs possible. [applause] i would also like to recognize and thank one of our trustees who has joined us today, david light david light. David blight. Laura to recognize washington and Mercedes Franklin , who are cochairs of our frankly Frederick Douglas counsel. Members who all have joined us today. I want to recognize a longstanding and special friend of New York Historical who has joined us this morning. Enke for everything that you and your family have done for this institution. Thank you. Will lastngs program about an hour and a half and it will include austin and answer session. You should have received a note card and a pencil as you entered this morning. If not, my colleagues are going up and down the aisles no cards and pencils. The notecards will be collected later on in the program. Signingll be a book following the program this morning. It will take place right outside these central doors in the smith ga
Many our beautiful robert h. Smith auditorium this morning. Todays program, Frederick Douglass, abraham again and emancipation. Would like to thank our great trustee and benefactor, arnold schwartz, for his generosity and aking this event and many of our Public Programs possible. [applause] id also like to recognize and thank one of our trustees who has joined us today, david light. I want to recognize laura ashington and Mercedes Franklin who are cochairs of our Frederick Douglass counsel. Thank you to all members who have joined us today. [applause] and i want to recognize a longstanding and special friend of New York Historical who has joined us this morning. And thank him for all that he and his family have done over a very, very long time that institution. Thank you. [applause] this Mornings Program will last about an hour and a half and it a question and answer session. You should have received a note card and a pencil as you entered this morning. If not, my colleagues are going