America but the book he has come to discuss today and why i am sure you are all here is stokely a life which was described in the New York Times review as an insightful, highly engaging affluent biography of Stokely Carmichael, the man widely seen as heir apparent in the black leadership hierarchy to Martin Luther king jr. And malcolm x following their assassination. At the reporting committee, stokely started as a believer in nonviolence, led him to concentrate his thinking on the notion of black selfdefense. Carmichael was a complex figure and that complexity was captured wonderfully in this definitive biography, stokely a life. You can never be disappointed with a book when you have chapter titles like the chocolate and fred astaire. Arestoring, activist, popular Peniel Joseph is historian activist, popular , radio commentator on subjects like Race Relations and civil rights, politics, democracy, a nice shoe collection. Give a warm welcome to Peniel Joseph. [applause] thank you for
The events of sunday, september 15th, 1963, and the young innocent lives that were lost that day transformed our nation. On that day we not only lost the lives of four little girls but we must not forget that two young boys, johnny robinson, 16 and virgil ware, 13, also killed in birmingham within hours of the church bombing. Today we know that the movement that transpired from those tragic events liberated not only a people but a nation, a nation gripped, gripped with hatred and apathy. With the recent Supreme Court decision on the Voting Rights act we know that progress is always under attack and that political gains are elusive. Old battles become new again and the struggle continues. We still have much work to do. Until we reach the day when justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream, we must not stop working towards freedom and equality. I hope this ceremony will help all of us recommit ourselves to the cause of justice and equality. We must combat all e
Please remain standing as the chaplain of the United States senate dr. Barry black gives the invocation. Let us pray. Sovereign god, your glory fills the skies. Triumph over the shades of night. Lord, thank you for this congressional Gold Medal Ceremony that commemorates the brief lives of four exemplary young women, casualties in the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church on september 15th, 1963. May their deaths on a day that they came to church to worship you remind us of the senseless and deranged nature of evil motivating us to remember that all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing. We praise you that their tragic deaths helped arouse the conscience of a nation, bring g ing deliverance and freedom to the oppressed. Inspire us, oh, god, to honor the memories of addy, denise, carol and cynthia by refusing to become weary in doing what is right, knowing that a productive harvest is as certain as the dawning of the springtime upon a cold, dead land
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the president of the United States and mrs. Michelle obama, accompanied by president bush and his is laura bush, and congressman john lewis. [applause] [cheers] good afternoon, again. I have the distinct pleasure to this time to introduce to you and to bring to the podium, Alabama State governor. [applause] president obama, mrs. Obama, president bush, mrs. Bush, congress and lewis, congress and sewall, mayor evans. It is an honor for me to be on the stage with you today, and to welcome all of these people to this great state of alabama. Honor for me to join in todays historic occasion on the Edmund Pettus bridge that has become a monument itself to the struggle for civil rights over the past 50 years. This bridge represents the , thegth and determination loss and pain that have come to define the Civil Rights Movement in america. Its an honor for me to stand here among you today on behalf of the state of alabama. Ago, approximately 600 people marche
Live coverage on American History television, on cspan3. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the president of ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the president of the United States and mrs. Michelle obama accompanied by president bush and mrs. Laura bush and congressman john lewis. [ cheers and applause ] good afternoon again. I have the distinct pleasure of introducing the Alabama State governor. President obama, mrs. Obama, president bush, mrs. Bush, congressman lewis, congressman sewell, mayor evans, its an honor for me to be on the stage with you today and to welcome all of these people to this great state of alabama. Its a personal honor for me to join in todays historic occasion of the edmond petis bridge that has become a monument in itself to the struggle for civil rights over the past 50 years. This bridge represents the strength of the determination, the loss and the pain that have come to define the Civil Rights Movement in america. And its an honor for me to st