Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. It is an honor to welcome everyone to the 71st National Book awards. I am Jason Reynolds coming to you live from washington dc go this is overnight but there is so much going on in the world this is our night and it is a big deal. It is so much of a big deal i woke up this morning anxious and nervous as usual. I always, mother and i am anxious. It is 7 00 oclock in the morning and she says oh no i said i am feeling anxious about tonight have to hope the National Book awards am calling you to see if you have advice for your child go she said that she always has been to make the call. Let me ask you something, son. What did i make you say every single night before you got into bed when you were little boy . I said i dont want to do this right now she said no dont know what did i. C. E. Make you say every night when you got into bed . I said you made me say i can do anything. Exactly you can do anything. You tell me this all the time on. But i never asked
In cages. And to and frisk us, treat us as citizens whos righ whose rights are not respected. Is say that their lives are not afforded the same dignity and respect as white lives. Why is that . X people are afraid of africanamerican men. There are studies that show that many people have reactions of anxiety. There is research that shows that people do not think of africanamericans as human beings. There are all these stereotypes about criminality associated peered some of that is based on statistics with a breakdown in the book. I understand why people have these concerns, because if you look at street crime, africanamerican men represent a large number. I do talk about some men who have experienced people who do not want to sit next to them on the subway. On the amtrak, you can sit wherever you want, and he says it is always the last seat next to him to be filled. On southwest airline, you can choose your seat, so sports journalists will joke that if a black man is sitting in the seat
In cages. And to and frisk us, treat us as citizens whos righ whose rights are not respected. Is say that their lives are not afforded the same dignity and respect as white lives. Why is that . X people are afraid of africanamerican men. There are studies that show that many people have reactions of anxiety. There is research that shows that people do not think of africanamericans as human beings. There are all these stereotypes about criminality associated peered some of that is based on statistics with a breakdown in the book. I understand why people have these concerns, because if you look at street crime, africanamerican men represent a large number. I do talk about some men who have experienced people who do not want to sit next to them on the subway. On the amtrak, you can sit wherever you want, and he says it is always the last seat next to him to be filled. On southwest airline, you can choose your seat, so sports journalists will joke that if a black man is sitting in the seat
In cages. And to and frisk us, treat us as citizens whos righ whose rights are not respected. Is say that their lives are not afforded the same dignity and respect as white lives. Why is that . X people are afraid of africanamerican men. There are studies that show that many people have reactions of anxiety. There is research that shows that people do not think of africanamericans as human beings. There are all these stereotypes about criminality associated peered some of that is based on statistics with a breakdown in the book. I understand why people have these concerns, because if you look at street crime, africanamerican men represent a large number. I do talk about some men who have experienced people who do not want to sit next to them on the subway. On the amtrak, you can sit wherever you want, and he says it is always the last seat next to him to be filled. On southwest airline, you can choose your seat, so sports journalists will joke that if a black man is sitting in the seat
Policel i retired as a officer. Brian when did you retire . Mr. Pegues march 2013, officially retired. I was injured september 2000 11 so i was out of work for about a year and a half, almost two years. I had two back surgeries. I was injured at work. Trying to arrest someone. I popped a disk in my back. Brian at the time, what was your rank and where were you a policeman . Mr. Pegues at the time it was a Commanding Officer of the 57th precinct and my rank was Deputy Inspector which is an executive position at the nypd. Brian in the new york Police Department. Mr. Pegues yes. Brian talk about this moment because you talk about it in your book. [begin video] president bush this is crack cocaine. Seized a few days ago by Drug Enforcement agents in a park just across the street from the white house. It could easily have been heroine or pcp. It is as innocent looking as candy but it is turning our cities and two battles owns is murdering our children. Let there be no mistake this stuff is