This is an hour and 45 minutes. Eric foner i am eric foner from the columbia university, moderating this second session on slavery and freedom. I want to begin by thanking the organizers of this excellent conference. We all know how much work went into, you know, putting this whole thing together. So thanks to those at the museum , and the American Historical Association that have been so active in getting this conference organized. Two weeks ago, i gave my last class at columbia university. I am now riding off into the sunset [applause] eric foner of retirement. And so i ask if you will indulge me for just a minute as i reflect briefly on my own experience in relation to this field of African American history. Which is a little, it is sort of emblematic of the many things that have happened the last couple of generations. I grew up in a family in which africanAmerican History, although utterly ignored in the School Education that i got in grade school and high school, nonetheless, the
Its called the future of the africanamerican and pass. Its an hour and 45 minutes. A am from columbia in University Monitoring this second session on slavery and freedom. I want to thank the organizers of this conference. We all know how much work went into putting this whole thing together so thank you very much while to those from the museum and the association. Ago i gave my last class at columbia university. I am now writing off into the sunset. [applause] of retirement. You will indulge me for just a minute as i read what briefly on my own experience in relation to this field of African American history. Emblematic of several things that have happened in the last couple of generations. I grew up in a family in which africanAmerican History, in theh ignored education that i got in grades and high school, nevertheless, the black experience was considered in my family central to American History. And were friends of my family. I still have a photo my mother gave of myself sitting on
Minutes. Thank you. [applause] good to have everybody out this afternoon. Weve got a distinguished conversation here with my professor, married terry, university of pennsylvania. [applause] barber ran speed, author of the biography on another of his vonda roseman. And the author of a new biography of rosa parks. [applause] would we know about rosa parks . I wanted to start with november 271955. Rosa parks came to a meeting at dexter avenue got this church to hear. Tm howard talk about the recent acquittal of the two killers of evansville. Dr. King introduced at me again. Howard was there to spread the word. Howard had been one of the key organizers in trying to get even a child of those two men. After those two not have been a way to, was on a tour through the countries that spread the word and to continue the organizing after the travesty have had a as the two men who had lynched emmett till have been found not guilty. So this is november 27, 1955. Rizal park sits there and he is talk
But i minimize that. But i think the question you asked, i mean, most miraculous about the whole thing is not that something didnt go wrong, thats pretty miraculous, but that nobody challenged it. Yes. I mean, the only challenge came because i took the position that if the pardons hadnt been delivered, they couldnt i said lock the prison door, dont let anybody out. Roger humphreys got out because that was earlier in the week, but the rest of them didnt. They sued, and they got out because the courts eventually held that once the governor issues the pardon or commutation, thats it. And for those of you who dont know who Roger Humphreys was, please read the book. It is, that is keel, you captured the drama of that story. I mean, its a stunning story. Lee smith was part of it. Frank sutherland had his hand on it. Keel, with a story that has this much detail as you have in your book, you had to encounter factual conflicts. What was the biggest factual conflict in your interviewing that you
Scandal and its crackdown on liberal nuns. We will speak with Barbara Blaine of the Survivors Network of those abused by priests and Sister Simone campbell of the catholic social Justice Group network, which was heavily criticized the vaticans report last year. In a black History Month special, we remember the lives of the legendary civil rights activist, singer and actor paul robeson and his wife eslanda. I have never separated by work as an artist from my work as a human being. I have always believed more strongly to me my art is always a weapon. We will speak with historian Barbara Ransby, author of the new book, eslanda the large and unconventional life of mrs. Paul robeson. Both paul and essie refused to renounce their radical friends and refused to renounce their own radical views. Again, they paid a price for it. Paul was blacklisted, they lost their house, had extensive fbi files and so forth. But first, north korea has just carried out its largest ever nuclear test. It says th