Where is he . What are you doing in the back . For anyone who has not heard of john milton hooper, shame on you. He wrote an awardwinning biography of Woodrow Wilson, and he has been enormously hopeful to us over the years, appearing many times, but also helping us unpack some of the difficult issues around Woodrow Wilson. The subject of todays conversation. So, in 1978, when the Wilson Center was 10 years old, we were charged by congress with creating a Hubert Humphrey fellowship in social and political thought. Good idea. The idea was that a quote, distinguished scholar, statesman, or cultural figure would deliver a lecture honoring humphreys legacy, which makes sense since he was a founding father of this place, as well as Vice President , senator, and dedicated public servant. And at times like this, when the mood in washington is so grim, he was always optimistic. Something i remember and cherish. Its taken us a few years, but we are very proud today to host the Hubert H Humphrey
People of all races, religions, creeds, sexuality, building power. I believe that we will win. This movement is not about saving the Democratic Party or criticizing the republican party. This is about saving the soul of this nation. Fightare rising up to poverty. We must do more, organizing, organizing. Educating. Vote. Who stand that i claim to be a follower of jesus christ and be silent about the moral outrage going on in our country. We are not afraid. Any nation is in a moral and economic crisis. There will be a movement. Bring people together. Thisthe heart and soul of democracy. Almost 57 years ago my father , reverend dr. Martin luther king jr. Reminded america of the fierce urgency of now. Now is not the time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real, the promises of this democracy. He was working with poor people of every race from every corner of this nation to build a Poor Peoples Campaign when he was as
[chanting] any nation that ignores half of its people is in a moral and economic crisis. We will do more there will be a movement. To bring people together save the heart and soul of this democracy and this world. [crowd chanting] almost 87 years ago, my father, reverend dr. Martin luther king, jr. , reminded america of the fierce urgency of now. But now is not the time to engage in the luxury of cooling off. It takes the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. But now is the time to make real the promises of this democracy. He was working with poor people of every race, from every corner of this nation, to build a Poor Peoples Campaign when he was assassinated in memphis, tennessee, five years later. Today, as his daughter, i am honored to add my voice to the Poor Peoples Campaign, a National Call for moral revival, and stand with the 140 million poor people and low wealth people urging america to address with the fierce urgency of now the big issues of poverty and race. Please join us in t
For a longer piece. It is an extraordinary watershed, historical moment. I think we are living through a third american reconstruction effort to reconstruct democracy so that it is multiracial, multicultural. Our first efforts were after the civil war. 1865 to 1877. We did achieve some racial progress. We had black elected officials. 1500 we had a freedmens bureau. We had the creation of black churches and Public Schools, but we also institutionalized racial segregation rather quickly by the 1880s and 1890s. And we did it through racial violence and public policy. Our second reconstruction is the Civil Rights Movement between 1954 and 1965. When we think about Public School desegregation and the Voting Rights act and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. There was again racial progress, but that was really quickly closed off when we think about 1968. The assassination of Martin Luther king jr. , the assassination of Bobby Kennedy, the assassination of malcolm x. Now, we have another effort. In
Susan dr. Peniel joseph, you and i planned this interview three months back, but we got sideways with the covid lockdown. As a historian, how are you processing this time this country is going through . Prof. Joseph i have been writing a lot, both opeds in for a longer piece. It is extraordinary watershed moment. I think we are living through a third american reconstruction effort to reconstruct democracy so that it is multiracial, multicultural. Our first efforts were after the civil war. 1865 to 1877. We did achieve some racial progress. We had 15 black elected officials. We had a freedmens bureau. We had the creation of black churches and Public Schools, but we also institutionalized racial segregation rather quickly by the 1880s and 1890s. We did it through racial violence and public policy. Our second reconstruction is the Civil Rights Movement between 1954 and 1965. When we think about Public School desegregation and the Voting Rights act and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Bute wa