It positioned a black family is traditional. They brought you inside a Nuclear Black family in a way that was pathology is our caricatured in American Literature and Popular Culture but also did not show in the difficulties in dealing with the challenges of stigma inequality command race in general. Continuing the tour. This is a kind of interesting story. Currently as i mentioned a part of the collection includes amazing fine art and represents the can of like raise. Aa year and a half ago from the bronx reached out to the curator and said i want to give the schaumburg. Come check it out. This was purchased by the gentleman father in1941 with the original bill of sale for 125 still on the back of this panel. Whatwhat makes it even more interesting is this panel was done during the same year as the great migration series. This series is now exhibition in collaboration with the philips. New york. All 60 panels come together. Jacob lawrence himself heres the thing, not only do we have an orphan panel have notpanel, have not yet. Have to work on trying to match the paint, but also that Jacob Lawrence actually use the library in the 1930s were in jersey and men atlantic citys the study reading the books of the collection which gave him the information that he needed to tell the great migration story. So talkso talk about the importance of boats preservation of libraries being open to all. Jacob lawrence is a product of the early influence of the schaumburg collection. And that painting is probably worth a little more than a hundred and 25. Definitely as is the rest. All of these photos on the wall. So one of the most prolific black photographers in the late 20th century. He worked for major publications the particular for the usia. Us Information Agency that was part of our showers a cold war apparatus. In surveying postcolonial nations and keeping an eye on things this is the benign side of the cia. Richard saunders was a photographer. Taking a picture in nigeria, 1970. He has an expensive body of work we have the entire collection. The images here meet the description of the show which is lesserknown averages across the continent its a pretty fabulous so. Elijah mohammed is rarely seen. You photograph here. And this is Elijah Mohammed at the end, correct . And there is mathematics. This is a 1961 shot in washington dc with a church of god figure during the show debating the merits of christianity and islam. Quite a debate. It must of been. Do you think we can have that debate today . Is taking place on a global scale. Yeah. Were having it. It is not polite in front of cameras. So were having a debate. Often go. Ill show you one other fascinating image of mathematics. Here he is hard to her at the museum of Natural History in new york. He is essentially using the image of africa talk about black people in a broader context to a group of young girls. And this is also fascinating because your we are talking about the boys. This is a History Lesson being taught. Negro historian. And sociologist. [inaudible conversations] and book tv live coverage of the harlem book fair we will continue in just a few minutes. [inaudible conversations] greg was graduating from high school very talented basketball player. He had an offer from the university of washington theyre was going to pay his way, and he had been accepted at princeton with the family would have to pay some of the bill and he would have to earn some money on the side to get together princeton. And he had a conversation with his father and his mother was washing dishes talking with his dad. Well i think i might go to the university of washington his father didnt come down on him. I would be kind of disappointed if you made a decision like this. Craig said, well i will think about that. It was elated because he wanted to princeton. Anyone to princeton. His parents paid the difference, sometimes the credit card. He loved actually being theyre. He. Felt so grateful ever sense that it is a story he does tell. And michelle a couple years later decides i would like to go princeton to perhaps. At the time or Customer Service a grade in school or 20. Thats right. She said programs can get in the princeton, i can. And exactly the counselors said you might want to think of a more modestly about where you can go. She applied. She wrote a long essay. She kind of torture when. She. You didnt feel she talked to weigh in. A lot of people have looked. She told the story about the grades and scores. Now what she hoped to be. This is the area of affirmative action and a lot of people over to michelle saying she only get in because of affirmative action. But she had to do something to make a case. She argued her own case. She had done very well in school. As with so many students getting access for the 1st time she only went to princeton but did extremely well. You did well. Wish you happy . It was an interesting remark she made at my answer is Memorial Service last year when she said looking back of her recent career he talked about what it was like to be on the campaign trail imagine the feeling of loneliness. She had a bit of a struggle but she 1st got there. And she worked her way through. The prepend Michelle Obama determination. All of affirmative action debate affect her career at princeton. Herhave princeton. Her sense of herself, her sense of living in two worlds for being judged as something other than just michelle. Right. She wrote her senior thesis that some made her more aware of my blackness the. Then in chicagothen in chicago that was because of the nature of princeton at that time where black students were very much in the minority where we also should remember there were not so many women and also the class was a big question, natural. I got to princeton and saw kids with bmws. I didnt you know adults who had bmws. It was a place for any by students felt slightly not welcomed. This was something she was very aware of and she and her friends talked about. In the 1st days on campus dormitory for the 1st roommate. Its a remarkable story that has to do with the mother of her freshman roommate. The student and this is a story she herself tells us some chagrin. She is in a dorm room. Everyone is moving in. Robinson shows up and says is my sister around. She wasnt. Catherine went to see her mother and her mother went ballistic and tried to get her daughter pulled out of that room. She complainedshe complained to the authorities its about time did not come to princeton to endure the black student. Princeton did number for. Later the semester she did move out but it was a dramatic side of the time. You can watch this and other programs online. Booktv. Org recently visited capitol hill to ask members of congress. Looking for in a few weeks. The harper lee put. She wrote to kill a mockingbird my alltime favorite books. It was a weird career and is such a wonderful novel wasnt followed up by anything. Recently this manuscript was found which before to kill a mockingbird. Im sure it will live up to that but im looking forward to it. Right now im rereading his 1st one was set some sort of nostalgic. New orleans i grew up in. In the greater new orleans area. Book tv wants to no what your reading this summer. And next upharlem book fair. Good afternoon and welcome to the 2nd or 3rd panel for the day. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. Much better. I am from Columbia University school of the arts partnering. Before i introduce a colleague who introduce a moderator want to say a bit about how the devil proceed. Go to barnes noble 10th with a look at get your book and come back and have it signed in the auditorium. Ill be right here. Then we have it on sale in the bookshop. You can purchase that there. Were looking forward to that. Our next panel is called the image and black race and politics a time of crisis. At 5 00 oclock mayor David Dinkins we will be here and we will pause that panel to have him way and a bit. With thatwith that said there going to buy books outsider upstairs the tobacco have the time please look. We have the founder of the africanamerican Childrens Book project it is amazing moderator. And as well. Thank you very much, and i am happy to be in harlem because theres a lot of exciting things happening here at the harlem book fair and eternally grateful for makes rodriguez for continuing the tradition. My name is vanessa. Many years ago i was a fashion journalist in rome italy. I worked for daily newspaper and i was coming out in after on platform shoes and as my editor with the uniform was. Covering her money to our stretching. The coverage versus the town some ideas. If you dont have expensive jewelry invested in a set of rules but also sensible shoes. Always where black. You dont no how expensive for how cheap that article of clothing is. Asas you can see and you watch television, his around in black. But today the woman on this panel are going to tackle the topic of fashioning the self the image of black. We continue to judge a book by its cover. The man walks in the room and his pants or datasets the automatically say when not be ready for prime time. Again woman comes in with a paira pair of hypocrites for stomach out, she might not be ready for prime time. I hope the Panel Discussion of us to better understand africanamerican studies program. In his 1st book she has written a number of books the politics and culture the sounding board for journal a former professional dancer member to company in the repertory ensemble and a young woman of color access are produced based projects in detroit, newark in new york city. Good afternoon. Welcome to the harlem book for his family and just acknowledge what they already no. The things that we think about happening community. We often think about the scholarly writing. So we write and speaking communities with you. I also want to turn to is amazing what if its okay having the way we should proceed today i like to offer some i truncated bio so you are speaking with. I would like to offer an additional frame to this conversation that is rooted in your. His depression talked about in the way that we are able to stay alive and i. I want to think about fashioning beyond the individual body is i hope you can do that today. We have to my far right now is in newark, new jersey has an author historian and edwards professor of American HistoryAmerica Princeton University and author of seven books including the history of white people, creating black americans, africanAmerican History and its meaning, 1690 to the present in my favorite. As a painter work digitally and manually on honest books most recently on art history. 27. Now she received her phd in history from harvard and are nsa and painting from the Rhode Island School of design. Please give a hand to her. Next line her an interdisciplinary scholars work explores how the aesthetics of race and gender theyre with fashion impact and are impacted by Popular Culture social history, and political life. Currently an associate professor at Cornell University where she is also the director grassroots studies and Africana Studies the author of three books command raising beauty culture, and africanamerican women. The choice for outstanding Academic Book and the Public Library association 1997 award for Outstanding University press book. Written ladies pages, africanamerican represent africanamerican studies. [applause] last but not least michelle gainer who is the author of the beautiful vintage by clamor. Butbut that Oprah Magazine named one of the ten best books to give and get. Regarding the. Lives in harlem and is currently completing vintage black grammar gentlemans quarters, mens edition. [applause] okay. I want to say a few words. I want to get into a conversation but its important offer different frame the title of this panel is fashioning the self each word offer so much for us to consider and we consider. What do we mean . Where the possible ways we can allow ourselves to see and imagine knew ways of creatively making ourselves. And then the word image. Image is formed in our minds materialized in countless ways including the visual arts consumer and the rituals, representations of people so fees, Academic Research and our own everyday ways of being in the world that are publicly viewed and privately experienced. Solidifying the stories we tell about ourselves and each other and played out in the actions we take the images produced social and legal outcomes that reach far beyond the space bar imagination. Of course, blackness or black identity. The panel can deal with that. Will be thinking about how they. What that means picture again. All of your work and across to the disciplinary practices employs a variety of methods to get us to think about fashion particularly as it relates to black women. How that relates to black women beyond this gender notion of fashion is simply about choices we make in the realm of how we dress ourselves adornment, beauty practices an individual body if i could ever like to start us off by thinking about this contemporary moment. I mean, this moment on the stage right now the possibilities. Ii want it to be about this moment and the larger context of the threat of black life. What we can do to think about the question of beauty, adornment, and fashion within that larger context. Thats a good place trust to start. Im thinking about black women long before it was Media Attention was is returned to what they do on the frontlines of protest. Involved in a political fashioning a political refashioning. Im also thinking about how in one weekly new cycle we can witness a 14 yearold micro code by a hyper Aggressive Police officer. Serena williams, Misty Copeland command Michelle Obama valorize been demonized for the physical bodies in the same spaces and a white woman taking claim for black womanhood in the strategic choices she makes about her hair clothing, speech patterns. Even with all of us. While all this is happening behind the cover of these replay narratives black women his face is we dont see televised have to contend with the residue from these overly mediated images. How do we think about fashioning this context . I want to open with that. What is this moment this time were speaking into it against and what do things like fashion and beauty and adornment, how you move through the world, how you make yourself has to do with these larger questions. So i turned to the panelists there is a lot for us to think about, but im hoping we can down the conversation my specific question is how would you define this moment command how does the work that you specifically write about, the work that you are engaged in providing intervention in this moment or speak to the importance of where we are now when we speak about race and body and fashion . Well, in this moment now as far as how we present ourselves the context of black lives and the danger wherein. I dont think there is safety. I dont see any way that you can dress yourself as a black person, as a black man or woman and be safe. Thats my thought initially yeah. [inaudible] a lot of the work that i did in my first two books the second one is about black womens magazines. And let me say the first black womens magazine is from 1897. It is not essence magazine in 1970, it is africanamerican fashion, and its a combination of essence and vogue for black women in the 19th century. Very often people will say you know how essence got its start. Theres five other magazines before we get to essence. We have a long history in figuring out how to represent gender and fashion in ourselves. A lot of the work that i do in those first two books i talk about as figuring out what it means to wear your race right or wrong. Like the things that i do about aesthetics in fashion and hair have as much to do with the playful kinds of choices that black folks make, that all people make about our bodies about how we want to represent ourselves. We just say it feels good, it looks good its soul satisfying. But depending on whos looking at your choices, depending on the space that youre in, people make determinations about if youre wearing your race in a way thats disturbing, thats upsetting around gender Politics Around sexuality politics, around being too political, too radical about not fitting. And the responses. So the thing that i think its always important to think about is its not just how you are representing yourself, it has to do with the sense that people make of that self when they look at you. And very often we want to say that a being free means we dont have to Pay Attention we dont have to be mindful. That being human of being adult means we get to make choices about who we are and move through the world. And in all kinds of ways that are often chilling, often tragic its just not true. It can be true. It is often true. But those moments where those choices cost you because people understand your self to be different than what you understand it to be is still something that happens. It happens regularly. Yeah. Well i am sort of working on an artist book called the truth about beauty. Noel by and i have been colleagues since the 20th century. [laughter] and together we did a conference on beauty that halle berry keynoted. And i talked about some of that work. At that point it was not. Arthel tist book artist book but that was before i went to art school. And i think about the truth about beauty and about the truth about saving your life as a woman, as a black woman as a darkskinned black woman, ive come across one truth. And its not a new one. Actually duboise in talking about the twoness talked about seeing yourself from inside and seeing yourself from outside. And he was probably thinking about educated black men like himself at the time. But still there was the sense that theres a pitying bemused gaze out there. And then you struggled with that as a black person because