Transcripts For CSPAN2 Discussion On African American Histor

Woodson center in washington, d. C. This is just over one hour. I want to welcome everybody to this press conference. Im bob woodson, resident and found of the woodson center. Were sponsoring the 1776 gathering today. We also want to welcome our new partners, the Washington Examiner. They will be publishing rsas on their website starting today, one a day for the next 12 days, and they have an editorial today. Also all of the hour essays are listed on their website, 1776 unites. Com. You can read the essays. Also want to thank our sponsors, greg coons who couldnt be your but has a representative and also jim forrest who is one of our great supporters to enable us to do this. The reason that we are gathered to address the 1619 project, the good news is that it has stimulated and muchneeded debate within the black community. The quality of life in the black community has been served over the past two centuries but the quality of the debate within. During the 19th century, latter 19th century, there were three areas. One, there were those who believed in recolonization, that we should return to africa. This was briefly embraced by president lincoln. But the greatest advocate was marcus garvey. The second, lancer wretchedness, and they were for violet matt turner, remember. The third were washington and others. This debate in the black committee served us well. Then 20th century, that debate occurred with the civil rights movement. People dont realize but in the 60s we had our own tea party movement, within the civil rights movement. When everybody had first that we should have a legal challenge to segregation, and when the students at greensboro believed if the pace wasnt aggressive enough, they started the sit ins, and dr. King was dispatched from atlanta to discourage those students from doing that, and they said to him, lead, follow, or get out of the way. And so dr. King then, the leadership didnt embrace it, but then come so that was one of the current. We also then, you saw the splintered of the civil rights movement, snake, sl is these Different Division about how we should pursue the path forward. And then you had your insurrections, the black panther party, republican new africa who believe we should have a separate state within the United States. You had malcolm x, Elijah Mohammed that there was a healthy debate. In the last 50 years there had been no debate in the black community and we hope 1776 will spark this kind of competition of ideas and approaches. But what we are troubled about 1619 is that it defines america as being intricately racist. And very simply put, that all white people are beneficiaries of privilege and also our victimizers, and all blacks are victims. And this negative message is a dangerous to the future, because it discourages nothing is more lethal and a good excuse for failure, and our inner cities are ablaze, toxic drugs and predatory violence. But 6019 says that these conditions respond by slavery in the shadow of jim crow. That this is patently untrue. If that were the case, the fact that more blacks are killed of the blacks today than were killed over 50 year period by the klan. We have a 9 11 every six months. That condition did not exist prior to the 1960s, and so our essays will bear out truth. And the truth is that lack americas future was never defined by oppression. It was defined by our response to oppressive circumstances. In other words, when white people were at their worst, we were at our best. When we were denied access to hotels, we build our own, in atlanta, the saint teresa in chicago in new york. The st. Charles in chicago. When we were denied access to business in the brownsville section of chicago, there were 731 businesses owned by blacks in the city of chicago, and 100 million in real estate assets. Between 19301940, when the jury segregation was the rule of law and no political representation, when the Unemployment Rate in the black community was 40 , we did not respond to that oppression by killing ourselves. In fact, the marriage rate was higher than any of the group in america because of our strong christian values, exercised control over elderly people could walk safely in our communities without fear of being mugged by their grandchildren. Poverty lowered between 19401960 from 82 down to 42 . We were well on the way of bending ourselves so the reality is, if black america is defined not by americas birth defect of slavery, but its defined by the promise that america. If we were to abide by the principles, the direction given us by 6019, what theyre saying is america is an evil empire 1619. That america does not deserve to be supported because its fundamental principles are corrupt. And hypocritical. And what they are really saying to the thousands and thousands of blacks who gave their lives in the military defending this nation, that their sacrifice was for not come defending corrupt. And we reject this notion. We also believe that if these policies continue, go unchallenged, it has serious publications for our national security. Because if you are saying, as 3000 schools now have been given disastrous curriculum, and so can you imagine a tenyearold child, lack child growing up for eight years bombarded with antiamerican propaganda, they are going to be called upon to join the military. Why would you want to defend a nation that you have been told is corrupt and immoral . They are not going to be willing to be joining the police force to protect us. So it is important for this narrative to be challenged. But we are not going to engage in political debate. Americans are tired of editorial combat. What we are offering is 1776, is an aspirational and an inspirational alternative narrative to what people are offering. And our scholars here and our activists are doers, and activists have come together because our activists are living examples of the founders principles, and their actions have served to transform innercity communities. And so what were going to do is im going to ask some of them to come up and share their essays with us so that you can give more details. We hope to develop curriculum so that we can present to our k12, our children, an alternative. People are inspired, ladies and gentlemen, to achieve when they are given victories that are possible, not always showering them with injuries to be avoided. And this garbage that is coming down from the scholars and writers in 1619 is most hypocritical because they dont live in communities suffering the problem. So they are advocating something that they dont have to pay the penalty for. And so we believe that we are creating a kind of intellectual ghetto by already telling kids in underperforming schools the reason that they are mugging and killing each other because its not your fault, its racist. If youre having babies out of wedlock, its not your fault. And right now were seeing a disaster, about these killings. In st. Louis this spring we had 16 children under the age of 14 murdered on the streets by other blacks. And only one arrest. But the writers of 1619, they dont have families living in those toxic neighborhoods. And so what we want to present is an uplifting story of, i just wanted, uplifting stories in our essays about how people are achieving against the odds that we can inspire this nation. And again we are delighted we have an opportunity to offer a competitive alternative. Its not enough to tell people what not to read and not to study, but one must give them an alternative to say according to what you should study. We also are pleased to have in our group Stephanie Deutsch who has a book on rosenwald schools. Her husband is a great grandson of julius rosenwald, who with booker t. Washington close the education gap in the south between 19201940. It was eight years for whites, and five years for blacks. And they closed that gap within six months, within 20 years. If racism were the culprit, how did we achieve in the presence of those circumstances . So were going to presenting im going to ask right now doctor ben lowery to step up and offer some comments to us. Im the professor of the social sciences at brown university. I have been a friend of bob woodson and a collaborator for 35 years and very happy to be associated with this project. I wont take a long time to say again what bob just said what im here for two reasons. I believe in america, and i believe in black people. Something tells me when i read that document that the 1619 project authors dont. They dont believe in america. We are not to sit on hill, not a light unto the nations and im sorry to report, i get the impression that they dont believe in black people. Ill be brief. This great nation abolished slavery. Slavery was a fact that human civilization since antiquity. Abolition is the new idea. And that is a western idea. Not possible without the Democratic Institutions that were built in 1776. Not possible without the ideals of the enlightenment that were actually embodied in Political Institutions in 1776. Theres a theres a reason why democracy had to come along and the 200 odd years since, and often sought to modern model the constitution the documents that were created in the air of 1776 1776 i believe in america. Not perfect but perfectible. And and i believe in black peop. Slavery was a long time ago. The idea that the specter of slavery still determines the character of life africanamericans is an affront today. Weve shown him will continue to show that we are not merely bobbles at the end of a historical string being pushed this wit and that by forces beyond our control. We can raise our children. We can educate them. We can build and create wealth. We conduct ourselves in a manner that deserves to be honored and emulated by others. And i believe that this project, the 17 so sick project is an essential step in that direction. Thank you. 1776 project. [applause] i want to introduce now at afternoon. It is humbling and honor to be here. In the mid1960s my parents immigrated from jamaica to the United States with their two sons. They had some trepidation because they fully understood the history of this country. They were fully aware of americas legacy of slavery and they knew that we would have to confront and eventually overcome issues of race. But they also knew something else. They believed in this idea of the American Dream. They believed that despite this nations history, their two children could pursue a better life. And because of my parents love, their example, their 48 years of marriage before my dad passed away, and because of the incredible opportunities i have experience in this exceptional country, my mom can literally watch me now and see the embodiment of what she and my dad dreamed of many years ago. And for the last ten years ive run a network of public Charter Schools in the heart of the south bronx and the Lower East Side of manhattan. I have more than 2000 2000 stus are primarily black and hispanic, almost all from lowincome communities. The dreams that the parents and the school that i lead have the same aspirations for their children that my parents had for me. They dont believe that the kids are doomed because of americas past. On the contrary, they choose our schools because we build within them a sense of what is possible. The last thing our kids need to hear is that they are in a perpetual state of victimhood. Im incredibly honored to be part of 1776 because it is the future of the next generation that matters more than in fact, what we believe in the past. Our kids ultimately will succeed not because i have developed a mindset around enslavement, rather when he deliberate the next generation to share innumerable stories of success so they develop a sense of empowerment. Thank you. [applause] now we have a very exciting young man, coleman hughes, whos a student at Columbia University and a prolific writer and one of our rising stars. Thank you, bob. I dont have time to share my entire essay but i just have a few recent comments. The question were here to ask today is, what makes america unique . Put differently, if you were to view every nation on earth in an anonymous lineup, how would you be able to tell which one is america . Increasingly, our most revered journalistic institutions and universities seemed to answer in one voice, oppression. Racism, it is often said, is quote in our dna. It is said to be our essential characteristic as a country. You could pick out a kick in a lineup, they seem to say, because of our tendency to exploit the week, to excuse the sense of the strong antivalue profit over humanity. Today were challenging that false narrative. Any argument that says america is defined by racism and White Supremacy must explain why america is the number one destination for black and brown migrants all over the world. Any argument that says the constitution was nothing special must explain why fledgling nations all over the world have copied it. Any argument that says that institution of slavery is what makes america unique must grapple with the fact that slavery was practiced in almost every society on earth until just a few centuries ago, as well as the fact that most of those societies have done far less than a cast to acknowledge and atone for it. 2. 2 americas worst sins is to point out what is least unique about us and to pass it off as our defining feature. Americas far from perfect. But to say this is to point out, nothing manmade ever has been or ever will be perfect. Our challenge is to make incremental progress, to create as it were a more perfect union. We can either race of the next generation of americans to see the countries worst sins as its defining feature and, therefore, to see the american experiment as corrupt in principle. Or we can teach them to see the country as it is. We can teach them to see the country that migrants all over the world leave everything behind four. In other words, we can teach them how to pick america out in the lineup. Thank you. [applause] now it gives me great pleasure to introduce my longtime friend,. Hes no stranger to anyone in washington of the country. Im not going to reply whole essay either. You all can do that at your leisure, but i just want to say how i came to be involved with this. As a joe sometimes want to cover story, have a tangible effect on your own life. That was out was when i met bob woodson some 30 odd years ago. One thing about him is i was also working on a panel called lead story at the time. I just called the black black s mclaughlin group. It was one we talked lynn knows what i talked about. One thing is always a nagging point a discussion for as was where is our agenda as a people . Ever since the 60s our need for a new agenda was very apparent, but trying to bring people together around certain points was very difficult, and this brings me to the 1619 project because one of our Big Questions was, what do we do now . One thing bob woodson said to me was, he quoted abraham maslow, if the only tool you have is a hammer, all problems begin to look like nails. The application was very obvious the only tool we have is of rights which is a wonderful to have come appropriate, everything against look like the civil rights problem. You cannot fight everything outt in the courts. You also need to build some problems from the, build some solution from the grassroots. You need to go to the people were really directly affected by the problems and see what they think needs to be done, and then put that together with what you find other people would like to do. You see where you can meet together on Common Ground. Something thats a geographic place kind of unknown in washington these days, but Common Ground is nice place to be. When you go through history you find thats what we moped. I was very disturbed when the 1619 project, for example, gave the impression that white people to deputy can do with the liberation of black people, as it werent any white people in the abolitionist movement. I think Frederick Douglass would be very upset to see that kind of impression, that kind of message being given out. And i see a lot of stories all the time and i was told bob about how i was surprised while i was ten figure out how President Donald Trump had defied my predictions, actually won the election, that i was directed by several friends, why dont you read a book called hillbilly elegy about poor white people in appalachia . I picked it up and and i was surprised to notice that j. D. Vance and i have the same hometown, middletown, ohio, on im three and a half decades ahead of him. But i had life better for me because we were there in the last great days of post war productivity. Great factory town that over time with changes in the economy, changes in politics and all, in recent years we went from the an allamerican city to be known as one, having one of the worst opiate addictions and overdose problems in the country. I was shocked to find in 2017 my hometowns city budget, 10 of the the previous year, ganja ambulance calls. Thats a sign of complete deterioration, degradation, breakdown in community. I have another unusual friend, charles murray, who i first met charles murray, actually back in the 80s. India, i love turning short stories into long one so please forgive me. [laughing] i just want to say i was upset with charles for various flaws i saw in the bell curve which he coauthored. But in 2011 he came out with a new book called coming apart, which focused only on poor white people. He got so much heat for talking about race. He said, im going to do a book about poverty without talking race. Charles, i love you because you meet so many points in this book that ive been saying for years, that white folks have the same poverty problems of black folks. We have different skin color basically. I call it the conversation of poverty. When i was a kid back in the early 60s, and lbj started the war on poverty, upward bound worker a couple years later, it was at times, poverty had a a white face, white appalachian face. And then after watts, poverty became black. Life magazine, saturday evening post, look, publications for young people that were very popular whats at america. Thats what you the visuals, the visual profile of america. We are still in the states today. When you say poverty so many folks thinks of a black face. They dont see that we have problems across the line. I have talked with j. D. Vance and we compared notes and we could see that indeed we do have a Common Ground, that is with all want to have more productive america. Want to see that america dream revived. So for many folks at Washington Examiner<\/a>. They will be publishing rsas on their website starting today, one a day for the next 12 days, and they have an editorial today. Also all of the hour essays are listed on their website, 1776 unites. Com. You can read the essays. Also want to thank our sponsors, greg coons who couldnt be your but has a representative and also jim forrest who is one of our great supporters to enable us to do this. The reason that we are gathered to address the 1619 project, the good news is that it has stimulated and muchneeded debate within the black community. The quality of life in the black community has been served over the past two centuries but the quality of the debate within. During the 19th century, latter 19th century, there were three areas. One, there were those who believed in recolonization, that we should return to africa. This was briefly embraced by president lincoln. But the greatest advocate was marcus garvey. The second, lancer wretchedness, and they were for violet matt turner, remember. The third were washington and others. This debate in the black committee served us well. Then 20th century, that debate occurred with the civil rights movement. People dont realize but in the 60s we had our own tea party movement, within the civil rights movement. When everybody had first that we should have a legal challenge to segregation, and when the students at greensboro believed if the pace wasnt aggressive enough, they started the sit ins, and dr. King was dispatched from atlanta to discourage those students from doing that, and they said to him, lead, follow, or get out of the way. And so dr. King then, the leadership didnt embrace it, but then come so that was one of the current. We also then, you saw the splintered of the civil rights movement, snake, sl is these Different Division<\/a> about how we should pursue the path forward. And then you had your insurrections, the black panther party, republican new africa who believe we should have a separate state within the United States<\/a>. You had malcolm x, Elijah Mohammed<\/a> that there was a healthy debate. In the last 50 years there had been no debate in the black community and we hope 1776 will spark this kind of competition of ideas and approaches. But what we are troubled about 1619 is that it defines america as being intricately racist. And very simply put, that all white people are beneficiaries of privilege and also our victimizers, and all blacks are victims. And this negative message is a dangerous to the future, because it discourages nothing is more lethal and a good excuse for failure, and our inner cities are ablaze, toxic drugs and predatory violence. But 6019 says that these conditions respond by slavery in the shadow of jim crow. That this is patently untrue. If that were the case, the fact that more blacks are killed of the blacks today than were killed over 50 year period by the klan. We have a 9 11 every six months. That condition did not exist prior to the 1960s, and so our essays will bear out truth. And the truth is that lack americas future was never defined by oppression. It was defined by our response to oppressive circumstances. In other words, when white people were at their worst, we were at our best. When we were denied access to hotels, we build our own, in atlanta, the saint teresa in chicago in new york. The st. Charles in chicago. When we were denied access to business in the brownsville section of chicago, there were 731 businesses owned by blacks in the city of chicago, and 100 million in real estate assets. Between 19301940, when the jury segregation was the rule of law and no political representation, when the Unemployment Rate<\/a> in the black community was 40 , we did not respond to that oppression by killing ourselves. In fact, the marriage rate was higher than any of the group in america because of our strong christian values, exercised control over elderly people could walk safely in our communities without fear of being mugged by their grandchildren. Poverty lowered between 19401960 from 82 down to 42 . We were well on the way of bending ourselves so the reality is, if black america is defined not by americas birth defect of slavery, but its defined by the promise that america. If we were to abide by the principles, the direction given us by 6019, what theyre saying is america is an evil empire 1619. That america does not deserve to be supported because its fundamental principles are corrupt. And hypocritical. And what they are really saying to the thousands and thousands of blacks who gave their lives in the military defending this nation, that their sacrifice was for not come defending corrupt. And we reject this notion. We also believe that if these policies continue, go unchallenged, it has serious publications for our national security. Because if you are saying, as 3000 schools now have been given disastrous curriculum, and so can you imagine a tenyearold child, lack child growing up for eight years bombarded with antiamerican propaganda, they are going to be called upon to join the military. Why would you want to defend a nation that you have been told is corrupt and immoral . They are not going to be willing to be joining the police force to protect us. So it is important for this narrative to be challenged. But we are not going to engage in political debate. Americans are tired of editorial combat. What we are offering is 1776, is an aspirational and an inspirational alternative narrative to what people are offering. And our scholars here and our activists are doers, and activists have come together because our activists are living examples of the founders principles, and their actions have served to transform innercity communities. And so what were going to do is im going to ask some of them to come up and share their essays with us so that you can give more details. We hope to develop curriculum so that we can present to our k12, our children, an alternative. People are inspired, ladies and gentlemen, to achieve when they are given victories that are possible, not always showering them with injuries to be avoided. And this garbage that is coming down from the scholars and writers in 1619 is most hypocritical because they dont live in communities suffering the problem. So they are advocating something that they dont have to pay the penalty for. And so we believe that we are creating a kind of intellectual ghetto by already telling kids in underperforming schools the reason that they are mugging and killing each other because its not your fault, its racist. If youre having babies out of wedlock, its not your fault. And right now were seeing a disaster, about these killings. In st. Louis this spring we had 16 children under the age of 14 murdered on the streets by other blacks. And only one arrest. But the writers of 1619, they dont have families living in those toxic neighborhoods. And so what we want to present is an uplifting story of, i just wanted, uplifting stories in our essays about how people are achieving against the odds that we can inspire this nation. And again we are delighted we have an opportunity to offer a competitive alternative. Its not enough to tell people what not to read and not to study, but one must give them an alternative to say according to what you should study. We also are pleased to have in our group Stephanie Deutsch<\/a> who has a book on rosenwald schools. Her husband is a great grandson of julius rosenwald, who with booker t. Washington close the education gap in the south between 19201940. It was eight years for whites, and five years for blacks. And they closed that gap within six months, within 20 years. If racism were the culprit, how did we achieve in the presence of those circumstances . So were going to presenting im going to ask right now doctor ben lowery to step up and offer some comments to us. Im the professor of the social sciences at brown university. I have been a friend of bob woodson and a collaborator for 35 years and very happy to be associated with this project. I wont take a long time to say again what bob just said what im here for two reasons. I believe in america, and i believe in black people. Something tells me when i read that document that the 1619 project authors dont. They dont believe in america. We are not to sit on hill, not a light unto the nations and im sorry to report, i get the impression that they dont believe in black people. Ill be brief. This great nation abolished slavery. Slavery was a fact that human civilization since antiquity. Abolition is the new idea. And that is a western idea. Not possible without the Democratic Institutions<\/a> that were built in 1776. Not possible without the ideals of the enlightenment that were actually embodied in Political Institutions<\/a> in 1776. Theres a theres a reason why democracy had to come along and the 200 odd years since, and often sought to modern model the constitution the documents that were created in the air of 1776 1776 i believe in america. Not perfect but perfectible. And and i believe in black peop. Slavery was a long time ago. The idea that the specter of slavery still determines the character of life africanamericans is an affront today. Weve shown him will continue to show that we are not merely bobbles at the end of a historical string being pushed this wit and that by forces beyond our control. We can raise our children. We can educate them. We can build and create wealth. We conduct ourselves in a manner that deserves to be honored and emulated by others. And i believe that this project, the 17 so sick project is an essential step in that direction. Thank you. 1776 project. [applause] i want to introduce now at afternoon. It is humbling and honor to be here. In the mid1960s my parents immigrated from jamaica to the United States<\/a> with their two sons. They had some trepidation because they fully understood the history of this country. They were fully aware of americas legacy of slavery and they knew that we would have to confront and eventually overcome issues of race. But they also knew something else. They believed in this idea of the American Dream<\/a>. They believed that despite this nations history, their two children could pursue a better life. And because of my parents love, their example, their 48 years of marriage before my dad passed away, and because of the incredible opportunities i have experience in this exceptional country, my mom can literally watch me now and see the embodiment of what she and my dad dreamed of many years ago. And for the last ten years ive run a network of public Charter Schools<\/a> in the heart of the south bronx and the Lower East Side<\/a> of manhattan. I have more than 2000 2000 stus are primarily black and hispanic, almost all from lowincome communities. The dreams that the parents and the school that i lead have the same aspirations for their children that my parents had for me. They dont believe that the kids are doomed because of americas past. On the contrary, they choose our schools because we build within them a sense of what is possible. The last thing our kids need to hear is that they are in a perpetual state of victimhood. Im incredibly honored to be part of 1776 because it is the future of the next generation that matters more than in fact, what we believe in the past. Our kids ultimately will succeed not because i have developed a mindset around enslavement, rather when he deliberate the next generation to share innumerable stories of success so they develop a sense of empowerment. Thank you. [applause] now we have a very exciting young man, coleman hughes, whos a student at Columbia University<\/a> and a prolific writer and one of our rising stars. Thank you, bob. I dont have time to share my entire essay but i just have a few recent comments. The question were here to ask today is, what makes america unique . Put differently, if you were to view every nation on earth in an anonymous lineup, how would you be able to tell which one is america . Increasingly, our most revered journalistic institutions and universities seemed to answer in one voice, oppression. Racism, it is often said, is quote in our dna. It is said to be our essential characteristic as a country. You could pick out a kick in a lineup, they seem to say, because of our tendency to exploit the week, to excuse the sense of the strong antivalue profit over humanity. Today were challenging that false narrative. Any argument that says america is defined by racism and White Supremacy<\/a> must explain why america is the number one destination for black and brown migrants all over the world. Any argument that says the constitution was nothing special must explain why fledgling nations all over the world have copied it. Any argument that says that institution of slavery is what makes america unique must grapple with the fact that slavery was practiced in almost every society on earth until just a few centuries ago, as well as the fact that most of those societies have done far less than a cast to acknowledge and atone for it. 2. 2 americas worst sins is to point out what is least unique about us and to pass it off as our defining feature. Americas far from perfect. But to say this is to point out, nothing manmade ever has been or ever will be perfect. Our challenge is to make incremental progress, to create as it were a more perfect union. We can either race of the next generation of americans to see the countries worst sins as its defining feature and, therefore, to see the american experiment as corrupt in principle. Or we can teach them to see the country as it is. We can teach them to see the country that migrants all over the world leave everything behind four. In other words, we can teach them how to pick america out in the lineup. Thank you. [applause] now it gives me great pleasure to introduce my longtime friend,. Hes no stranger to anyone in washington of the country. Im not going to reply whole essay either. You all can do that at your leisure, but i just want to say how i came to be involved with this. As a joe sometimes want to cover story, have a tangible effect on your own life. That was out was when i met bob woodson some 30 odd years ago. One thing about him is i was also working on a panel called lead story at the time. I just called the black black s mclaughlin group. It was one we talked lynn knows what i talked about. One thing is always a nagging point a discussion for as was where is our agenda as a people . Ever since the 60s our need for a new agenda was very apparent, but trying to bring people together around certain points was very difficult, and this brings me to the 1619 project because one of our Big Questions<\/a> was, what do we do now . One thing bob woodson said to me was, he quoted abraham maslow, if the only tool you have is a hammer, all problems begin to look like nails. The application was very obvious the only tool we have is of rights which is a wonderful to have come appropriate, everything against look like the civil rights problem. You cannot fight everything outt in the courts. You also need to build some problems from the, build some solution from the grassroots. You need to go to the people were really directly affected by the problems and see what they think needs to be done, and then put that together with what you find other people would like to do. You see where you can meet together on Common Ground<\/a>. Something thats a geographic place kind of unknown in washington these days, but Common Ground<\/a> is nice place to be. When you go through history you find thats what we moped. I was very disturbed when the 1619 project, for example, gave the impression that white people to deputy can do with the liberation of black people, as it werent any white people in the abolitionist movement. I think Frederick Douglass<\/a> would be very upset to see that kind of impression, that kind of message being given out. And i see a lot of stories all the time and i was told bob about how i was surprised while i was ten figure out how President Donald Trump<\/a> had defied my predictions, actually won the election, that i was directed by several friends, why dont you read a book called hillbilly elegy about poor white people in appalachia . I picked it up and and i was surprised to notice that j. D. Vance and i have the same hometown, middletown, ohio, on im three and a half decades ahead of him. But i had life better for me because we were there in the last great days of post war productivity. Great factory town that over time with changes in the economy, changes in politics and all, in recent years we went from the an allamerican city to be known as one, having one of the worst opiate addictions and overdose problems in the country. I was shocked to find in 2017 my hometowns city budget, 10 of the the previous year, ganja ambulance calls. Thats a sign of complete deterioration, degradation, breakdown in community. I have another unusual friend, charles murray, who i first met charles murray, actually back in the 80s. India, i love turning short stories into long one so please forgive me. [laughing] i just want to say i was upset with charles for various flaws i saw in the bell curve which he coauthored. But in 2011 he came out with a new book called coming apart, which focused only on poor white people. He got so much heat for talking about race. He said, im going to do a book about poverty without talking race. Charles, i love you because you meet so many points in this book that ive been saying for years, that white folks have the same poverty problems of black folks. We have different skin color basically. I call it the conversation of poverty. When i was a kid back in the early 60s, and lbj started the war on poverty, upward bound worker a couple years later, it was at times, poverty had a a white face, white appalachian face. And then after watts, poverty became black. Life magazine, saturday evening post, look, publications for young people that were very popular whats at america. Thats what you the visuals, the visual profile of america. We are still in the states today. When you say poverty so many folks thinks of a black face. They dont see that we have problems across the line. I have talked with j. D. Vance and we compared notes and we could see that indeed we do have a Common Ground<\/a>, that is with all want to have more productive america. Want to see that america dream revived. So for many folks at American Dream<\/a> is just a fantasy. But to me thats what, i talk about aspiration. To me thats what the declaration of independence is about. I just came back from monticello, another long stori wont go into but thats what i love the literature of that, just as yes, im about to wrap this up, but just as Thurgood Marshall<\/a> [laughing] justice Thurgood Marshall<\/a> refused to celebrate the bicentennial of the constitution, but he did celebrate the improved constitution because the original constitution wasnt perfect but it at the mechanism for its own improvement, and that is what amp today, ladies and gentlemen. I feel like we all know where we stand now. We are all aware of Common Ground<\/a>. We need to talk about how can we move forward together, and thank you very much for your patience. [applause] next, i want to introduce dr. John sibley butler, longtime friend and probably the nations most expert on history of blacks in business. Many years ago we started his research and we published a magazine of pictures of four blackfin in durham, north carolina, in the 90s, all of them had retired from their own businesses. It was john butler who found them and wrote about them and id like to ask john to come up and offer his remarks. Thank you very much, bob. As bob said i came are some 30 years ago and said my interest is in relationship between innovation and entrepreneurship and success among blacks. A former columnist was there and he said, you better document everything because nobody would believe it. I did a book called entrepreneurship and selfhelp among black americans, looking that relationship or i may so the employees in the boy with aspirations, fourthgeneration college graduate. My question is always been, whats the algorithm to black success . I trace the success beginning in the early 1700s by great scholar such as wb doughboys Economic Cooperation<\/a> among negroes. Being a skull also look at all of the work done in the Negro College<\/a> graduates since its inception. Right now under a book now on the relationship between basically every look at that i go with them, what do we talk about . As bob is stored, 40 years ago, the whole idea of looking at success in having the future is very, very important. I crewmember bobs work in st. Louis and the command us talk about how we really, really change what they call the inner cities . All black americans that innercity blacks. As a set on a fourthgeneration college graduate, fourthgeneration success and how did that happen . The algorithm this is to concentrate on changing the people have confused segregation we need the laws of segregation for the whole cando spirit as Margaret Lichtenstein<\/a> noted in a work or census and black ownership in 1910 census blacks will more likely be self but the inevitable in america. So, therefore, by the 1960s, if you will, like southerners were more likely to be southern, black southerners were more likely be College Graduates<\/a> that anybody in the country. Thats because it was an emphasis on whole idea of coming together. If you have a problem, go to school. If you have a problem in the community, lets solve it ourselves. I did my research in durham, north carolina, in talking to those black traditions there, i said how did you create such an entrepreneurial spirit in the 1920s, the 1930s . They said we solve all our problems are not asking White America<\/a> what they did to us. I think this is in line with our group that really, really interested in coming to america and saying the following. There is no country in america with this tradition of giving people an opportunity to move from point a to point b. In my opinion when i look at the work that im doing now on the algorithms of success, there is nothing like the relationship between innovation, entrepreneurship, selfemployment and creating a future for future generations. Thank you very much. [applause] next i want to introduce jason hill who offers some embarks on his essay and his work. My name is jason hill, and i think that the 1619 project, like every project, presupposes an answer to the question, what is the moral meaning of a phenomenon . And the 1619 project offers an indictment of the United States<\/a> of america, a country that i think is the greatest, most unprecedented phenomenon that is ever existed. I came to this country as an immigrant with and had a 20 and my pocket went on to be a College Professor<\/a> and author of many books. In my latest book at the time i didnt realize it but i was entering a question to the 1619 project, what is the moral meaning of america . And in that book i thought to give an answer, and the answer is america is an ethical state. Why do you say an ethical state . America is an ethical state because, and to make the claim that race was always endemic to this country, but race was metaphysically irrelevant to the construction of this country if the reason i say that race is metaphysically and continues to be metaphysically irrelevant to the meaning of america is that i realized early on from the constitution that race would never ever be something, a phenomena, that we determine that peoples fate and destiny in revocably. And so what im doing in my work is showing that there was something in that document that provided the emancipatory and provided not just the emancipatory but provided the tools for the inclusion of black people into what i call the domain of the ethical, into the widening pantheon of the Human Community<\/a> so that blacks and other minorities would suffuse american landscape with narratives of their own, and continue to expand this wonderful experiment which is not a hermetically sealed phenomenon, but an open ended system, and that the voices of black people and the life and agency of black people would continue to be a feature of this Great Republic<\/a> of hours. The 1619 project would have us believe that blacks are not part of the moral meaning of america. And what my project is partly doing is wintering that piece of nonsense is what it is, nonsense, that black people, whether they were slaves or entrepreneurs or crop sharing farmers, have always contributed to the moral meaning of this country. America exists as a possibility of full disclosures, or a disclosure possibilities, and blacks have always penned the aspirations of the best in america, to call for the best with dennis, and to call for its exercise of moral excellence. Thats just a little bit of what im doing in my project. Thank you. [applause] and now carol swain who come and share her very exciting paper. I carol swain and im a former professor of Political Science<\/a> and law at Vanderbilt University<\/a> and is also a tenured professor at princeton. Ive known and admired bob for more than 30 years, and the essay that i wrote for this project is titled Critical Race Theory<\/a> and its destructive impact on america. Its an essay that you can read. I believe that what i have to offer thats most important for the 1776 project is my life story of having that a high school dropout, one of 12 children born and raised in real property. I dropped out after the eighth grade. I married at 16. By the time i was 21 i had three small children. I earned a ged, went to a Community College<\/a> and got the first of five degrees. I was able to graduate magna cum laude from my fouryear college. People came into my life, and people came into my life and the ones that took an interest in me and steered me forward, they were white, many of them are white men. And these people encourage to me that i could do anything, and i did not see myself as handicapped because i was black, i was a female, i was poor. I didnt see any of that until he got to graduate school, then i learned that i was oppressed, that i was poor, that i was black, that i was a female and that he couldnt do any of the things that ive already done. [laughing] and so i believe the 1619 project offers a very crippling message to our children, and i was spared from having that message brought to me. And i believe that if i had been exposed to that, if i had internalized that negative message can i delete i wouldve been able to do the things that ive done in life. I believe in america. I believe america is the greatest country in the world. Im a patriot. I want to do everything that i can for this nation to bring it together, p and i that we do need to learn to love and respect each other, and this negativity that is seeping into our schools thats teaching, for one thing, white children are being shamed. They are being told to be ashamed of themselves as of the color of their skin, and black children are told that because of structural discrimination that they cant, they cant, they can. We have to counter that. We are at an important Tipping Point<\/a> in this nation. What we do matters, and i believe that the 1776 project, that this project is an important historical moment, and we need people to get behind us. We need to make sure that our message reaches white, black, asian, hispanic and everyone. America is a great country and we need to fight for it. Thank you. [applause] im glad im not following her. [laughing] we now want to hear from taleeb starkes. Thank you. Readings. Im taleeb starkes, and dont let a nice suit fool you. I am from the hood in philadelphia. Actually, im from two hoods. The first hood is an environment where criminality and violence litter the landscape. Its a place where homicide is the number one killer of black males between the ages of 1534. The second hood is just as dangerous, and i would arguably, i would argue that its more detrimental to ones wellbeing and development. Because it kills dreams and aspirations. Now, that hood that im talking but is victimhood. Specifically, racial victimhood. And this hood is being force fed to us and paddled by a racial grievance industry, whereas the physical hood is being sustained and which essentially is a byproduct of leftist policies but thats another story for another day. Anyway, on this valentines day, the 1776 project is bringing a message of love, and sometimes love can hurt, like the truth. And heres the truth that may be hurtful to some peoples ears. These people who have agendas. America is not a racist labyrinth that is specifically designed to stifle the advancement of black people. And our police are not badged workingmen, as they are often made out to be. So with gods work, the 1776 project will indeed break the gravitational pull of racial victimhood that seems to be omnipresent on the present in this great country. Thank you. [applause] and now want to bring Wilfred Riley<\/a> up to offer high. So im will riley, associate professor of politics at Kentucky State University<\/a> and author of the book hate crime hoax and ted lieu, glad to be her as one of many people representing the 1776 project. Thanks. I do have a natural baritone as well as a nice natural tan. Back up a little bit. I dont think i need the mic honestly. So the title of my essay is slavery doesnt define African American<\/a> history. Something i believe to be obviously true. Obviously as has been noted or several pages long, scholarly pieces thanks to the Washington Examiner<\/a> for publishing this series of days but it breaks down in a couple details. Slavery obviously is a a human universal. People of every race were sold as slaves. Although for whatever reason this is not poverty often in schools. Theres an entire slave trade, the barberry slave trade the folks in time on the sale of white europeans to primarily boorish and black masters in Northern Africa<\/a> and ascends slavery existed everywhere in the world until the modern west stopped it around the 1850s. So thats number one. Second from essay is obviously given when the slaves today, there was an at the Slavery Movement<\/a> in the United States<\/a> for roughly the same duration of time as that was slavery in this moment one in invictus is most made up of many black and white people of goodwill. As most things do, the campaign against slavery proceeded incrementally. In 1808, for example, a law a law was passed prohibiting the importation of slaves. Essentially crippling the atlantic slave trade. Finally, obviously it can be forgotten that we freed the slaves in the United States<\/a> at a terrible cost. During the civil war about 600,000 americans, most of them men of the north, were killed. Did the calculation on the back of a playing card deck come here and that was one for every nigh. So if the u. S. A owed a bill for you could argue that we black and whites have both already paid in blood. So all of this is discussed in the essay. One final point in the pieces that many modern black problems seem to have very little to do with slavery and a great deal to do with the social revolution of 1960s. And the clearest evidence i can find of this is they are mirrored among our white countrymen. So in 1938 and for example, according to the economist walter williams, the illegitimacy rate if you want to use that term for africanamericans was 11 . Admittedly any healthy competition it was only 4 for whites, so good for caucasian americans of will. The equipment jesse rate currently 74 for africanamericans. Its 37 for White America<\/a>ns. Its around 55 for hispanic americans, rested 2 for native americans and i believe 42. 3 for the entire country regardless of color. This is a national universal problem that clearly by definition has nothing to do with slavery. If you look at opiate abuse and poor White Communities<\/a> or Gang Violence<\/a> and africanamerican neighborhoods those are things that are both sides are far, far, far more serious than ever when we are fighting one another in the streets. We can make excuses but we just need to Work Together<\/a> and solve these problems. I notice in the peace and finally without going through the entire article im a supporter of the 70s up to six project for one simple reason. I think some things are commonsensical obvious truths you heard from athletic coaches and preachers and mothers and fathers your entire life. One of this is the United States<\/a> while the test clause is a Pretty Good Society<\/a> if you look at freedoms or income over to anything else on a global basis. It is not especially hard to succeed in the United States<\/a> of america. People come from countries where without any mockery at all, cars are lectured item. If youll be in vietnam and so forth. And up for much of the population of the usa. I think this is possible for anyone of any color in the United States<\/a> of american given personal responsibility of hard work. Theres absolutely no reason whatsoever that middleclass africanamericans or appalachian countrymen should be held to a lower standard in recent immigrants from the developing world. That is racism. [applause] on one of your phone latasha fields. I am just honored to be here and i was asked why am by supporting 1776. I stated in, so the younger generation. To represent that america is a great country, and i been able and fortunate to connect with bob woodson and so wonderful may wonderful people that stand behind me and also have been fortunate to testify before the u. S. Congress about economic poverty in this country. And what i stand to say, i stood to say then, we can achieve through hard work, perseverance. I was a 17yearold mom, teen mom and i stand here as a married woman with four four cn im also a 13 year homeschool mom. So you cant tell me 1619 what we cant do in this country. You cannot tell me the liberties and freedoms that is been afforded to my family. When it comes to African American<\/a> history and black history, i teach my children, been teaching them for 13 years that is not black history, its that white history. It is american history. The good, the bad and ugly. We are one and it will learn the truth and so i thank god for this opportunity to be a part of such phenomenal people. And as we come together and as we embrace the truth, and like mr. Whitson, continues to tell us not to debate but to have an alternative. We all standard today as an alternative. We all black some of us laugh at some of us. So what are the alternatives and our children can succeed. They can be successful. I have been telling my children weve been doing this since 1642. Amen. Amen. So we can succeed in this country cant i just thank god to be a part of such a beautiful, beautiful project. And i just want to tell my family, friends and people of this country, we love you. We love our children. We love our youth, and every parent wants the best for their children. Amen. Amen. [applause] before introducing our last presented before we take questions, i just wanted to acknowledge in the room presence of one of our leaders, mr. Tyrone parker who is president of alliance for concern men, in the back. [applause] and tyrone and his group over many decades as exoffenders themselves have witnessed exgang members about about peace in these communities through just the will and determination to do so. He and Carl Hardrick<\/a> and Curtis Watkins<\/a> and others were part of the whitson family, we just praise you and thank you for being a part of it. Another one of those neighborhood healing agents, as i call them, is tony macle wayne who ive known for four decades, one of our starr leaders in the city of detroit. And i want her to give remarked and in will take questions. My name is tony, from the site editor and talk about an area that is 8085 at or below the poverty level. What did i do . I went and lived in that community and i decided that we are better than what people say we were. And i took that community and i developed block clubs. Idl neighborhoods. They cleaned up that community. They went back to school. We were able to reduce the crime by 40 in two years. 40 , because we are able to do that. Theres one thing that i noted on one of bobs letters that he sent me is that god do not select the capable. He selects those and makes them capable. I was grateful for that because i saw a neighborhood transform from a deteriorating neighborhood to a livable neighborhood. But not only did i see the neighborhood transform, i saw a residence of a neighborhood, 50 blocks, 5000 residents lived in that area, and they are now called the heroes of their own families and im grateful for that. Why do i think the 1776 is important . Why do i think that . Because we are part of it. We are what we are supposed to be where we can lift our own selves up by our own bootstraps here and im glad that i was able to lift myself up and to show the other people in that community that they, too, can lift their cells appeared so bob, i want to thank you for what you have done, bringing us together, because by god, we are incapable, able to be capable of changing our own neighborhoods. Thank you. [applause] we would be glad to take whatever questions you may have. Questions . Questions . Yes. You can, to the mic. This isnt necessarily directed at any specific person but its maybe a pot that i was kind of wondering if the presenters had come in general, which was do any of you think that we are at a point where, in terms of elections, things like that, we are past the point where we just talk about the black vote as this monolithic thing, as if every black person is going to vote the same were in an election that was what joe biden still is banking on, this idea of having 40 of the black vote for whatever, that started to deteriorate over time. Do you think were at a point where theres enough economic, social diversity among black people in this country where youre not going to be able to just say, the black vote is going to come to this or that candidate . Is there enough diversion of opinion, enough diversion of lifestyle but that those days e over, do you think . Well, we are trying to with 1776, to present to the country and particularly black america, a reason to think more independently than what theyve been told. Its not enough to talk you can go to any city in the country, whether the governorship is controlled by republican or democrat, the conditions of low income people as all the same. The answers will not be found through electoral politics. But if i could speak politically for a second. My goal is not to recruit republicans, make them democrats. I want the black vote to be an independent swing voter. I want them to get sophisticated enough to vote their issues, and to form strategic alliances. Its insulting when i see a politician say, oh, all we have to do is go into a black audience and say we are against racism. Vote for me. Ive got something to say. Also, if you look at the history, we made our best progress when we couldnt vote, in terms of community. So i think what bob is saying is what we have been concentrating anybody having their own individual aspiration of how they would like to vote. Thats not necessarily just on established expectations, but a swing vote that is really, really related to the community where you are. But right now theres no diversity in terms of viewing the black population. Its just being viewed as a monolithic kind of situation. Its kind of why you in life, i dont know whether brother vote or had the concession stand to sell popcorn the popcorn to tho are voting. [laughing] i would say that if we look at the Public Opinion<\/a> polling and if i were to look at the black youth and people that i talk with, i dont believe the black vote is monolithic. I believe that black people have reached the point where they are looking around, and they are both up for grabs. But in this next election, if i were to make a a prediction, i would think the republicans and donald trump, no were not supposed to be political but im speaking as a political scientist now, i think that 20 of the black vote would be reasonable. Just a quick comment on that in addition to her. I make political scientist as well. I think this is an empirical question. Right now there are large pretty wellfunded movements like the goal is specifically moving African American<\/a>s away from sort of the mainstream of the democratic party. That something a lot of people, you can wager on this pic is something a lot of people are very interested in seeing in progress, will that happen . That senator question. Theres an interesting background here, if you look at for example, churchgoing or attitudes towards issues like quoteunquote transient rights, the Africanamerican Community<\/a> is a fairly conservative community, were conservative than most caucasian communities. Large majority. What youve seen is africanamericans have become an 8090 democratic voting wheelhouse basically because off the use of the race narrative. Thats an empirical fact. Joe biden running against mitt romney was one of the most milquetoast moderate individuals you can imagine, the antiracist hit a pain said we would put africanamericans back and change. As a central large black audience easily searchable in google. There were cheers. Thats how you managed to get 86 of the black book break in sicily. What i continue . We will see. Theres a concerted backlash to change that now i will say and i think that is been studied in Political Science<\/a>. Yes. Before that, but the biggest barrier, even the whole Voter Suppression<\/a> issue that is supposed to be popular, well, it turns out that the states with the most restrictive voter laws has the highest black turnout. And also the biggest barrier to voting is apathy. In the last mayors race in washington, d. C. , in ward seven and eight what has all the problems, less than 6 of the people turn out. This is a a pattern in newark, other cities were blacks, democrats have been in power, the current rate is apathy is the biggest barrier to people voting. But but i just dont think the answer is to the electoral process. Its a cultural problem. Its an intro problem. Somebody had a question asked yes. This is more nittygritty than abstract question. You mentioned the 1619 project already has education curriculum thats going to thousands of schools and you plan to do something and that matter to the what kind of a truce with the the and how would you get them to schools and whats your timeframe on that, bob . Our timeframe, we planned to develop k12 curriculum. Joe young is here from hartford, connecticut, one of the countries for most cartoonists. Not hard to this, animated [laughing] ill get in trouble with that. An animator to reach young people and were going to commission him to do an animation on 1776. We want to produce videos. I think the impact of your film on clarence thomas, we need hidden figures. I went to a gathering in virginia, fredericksburg virginia on a saturday afternoon where the author was there in an auditorium at a womens college. It seats 1000 1000 people. There were 1300, the fire marshal had to turn people away. Hundreds were turned away. Her book was sold out and sold out in the local store. They of the audience were black family members. So we really believe there is a thirst in america for virtue and action. And we want to use every means possible to develop a retail strategy. The problem with traditional ways, particularly conservatives have time kind of pushed back against us, is to publish white papers and an argument on talk radio. But we believe that is insufficient, inadequate. So we hope to develop teachable retail oriented materials so we will have an alternative. The highest, most popular book on amazon in the socialist section is communism for kids. Im, compared to the black vote and i think that this is a larger issue about without sounding condescending or patronizing,","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"archive.org","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","width":"800","height":"600","url":"\/\/ia902802.us.archive.org\/18\/items\/CSPAN2_20200218_130000_Discussion_on_African_American_History\/CSPAN2_20200218_130000_Discussion_on_African_American_History.thumbs\/CSPAN2_20200218_130000_Discussion_on_African_American_History_000001.jpg"}},"autauthor":{"@type":"Organization"},"author":{"sameAs":"archive.org","name":"archive.org"}}],"coverageEndTime":"20240716T12:35:10+00:00"}