[captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2020] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] each week, American History tvs american artifacts visits historic places. The National Museum of africanAmerican History and culture open in september of 2017. The museum has quickly become one of the most visited in the nations capital, with capacity crowds almost every day. Up next, the second of a twopart look at the museums history galleries. We tour the era of segregation 18771968, and hear the story of africanamericans after the civil war. At the end of the civil war, African Americans who were released from their bondage immediately thought about creating their own lives with their own resources. One of the first things many of them tried to do was reconnect with family members who had been separated during the era of slavery. They traveled the country looking for their relatives. They placed ads in newspapers, primarily churchrelated newspapers, seeking to find their kinfolk. They wrote letters to the freedmens bureau. They wanted to reconnect and build communities among themselves. One of the major elements of that process was creating all black towns. Not welcome in the wider society, a number of African Americans reconnected with their families and created towns where they built not only their homes, like this building in maryland, which was then called jonesville in maryland, in northern Montgomery County but also , schools and churches in those communities. This particular building was 1874. By john hall in it compares or contrasts rather with the slave cabin you have seen earlier by being a twostory building. It was a measure of his and his familys ambitions and optimism for the future. They actually had just bought land, so they were freehold farmers, not tenant farmers or sharecroppers. With others in their community, they built one of the first, one of nine allblack towns in Montgomery County in the late 1880s. Nd it was a mark of their independence and it mirrored towns across the country. This building was still in use as a family home, although highly renovated, well into the 20th century. The family that still owned the home once it was being abandoned, decided to donate to this museum after researchers found this in what is now pools poolsville, maryland. Our researchers went up and examined the building. We had to take off the siding and the interior white board to see what the logs underneath looked like. We contracted with a buildings conservator. We dismantled the building log by log and restored what we could restore and replaced a few parts and rebuilt it here in the museum log by log for this display. Inhabited by enslaved individuals. The slave cabin we saw earlier in this tour in the slavery and freedom exhibition was occupied until the 1980s. Most of them have been reconstructed, dated with vinyl siding. The current inhabitant dont even realize that underneath the shell of the building is the structure of a former slave cabin. We will see the response to this kind of independence with a segregated society and in response with the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s. At the very end of the civil war, africanamericans had civil rights in the former confederacy and in fact had Voting Rights and produced legislatures in which 1900 africanamericans had served in state legislatures in southern states. In 1877,olitical the political compromise removed northern troops from the confederacy. That allowed it White Society to begin a campaign of removing the civil rights africanamericans had received at the very end of the civil war and recreating slavery by another name, what we have called jim crow. The initial elements had changes in state laws that limited the rights of africanamericans, limited their rights to move, to vote, limited their rights to serve on jury duty, limited their economic rights. But it wasnt the imposition of new laws. It was the support of those laws by a reign of terror. The symbol has come to be the ku klux klan, but the clan was not the only element of care. Element of terror. It was a broadly societal effort optimized by the clan. Founded in 1865, the was established to form new kinds of law and the creation of a new type of white supremacy. African American Society was attacked on all levels, not simply physical violence, but psychologically and intellectually and the denial of all the rights. But africanamericans responded to that in a way that created their own society and allowed them to express their own vision for the future. The white hood became the symbol of the ku klux klan and was widely seen across society protecting the identity of individuals, though in most communities, everyone knew who was underneath the hood. But it wasnt just the physical terror epitomized by the clan and the lynchings other parts of society conducted. More than 4000 individuals were illegally murdered with no consequences on the perpetrators from the 1880s into the 1940s. It was a constant process of terror and intimidation. The other part was not so physical. It has to do with intellectual and psychological intimidation. So the publication of a book in 1900 in which it perpetuates the idea that africanamericans were put on earth to serve white people. They are not their own beings, not their own human beings, they are not their own selves. They are here as servants for society. That kind of structure and psychological makeup that had on White Society as well as detrimental effects on africanamericans which had to resist the constant barrage of negative information about them created a sense of terror that was constant and unremitting. Yet, africanamericans responded in a number of creative ways. It was not simply physical terror, but it involves things like the constant denigration of africanamerican so that stereotypes, what have become collectibles in 21st Century America were constant reminders that africanamericans were inferior and constant reminders to africanamericans that White Society did not value them as individuals and reductive and as productive members of society. The response of the africanamerican community, however, was not simply defensive. It was expressions of their own vision for the future. They built educational institutions. They built community and civic organizations. They focused on their churches and created entrepreneurial enterprises. They valued the black press, a free press that communicated information and built a society within the Larger Society that responded and protected them from the Larger Society but also expressed their own values and own sense of what the future could be for themselves. And for their children. A very typical american approach to life. In the early 20th century, there was the beginning of a massive migration from africanamericans from the south to northern cities. This allowed more opportunity for africanamericans to engage in modern society. It also change the character of their sense of themselves and their opportunities. In the 1920s, right after world war i, where africanamericans served in great numbers, particularly in france in the with an, there comes engagement with cultural expression that has become known as the new negro or the new renaissance. This is the migration of the negro by jacob lawrence, a retrospective looking back on the experience of movement of massive numbers, millions of africanamericans to northern cities between 1910 and 1940. By the 20th century, Jim Crow Society was wellestablished north and south in the United States and the west for that matter. Their tradition, however the tradition, however, of the response to that Jim Crow Society, of efforts to expand civil rights for African Americans had continued since the late 19 century well through the early parts of the 20th entry. By the 1950s and 60s, just after world war ii where africanamericans served in the military and came home to a segregated society that did not accept them entirely, the notion of a concerted biracial movement grew and took on more added energy and strength. On the other side of this white only door, we have instances of violence against africanamericans who were act is in the Civil Rights Movement before there was a Civil Rights Movement. In the 1940s and 50s, act of activist constantly tried to put pressure on White Society to allow greater civil activity for africanamericans, economic rights, legal rights, but particularly Voting Rights. One of the major proponents of Voting Rights in florida was moore and his wife harriet. They were active in the Civil Rights Movement. On christmas day, 1941, a exploded under their bedroom in Broward County florida. Harry was killed outright. Harriet died a few days later, but they were only two of several martyrs to the Civil Rights Movement before the board versus brown of education case in 1954 and before the instigated by rosa parks. There has been a constant number of individuals who were fighting the fighting for civil rights before those events drew national attention, who were killed by the terrorists involved in trying to preserve white supremacy. Harry moore, his wallet, his pocket watch and his wife more wife or a small ladys wristwatch. The small locket which harriet were contained photographs of herself and her husband. These are the personal elements that survived in 1951. Another example of three Civil Rights Era activism comes from preCivil Rights Era activism from from this example johns island, just south of charleston. The jenkins created a group called the Progressive Society which operated a small hotel and gas station and cooperative store. They bought a volkswagen van and began ferrying individuals from johns island to the job in charleston. But it wasnt simply a transportation service. During the ride from the island and back at night, jamie would teach the individuals literacy skills, teach them how to read and write and use the constitution of the state of South Carolina to teach them about Voting Rights so that they would have the opportunity to take the test and apply for voter registration. They combined a service along with an opportunity for africanamericans to gain their rights. In the midst of a segregated society, transportation was one of the great challenges for both africanamericans and whites. How to create separation for whites but allow transportation for the black immunity. The black community. This car was only in 1940 renovated to create separate sections that is the system became more restrictive as time went on and more africanamericans joined the traveling ranks. Longdistance travel, this car was made for the southern railways and traveled between washington, d. C. , and new orleans, and had to accommodate the notion of increasingly segregated society. Lets go inside and take a look. As a white passenger, i look at this portion of the car and say, these are nice, large seats. Im quite comfortable here. I can look out the windows and enjoy a smoke Free Atmosphere because when i get back here, ive got room to store my large luggage. I dont have to keep it on my lap and ive got a restroom with a lounge that allows for smoking out of the main car and they and a fairly large restroom that is quite accommodating for passengers. But if i were an africanamerican passenger, i would walk into this section and take a look and say these seats are fine but theres no place to store my luggage other than a small overhead rack. If i have a large bag, i have to keep it with me on my lap or at my feet. I look around and see theres no other accommodations except a very small toilet area with no lounge. In other words, its a much different experience for longdistance travel for africanamericans and clearly an inferior experience. When the Supreme Court of the United States announced separate but equal was inherently equal unequal in American Education in the brown be board case brown v board case, it opened the door for other out to americans to argue about that same kind of inferiority in separate but equal situations. In 1955, rosa parks, with a long career in activism decided she could not take it anymore, that she needed to find out what her rights as an africanamerican were. So, she refused to give up her seat on a city bus in montgomery, alabama. Ks was sewing the stress at home during the time in which she refused to give up percy. This was her project at home. Another woman early on in the Civil Rights Movement was quite different not a 40yearold married woman with a job but a 14yearold High School Student by the name of carlotta walls in little rock, arkansas, who simply want the best education she could get because she had the ambition of becoming a doctor. When the opportunity to attend the Best High School in little rock, central high school, she signed up and became one of what later became known as the little rock nine, the first nine africanamerican students to integrate Little Rock Central High School in 1957. That is the dress the first day of school in 1957 when she was denied access to the school. It was a dress that exemplified her desire as a 14yearold to get the best education and to put herself forward in a situation where she could be respected as a human being and achieve her ambitions. A very typical american story. Quite a different story is joan trump our, a 19yearold white student at duke university, joan was a devout christian and figured the Civil Rights Movement expressed christian values and therefore joined citizens in a room, North Carolina and ultimately became a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and spent four years in the movement. Was one of the freedom writers, arrested, served time in parchman prison in mississippi and carried with her the notion of an interracial, multiracial, cooperation that would lead to civil rights for all americans. She collected all the buttons that represent the various causes she believed in and created her own monument and memorial and reminder of her act to release. Of course, Martin Luther king was the inspirational leader of the Civil Rights Movement and has become the leader of that movement for many americans. He was certainly not the only individual who was primary to that movement in those activities. In 2014, king, posthumously, and his widow were awarded the congressional medal of honor, the highest civilian award for americans. King had evolved and had moved from specific rights to africanamericans, particular a Voting Rights and the end of segregation that included a critique of the vietnam war and american poverty that affected all races and the dan a larger approachgan a larger to change in america. At point, were going to move on to 1968 and beyond. Having left the exhibition on the era of segregation, we moved to the exhibition, the final exhibition in the threepart history gallery, a changing america 1968 and beyond. You can sense a difference in the tone of the africanamerican liberation movement. The 1960s was an era of black power and the air of the transition of the philosophies of Martin Luther king, particularly his development of the Poor Peoples Campaign a multiracial campaign for Economic Justice and the end of poverty that king had initiated just before his assess the just before his assassination in 1968. The mural behind me is one of the representations of that campaign which was embodied in resurrection city here in washington, d. C. , in may and june of 1968. Kings vision was for a multiracial campaign that would bring native americans, African Americans, latinos americans, puerto rican americans, poor, white individuals from all parts of the country to washington dc all part of the country to washington, d. C. , to Lobby Congress and the presidency for economic changes. Not merely civil rights for one group but changes in the fundamental Economic System that would alleviate poverty in america. This mural, one of many painted on the plywood that would have a that made up part of the tent city that housed 3500 individuals on the mall in washington, d. C. , represents that multiracial character of the campaign. It contains a number of rubber from tatian number of representations, interested in the movement who brought their concerns and culture to washington, d. C. , for this moment. We are assuming it was produced in part by students from california, university of the pacific and the university of california at los angeles. Its also evident this could have in representing a number of individuals from various parts of the country, including the use of language that expresses the hope that poverty can be ended in that United States. With kings death, the reverend abernathy and his widow continued the Poor Peoples Campaign. Resurrection city had permits to set up on the national wall. National mall. The weather was terrible and for six weeks, they tried in vain to lobby the federal government for fundamental change. At the end of those six weeks, the federal government removed bulldozed the city and evicted the residents and basically into the campaign. Ended the campaign. Members of the Peoples Campaign who were washington residents managed to find out where the bulldozed material had been taken to a local military base and went by the base late at night and salvaged some of the material, including this plywood mural. Materials were preserved by activists who literally kept them until they donated it to this museum. Many people think the black Power Campaign was a negation of the Civil Rights Movement, that it was in opposition to civil rights. In fact, the nonviolent philosophy of Martin Luther king and the black Power Movement are not at odds, even though one of the symbols of the black Power Movement is this image of qe holding af newton spear and a shotgun. Newton is the premier example of this sense of militant opposition to American Society the panthers allegedly represented. But much of the campaign was about selfdefense for africanamericans. The same kind of selfdefense that had been seen with the deacons of defense and earlier efforts in the military and other areas opposing violence against society. Part of the black panther campaign was social reform. Education reform, health care, housing, the freedom to get an education that was useful for them. Opposition to the legal system that was imprisoning thousands of African Americans with no good reason. An element we want to focus on and make known more widely to the American Public is the notion of survival programs. That the party was developing a series of activities and pioneered the idea of legal aid, health clinics, educational programs, a Free Breakfast Program for schoolchildren. Social reform the panthers advocated was as important, prop hubley more important than the militaristic side and militant activities highlighted in the press at the time. Another element of kings evolution was his development and opposition to the vietnam war, an issue that rent American Society in the 1960s and early 1970s. King straight out said one of his greatest disappointments was americas failure to deal with the triple evils of racism, economic exploitation and militarism. Africanamerican soldiers served in vietnam. Some willingly, some reluctantly , but they have pride in their service and did their utmost to serve their country, a tradition that had continued on from earlier wars in American History and since the vietnam era for top the vietnam tour jacket was the vietnam era. Ae vietnam tour jacket was common memento acquired by soldiers where they would have them embroidered with symbols of their service. In this particular instance, and africanamerican soldier not only had a tour jacket made to commemorate service in vietnam but had it adorned with symbols power, representing his commitment to the black Power Movement and his own service in the vietnam war. Also in this area on the black power era is elements of rod elements of broad concerns, acyclic, a representation of the harlem renaissance of the 20th century, a concern with literature, culture, with representation. Particularly the development of black women writers, black critique of American Society, the growth of shirley chisholm, the first black woman to run for major Party Nomination for the presidency. A Political Force on all those levels through culture, politics, Popular Culture representation in mass media. The black Power Movement renovated and created yet another new africanamerican way of expressing themselves and being represented and being in control of their own circumstances. That created opportunities for subsequent generations. Perhaps the most significant example of that creating of new opportunities comes with the growth and influence of someone all americans have come to know, oprah winfrey. Black power in the Civil Rights Movement opened up opportunities for African Americans in all realms of American Life politics, Popular Culture, literature, economic entrepreneurialism. Oprah winfrey has become one of the great icons of the late 20th century, starting her talkshow in 1986, she developed an empire business beyond the and talked about individual self empowerment, creative opportunities, educational opportunities, and use her wealth and influence to promote the kinds of ideas that the that the civil rights leaders and black power leaders had advocated. Her career exemplifies that kind of opportunity and making the most of it both individually and collectively. Ms. Winfrey was kind enough to be a supporter of this museum and donated these artifacts from the last show that aired in 2011 of her daytime talkshow. In 2008, barack obama created a Multiracial Coalition that brought him to the presidency. A coalition that mirrored the type of coalition Martin Luther king envisioned in 1968 for the campaign. Barack obamas presidency did not represent a postracial society as we have come to understand. Still, it represented a market a marked departure from previous american political life and created a new image of the black man and the black family in the lives of many africanamericans and americans. For whatever his legacy in terms of policy and the administration, his personal legacy and his impact on american political life will be seen as a very positive element in the future as historians consider and reconsider the impact of his presidency. We are lucky enough to have a president in barack obama who understood the impact of history and importance of understanding history, so the artifacts we received from the white house include the dress michelle obama, the first lady, war at the 50th anniversary of the 1963 march on washington and the comments signed by the president that he made on that occasion. Acknowledging the history and import of the 1963 march on washington in which he makes clear every generation has a responsibility to increase the rights and opportunities all americans enjoy. Its that kind of opportunity and challenges represented by his administration and his understanding of history, that by the black lives Matter Movement and others who see ways seek ways of creating a more equal and just American Society. Experiment we continue to have. I think the history galleries really demonstrate the power of social change through activism, that nothing happens by chance. They demonstrate how the values represented in these exhibitions are quintessentially american values. They are about opportunity. They are optimistic. They are resilient. They are about enlarging the experience of all americans, africanamericans and others. They are a very optimistic american expression of overcoming the odds and succeeding. We think thats a very positive sign and we hope that is the message that positive change comes about and is absolutely possible as long as one is involved in the values and American History tv is on social media. Follow us at cspan history. Next on American History tv, the third of four debates from the 1960 president ial campaign between incumbent Vice President Richard Nixon and massachusetts senator john f. Kennedy. The candidates were in separate studios, with mr. Nixon in los angeles and york city. Checking the expansion of chinese communism, federal expansion, Economic Growth and stability in political discourse. Mr. Kennedy defeated mr. Nixon in a close general election by less than 1 of the popular vote. Bill good evening, im bill chevelle of abc news. This is the third of the series of meetings on radio and television of the two major president ial candidates. Like the last meetings, the subjects to be discussed will be gg
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