Good evening, everybody, and welcome to the National Press club. Im eleanor herman, and im a member of the clubs book and author committee. Were very glad youve come to this e event, and we hope that you enjoy it. The club has about 15 or 20 of these book raps every year on a variety of books, both fiction and nonfiction. So if you are not already on our email list and would like to learn of future events, please see me after the event, and i will put you on our email list. We dont overload you we mails, its usually about one a month that youll get. So speaking of future events, before we get to our guest, i want to just tell you of some coming up in july, all of which begin at 6 30 p. M. Unless otherwise noted. On tuesday, july 8th, todd per dumb will discuss his book. On wednesday, july 9th, brad author will discuss his novel, about of war. On tuesday, july 15th, tom young will present his latest military thriller, sand and fire. And on tuesday, july 22nd at 6 p. M. , Aneesh Chopra will discuss his book innovative state how new technologies can transform government. So this would probably be a good time for you to silence your cell phones, please. The order of events for this press rap is as follow toes. Im going to introduce our guest, and then im going to have a conversation with him. And after that you can ask him questions. Just raise your hand, and one of our Committee Members will come around with a mic for you. And when weve run out of time for questions, because i imagine therell be be quite a few, he will be signing your books. And ive also been told by the management that once youre done with that, were having jazz night in the bar upstairs with a live band, so you might want to check that out. Marion barry jr. Was born in 1936 in a tiny town in mississippi and picked cotton as a child in the segregated south. When marion was 8, his mother left his father whom he never saw again and moved to memphis. He was ducted into the National Honor society in high school, received a degree in chemistry and his masters from Fisk University in nashville in 19 of 060. 1960. He completed all courses required for a doctoral degree at the university of kansas where he studied quantitative and qualitative organic compounds. Thats a surprise, isnt it . [laughter] he was cofounder of the civil rights group, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee which was active in Voter Registration and desegregation in the deep south at the time when it was a very dangerous thing to do. In 1964 the organization sent him to d. C. Where he won a seat on the school board in 1971 and became a Council Member in 1974. He is served as the second elected mayor of the District Of Columbia from 1979 to 1991 and again as the forty mayor fourth mayor from 19951999, and he has been a member of the d. C. Council representing ward 8 since 2005. Now, despite a life of many accomplishments, and weve just heard of a few of them, mr. Barry is known hostly for a few minutes on a videotape in the vista hotel in 990, and while we will get to that later, i would like to use this time tonight to explore the other aspects of your life that i didnt know about until i read your book. And im sure that many people here tonight would also like to know. For instance, one thing that really surprised me was you were one of the first black eagle scouts in in memphis. And as a mother of two eagle scouts, id like to ask you i wet youve never i bet youve never gotten this question before, mr. Mayor. What was your favorite merit badge, and what did you learn from scouting . [laughter] good evening. Good evening. Let me just get that out of the way. I think it was life saving and swimming. And camping. Liked that too. And watching . Was that girl watching or bird watching . Be bird watching. [laughter] didnt have a merit badge in girl watching. Oh. I think they do now, and my son got it. Will oh, really . [laughter] yeah. So did you feel that you learned some things from the boy scouts that helped propel you through university and into your life . I learned quite a bit. One, i Learned Leadership skills uhhuh. I alternatived tenacity i learned tenacity and resilience and courage and all those kinds of things. As well as getting along with other people from different backgrounds. It helped shape my life a lot, quite frankly, but the person who was most important in my life was my mother. Uhhuh. My mother finished third or fourth grade, my father the same, and they were sharecroppers. Thats where you work all year chopping cotton, picking cottop. We had a garden cotton. We had a garden. When it was all said and done, wed pped wed end up with about 3 or 4,000 for all that work in that year because the man had a store. He sold his seeds to my family at a price higher than he paid for them can and bought the cotton back at a price lower than he was going to get for it. And i think its important that in america you find that there were very few opportunities at that time for a black boy born in mississippi, poor, living in a house without any running water, without any electricity, used kerosene lamps and without any other amenities that we now have. But back to my mother, my mother was a domestic. That means cleaning up some white womans family kitchen, bathroom, taking care of their kids and all that kind of stuff. My mother told me, i didnt understand it quite at the time she was telling me this, she said when she went to interview for a job, they got through all of the duties and responsibilities, and she would tell that white woman who usually was the one hiring im not going to go through the back door. If im good enough the take care of your snottynosed kids and clean your house and cook your food, im good enough to go through the front door. And she lost a lot of jobs that way. And she also said, because back in those days and even now domestics were called by their first names. They didnt have a last name. And she said my name is not mattie, its miss cummings. She lost a lot of jobs for that. And i think that kind of tenacity and courage rubs off on me some way to some way or another because i remember as clearly as im sitting here, that was a defining moment in my life with my mother. Speaking of incidentally, she lived to about 92 years of age. She passed about six or seven years ago. [applause] come on, you can clap. 92, 92, 92 . Thats a long time. 92. So speaking of your mother, when you were a young man, you were very busy. In addition to school and being in the honor society, you had a lot offed jobs, you were odd jobs, you were collecting merit badges, but even so, you were a rabblerouser. You write that you liked to drink white water from white water found tapes, but what did your fountains, but what did your mother say about that . She slapped the hell out of me. [laughter] that was a custom in the south. Boy, dont you know better than that . I thought it was an interesting point that the older people in segregation were used to living like that, and it was the young ones, 14, 15, saying are you people crazy . Why are you living like this . Thats true. Let me do this, let me back up a little bit and put this book in context. Uhhuh. A lot has been written about marion barry. A lot of photographs have been taken. But those interviews and those stories was about the what of my life, not about the who of my life. It was about me being fourterm mayor, me having done this, the vista what . I decided to tell the story of who marion barry really is. What it is the what it is that im made of. [applause] and this book is brutally frank. I tell it all, the good, the bad and the ugly because life isnt where there are no imperfections, you dont make any mistakes in your life. I put that in the book, and for those of you who are going to read this book, thats great, buy some more. [laughter] youll see that they are very detailed situations. This book took me about almost a year to do. Omar tyree is a heck of a writer. He has 15, 20 books of his own. And im up until 1 or 2 00 in the morning, working saturday, sunday, late into the night. Working on holidays to make sure that i was accurate in what i was trying to put together. And i talked into a number of tape records to try to put this together, and it was a labor of love, a labor of love. And so my life didnt start at the vista. It didnt end with the vista. This was about this much of a sliver in my 78 years. [applause] just a sliver. Thats all it was. It was important. Im going to get that out of the way right now, because regardless of what happened at the vista, this or that, what i said this or didnt say that, it happened 24 years ago. I say again, 24 years ago. Of 24 years ago, and ive asked forgiveness from rashida and her mother, mary moore, because we she was a victim as i was to some extempt. But notwithstanding that, i apologized to this commitment, i apologized to my wife, my son christopher. Theyve accepted that apology. This country is a country of second, third and fourth and fifth chances. [applause] you know . What i hoped this book would do is inspire somebody else whos struggling to stand up and get rid of that as much as you can. I hope this book will educate some people as to the truth, because dr. King said truth crushed to the ground shall rise again. Shall rise again. And so i put it in that context. The other context, and ill go back to what is washington d. C. Washington, d. C. Is our nations capital, its our local government, all the foreign m bass says are here, the National Government and all the cabinet agencies are here, the house of representatives are here, the hundred senators are here, theres an interNational Press here, theres a National Press here which means that there are more eyes on me than any other person in america, in america. And ive sur vived that. And ive overcome that. Im not letting it get me down. And i want to thank the people in washington, d. C. Who are bright and beautiful for having the sense and understanding to cut through all the bs, you know . [laughter] [applause] and also with this major press here, we have a few barry haters. Probably about half a dozen. [laughter] some are here tonight. And, but what the barry haters do, they cant find anything good. Theres always good in something, you know . Theres one columnist who had not read the book, he had not read the book and wrote on the book. That is not right to do, and im going to take it out, dont worry about it. I think it might help me sell books, so just keep on doing it. [laughter] anyway, back to you, ms. Harmon. [laughter] [applause] well, i was really fascinated to read about your education in the field of science. And in the book you say that you moved from science towards Community Activism because in teaching students when you were getting your graduate degree, the white ones their parents didnt want a black man to teach them, and the black ones were not prepared. And so it started to upset you, you write, that the black community wasnt as well educated in those segregated schools. And then you moved into Community Activism. Well, thats true. And thats as i said earlier, i had four sisters, and three of them have passed. I have one living sister in memphis, tennessee. Shes 10 years younger than me. I talked to her this morning, gloria. And when i was in high school, i went to a sportsoriented high school. Booker t. Washington was the champion, statewide champion of black schools in everything; football, basketball, track, everything. And so i went out for the band because i was too small to play football, not good enough to play basketball. I went out to the band. And after about two weeks, the bandmaster said weve got to go out and why you a trumpet. We cant let you keep taking this trumpet home. I didnt have the money to buy a trumpet. Nobody had the money around me, so i dropped out of the band. Then i decided to go into boxing, and i won about 15 fights at 112 pounds. Can you imagine . 112 pounds and im moving up to bantamweight at 118 pounds. The lars two fightings last two fights i had this guy hit me so hard, i saw stars. [laughter] i didnt get knocked out, but i saw stars. I told the coach, im sorry, i gotta go. [laughter] im not doing that. He said, just stick it out. The same thing happened two weeks later. Coach, im gone. Dont try to talk me back. Im glad he did not succeed in talking me back because i would have been mumbling around here now being hit upside of the head so many times. [laughter] and i was also very smart academically, and i loved science at that time. So i went to owen college. Im going to try to not give you too many details because you wont read it if i tell you. And i decided to major in chemistry with a minor in math. And came through an era when people were using their first letter of their name and their middle name like g. Washington cox or k. Orlando coal, these were friends cole, these were friends of mind. I didnt have a middle name, and part of what we grewsed to do, the four of us, some specialty. Mind was current events, and i named myself after the russian scientist [inaudible] because he had done some outstanding things in science. Thats how i got that middle name. One final point on my education. I went to kansas for a year. I couldnt stand that kind of lifestyle, you know . Drinking beer. We went to kansas city for entertainment because lawrence was not officially segregated, but they wouldnt serve you. So i went to the university of tennessee, and i was there for three years. The only black student in 3,000 natural scientists, the only black student which meant i made enough good grades to stay there for three years. And i was going to do my dissertation. Everybody got tired of me. Of course; i was in the Civil Rights Movement, and i could help more people, and that also was overcoming, overcoming. Struggle, tenacity, courage, big vision. All those things are replete throughout the book no matter what the situation is. God gave it to me, and i decided to give it back to the commitment. And ive given it to this community, every bit of it. [applause] theres not one person whos lived here or visited here who was not affected directly or indirectly by the leadership of marion barry. Yeah. [applause] so lets skip over several fascinating things and go to you, when you won your first election for mayor. Theres so much that you did that i just wasnt aware of. When you first took office, you had the first audit done on city finances, and you found the city was 387 million deep in the hole. And during your first three consecutive terms in office, you balanced the budget 11 out of 12 years [applause] thats something we should learn to do these days. [inaudible] the other thing was you reduced the deficit by 200 million. You established a relationship with wall street and obtained their highest Credit Rating for the city. You [applause] you forced slum landlords to fix up their properties and make them clean and safe. You instituted programs to provide fair and affordable housing, reduced the high infant maternity rate of the mortality rate of the city to one of the lowest in the country, expanded the Summer Jobs Program to more than 20,000 kids [applause] and were able to build 70 buildings Downtown East of 15th and above pennsylvania creating revenue and jobs. But i think, i get the sense from your book that your favorite out of your many accomplishments as mayor is increasing minority hiring for d. C. Government contracts. Could you please tell us about that . Well, let me also say that when i took office in 79, january 2nd, i was sworn in by thurgood marshall, associate justice of the supreme court, who had at one point had worked to got me out of jail because he was with the naacp Legal Defense fund. And that was a big event for us. But washington, d. C. Back in those days, and gative washingtonians dont like me to say this, it was a sleepy southern town. Sleepy southern town. There were no this building was not here. This complex was not here. Pennsylvania avenue had only one building, fbi building, and f street, g street, all those streets, all the west end didnt have any major highrise buildings. Look at washington now. [applause] look at it now. And it didnt just happen overnight. It took a lot of work, a lot of vision, a lot of tenacity. For instance, i appointed herb miller who was a white developer as chairman of my downtown committee. They came up with great recommendations. Also i reorganized the permit department and welcomed businesses to come to washington. We doubled the number of hotel rooms since when i started, so i think thats important that we see the big picture. Because i painted a large picture, a large photograph of our city. Again, all of this is replete with courage, with tenacity, with vision, with understanding this community. And loving this community. And they love me back. Thats very, very important. [applause] so thats in terms of my programs my most Favorite Program is my Summer Jobs Program. [applause] because when i grew up, i had to sell rags, pop bottles, carry the morning paper, the evening paper, had to scuffle all during the year, you know . Only thing that saved me was a friend of mine down street, he grew much faster than me. And in between my 10th and my 11th, 10th and 11th grade, i grew about two and a half, three inches. I had nothing to wear. My mother couldnt afford. So carter drake gave me all of his clothes; his khaki pants, his suit, his shirts, etc. So to him, im eternally grateful. Again, its about overcoming. Not complaining about what you dont have, but working hard to get what you want. And so that was another example. [applause] but back to the city government. My second really it was my first most Important Program was minority business. Thats hispanics, thats blacks, thats women. It was 3 when i came in, 3 . When i left it was 47 . Millions of dollars transferred to the hands of people who had not been who had been left out. One example of that is bob johnston of bet. The council awarded bob johnston of d. C. Cable the franchise, the franchise. And he department have an operator. He was a programmer. Went to tci and got them to hook up with him. But then he had a problem where he locate the National Headquarters of bet. We had some land out on new york avenue where washington beat was supposed to go and some others. I let bob johnson lease all that land for a dollar a year. [applause] thats right. For a dollar a year. Which means he began here in d. C. , and hes a multimillionaire, billionaire, and look at bet now. Another example is don peoples who i appointed to the Tax Commission when he was if years of when he was 23 years of aim. My staff said why are you doing that . Hes too young. Somebody gave you a break, and he moved on to be a developer, and hes one of the most prosperous developers in the country white or black. Again, started right here because of my vision. I could name a hundred more like that. But the final point of this equation is the black middle class. There were qualified members of the black middle class who had not been given an opportunity to work. They had degrees, they had certificates, they had all the kind of things that were necessary, but the d. C. Government was basically lily white at the top. And so we opened the government up, had a resident city requirement, and those black families were able to move from here up to here. In fact, im very proud of the fact that we built a strong black middle class. Also in the process though what happened, a number of the black middle class went to Prince Georges County, and i understand it because they didnt hear all these sirens and all these ambulances, gunshots and all those kind of things. And, in fact, wade curry at my fourth, his second inauguration, asked me to to stand. L i was his best and thanked me for Prince Georges County, for washington, for bo to wie and those places. Im proud of that too. Were not going to let these imaginary boundaries stop us. If theres suffering over here, theres suffering over here. If theres success over here, theres success over here. Now Prince Georges County is one of richest blackrun population wise majority black in america. Im proud that i contributed greatly to that situation. [applause] you write in the book that not everybody was pleased with you shifting from white commitments to black communities. You felt this played a role in what happened. By the late 1980s, the fbi started to look through your bank accounts, credit card bills, spending 10 million, you write, in an effort to nail you on something. And you even reported there was this hertz rental truck following you around day and night. So why do you think they did this . Many. Well, i put it at economics. I had a problem with the fbi when i was in the Civil Rights Movement because we all did. But when i first came to washington, i didnt have a problem with the fbi, Law Enforcement of any kind of but when i started the Minority Program of shifting millions and millions and millions of dollars to the Minority Community from 3 to 47 , and also it seemed strange. The fbi and everybody else should have welcomed me building a black middle class. I got 47 of the vote from white people in 78. But when i got in office, i knew it but i had not understood it as well. All the problems, all the social problems in that community. Particularly the low income community. Because in the White Community they dont need job training, they dont need job placement. They can find their own jobs. They dont need excellent Education System because they send their kid to an excellent kids to an excellent one and pay for it, etc. So i think thats when it started. Some of my barry haters, theyre not going to believe that. And im going to ask you to do me a favor. No, im not going to tell you yet, because ill tip them off. [laughter] but you do anytime that you werent squeaky clean in the 80s, you admit to alcohol and some drug use no question. Who is . And a couple of affairs. So you do admit that. It wasnt hard to admit. Thats the truth. Im serious, thats the truth. [applause] you know, what happened to me for those two years that one night that i was at the vista, one, i shouldnt have gone up there. I should not have gone to that hotel and should not have gone upstairs, should not have been anywhere even though im sure theyd are found some other way. But im glad that they found this way which was safer than another kind of way. I said earlier, ive apologized for that. Ive apologized to this community. In fact, if you talk about christianity im a strong, devout christian the disciples asked jesus how many times did you forgive somebody . He said 70 times 70. And so im not perfect, you know . I admit my faults. I admit my mistakes. Unless you do that, youre just, you know, as we call it on the street, shucking and jiving. So i want to find somebody whos perfect. Anybody who except jesus. Anybody who has not made a mistake aint done a damn thing. Amen. It happens. Im not trying to the justify it, im just explaining it so people can begin to see this in the context of a total picture of marion barry. Im 78 years of anal. I thank god of age. I thank god for that because the majority of people who graduated with me in my high school class, we used to have our reunions, and we will light a white candle for everybody we knew had gone on to heaven. It got so bad that the white candles outnumber those of us the the sill here. It was too painful for us, so we stopped having them because we knew all these people who had gone on. Had a lot of interaction in our class. So what i also want to do with that, those mistakes, those misjudgments, i want them to be a lesson to other people. Who are suffering the same dined of thing the same kind of thing. Particularly, the drug situations. We have got millions and millions of americans right now are suffering from that disease can, drug addiction. There are thousands of d. C. Residents who are suffering. In fact, when we talk to our Job Development people, theyll tell you that one of the Biggest Barriers to employment is dir few urahns dirty urines. So i want to be an instructor that if marion barry can do it, you can do it. [laughter] if marion barry can stand up, you can do it. Thats one reason i wrote the book, so i could put that in there and educate and inspire. A lot of our people, white people too, are going through a lot. It may not be drugs and alcohol, but its something. Maybe divorce or kids that dont act right or a lot of other financial problems, etc. I want to be instructive that you can tackle that problem. Dont ignore it. My pastor, evan will soften at union temple, used to preach about a storm. That we all are just getting out of a storm, on our way to a storm or in a storm. And the question is how do you get out of the storm . First of all, if you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. [laughter] stop digging. But more importantly, its better to go above the storm than go through the storm. Some of the storm rubs off op you. And if you ignore the storm, thats idiocy. And too many people ignore the storm. And so this book is about helping other people to oh, im going to be helped financially, no question about that. But its more about giving examples how one man can overcome so many things. Im just an ordinary person whos done extraordinary things. [laughter] [applause] the reason im taking the time to talk about this in detail as youll read in the book is that the barry haters dont want to tell you the truth, wouldnt know the truth if they saw it. And so, but you all understand that. Thank you all so much for understanding where im coming from. And through the grace of god, do i sit here and some other people. I just got over a major illness, a blood infection. It takes you out. A third of the people who get it dont come back. But god blessed me to come back to continue to serve this community, and im still not quite there yet, see me limping a little bit, but id rather walk that way than not to walk at all, be frank with you. [laughter] and so i give all that glory to god. Why are you talking about this god stuff . Because ive seen it. I have been in some difficult times emotionally and physically and otherwise. And only when i ghei it to god did gave it to god did i given to try to come back on it right. Thats why i use that a lot. [applause] the naysayers going to find some reason to criticize me anyway, so i dont want mind me criticizing me about god because god is here. Well, i think the one thing that really shocked the world was when you ran again for mayor in 1994, and you won. And your slogan was great. He may not be perfect, but hes perfect for d. C. [laughter] [applause] so, firstly, how did you even have the nerve to run again at that point, and why is it you think they put you back there . Well, several things. One, Shannon Kelly had not been a good mayor. In fact, when we did our poll be, he only polled 13 . I told diane feldman, my pollster, go back and do it again. This is incredible for an incumbent mayor that hadnt had any mayor scandals. She came back, 13 percent. And she got 1 in the 13 in the election. Then we had john ray who i helped get on the council because he supported me in 78 running. And there were so many things that werent being done. I mean, my Minority Program had gone downhill to less than 30 maybe, if that much, it was its down to about 20 now. And also our School System was still a wreck. And young people were, i go to safeway, and i couldnt get out of there in less than two hours with people talking about what this about, what about that . What can you help me with this . My gas has been turned off, all these other kinds of things. I knew i couldnt do it from the council, so i decided to use my tenacity, my courage, my vision, my resilience to run for mayor. And it was my best campaign. I got 47 of the vote in 1994 pause the people in washington, those who are here saw all the good work that we had dope, and you judge a person not by cover of a book, but whats in book and what chapters are there. I knew that god had given me these visions, and i had to give them back. And washington is better off because i ran in 94. I but i won against all odds. Can you imagine . Ive had 13 races, only lost one . Im known now around the country as one of the most skillful political persons in the country. [applause] so thats that. Since hey, ken, where you been . Ken cummings. Youre still hes wait a minute. Ken cummings was original loose lip from that raggedy paper called the city paper. [laughter] but ken was very creative. He called me macbeth, i think, and called my life lady macbeth, Something Like that. Mcbarry. Mcbarry. Thats what he also started mayor for life. And i didnt want like it. [laughter] i didnt want like it. Because with it reminded me of papa doc in haiti, and i didnt want to be nope to be known that way. But the more people talked to me, you the man forever, regardless of what they say, so that term, mayor for life, everybody, even Eleanor Holmes norton, refers that to me. Everybody refers that to me. Mayor becauser who im supporting for mayor, i talked to her this morning. Hows the mayor for life . So thank you, ken. Thank you, ken. [applause]. Keep me a ticket to swell. And it turned out they dont have a special law on driving too slow. But ive had more trouble with them then anybody. They leave me alone now. So do you feel racism is alive and well in america despite the fact weve got a black man in the white house quiet will they ever get past will we ever live in a postracial world . Have you seen . You know, i hear this postracial. The last chapter of my book talks about where we go from here. I dont say racism pervasiveness of fact that everything happens in america. Washington d. C. Has become mostly house and a third have not. We have to look at the income gap of 36,000 a year income and the person who works hardest to get their. Compare the 200,000 over year, 46,000 over year. So what it has done in a lowincome community is run people into crime. I dont condone that. I understand there. All of these things about getting money. We had a video called grand theft auto. Grand theft auto. But i have people been cops. It was awful. The people making money off of that are nonblack people. That bothers me. In lowincome communities you have a black boy who has never, ever in his life seen a black man because 82 of the families in the household. Mr. And i have one son who just turned 342 days ago. We had the connection to get them in school. The connection to get him into Wilson Senior High School where he graduated in 98. What about the parents who dont have those resources, dont have those connections, dont have the transportation . Theres a whole bunch of things like that. But the basis of all of this is simple. Its politics. Its politics. Think about it. None of us decided we were born come under what conditions, what color, what nationality. So people in poverty in america are born into poverty. There are very few people who got into poverty. They mightve lost their job or Something Like that, but poverty is massive in america and we have to do all we can to give people to become selfsufficient it took a long time to answer that, but i want you to at least understand what im saying. One more question before you have two bodies questions. That is you are 78 now when you had Health Issues over the past years. Looking ahead, what do you want your legacy to be . What is the future for marion barry . I have two years left on the council. That is a given. I learned that from boxing. What ive got to say is im on the council for two more years. Because of my elected seat, theres so many things. But i guess if i could summarize there, [inaudible] those low income black people, spanish and the women who undergo a lot of discrimination. The other thing i want to try to get upon a speed and start it to people, that they too succeed in spite of it all. They too can overcome if they believe in themselves, believe in the almighty god. And if he developed the carriage and strong feeling about yourself, his chin now im here . I want to use this as an example of my legacy. Im externality destined for and after talking to her i found out that she ged, for boys, raising them by herself and she refused to go on welfare. She worked two and three jobs. I hope to get into Public Housing because she spent a thousand dollars, 60 of her income. And went to school, got her high school diploma, got a certificate as a nurses aide about four or five months ago. She passed, license for practical nursing. [applause] and she is going to enter the school of nursing in august to get her rn in the fouryear bachelor program. Thank you, jamal. Thank you. Thank you so much. This gentleman is a question in the corner. If you could speak into the mic. Whether you bought a book or not, i thank you. I thank you. Is the president of the National Business committee and current president , i look out with their relative, all of this because marion barry. I commend you for all you dont come especially the Small Business community. You are the only mayor of all the mayors ive ever had that ive never made a dime from. The only mayor in the city that ive made money on easier. I thank you and i commend you for all youve done. Matter, if you were emperor of the United States and had limitless power, what would you do about poverty in america . You know, i dont answer those questions. I really dont. I am not emperor and i never will be emperor. Thats just my style. Time to time asking and answering different questions. I would rather ask my opinion about something for the future. But poverty is so evasive. Poverty is so massive in this country. 42 Million People on food stamps, both blackandwhite, appellation. Poor white people in west virginia. Poverty will not be eradicated or reduced until everybody in the country, every legislature, every governor, every mayor, everybody gets involved. Now we will make a dent because were working hard to put we need to get families jobs. I appreciate the question. But poverty is so massive. Somebody quoted somebody the other day. He said helen keller sent those who are welloff have an understanding, have a hard time understanding the persons who are not well off and this is the society. Thank you. A gentleman over here. Mayor berry, one of the thing that really strikes me about what you been doing is to economic growth, during the Civil Rights Movement doesnt seem that was a major focus and something that theres more economic inequality in america and less black businesses now than in the 1880s. We have microsoft and wear a black city despite everybody is taking credit. Why is this enough for a friend of the civil rights of the africanamerican leadership . Wellpaying jobs, private equity shops, liquor shops in america are still denied to those who serve their country, are educated and this is the nontold story of washington d. C. In america. Unfortunately when you are oppressed, your priorities are not to survive. In a segregated society with Human Dignity and so if you notice the march on washington was the jobs and voting rights, the basic rate in this country is the right to vote. But theyre a number of us who have been working on economic about situations that have caught on. The last chapter of my book talks about civil rights. Let me apologize. He was about five or 10 minutes late anyways. When i was in college i refused to take an 8 00 class. I had to take a 9 00 class. I just got back from new york, had a great time in new york. A lot of shows. They tape it and they will put them on later. And the train was late and so i apologize. Weve got a question over there. Yeah, how are you doing. How are you doing . Im doing well. Am i to congratulate on your bug and i want to make sure Everybody Knows in terms above we need to do, with enough population, enough revenue and definitely we have a sense of urgency. Speed and i could have 1966 because the board of trade went on record as opposed to being home rule. We need statehood, statehood now we will call and given that these two assists us. Can you imagine this budget of 11 billion . 7 billion of it comes from you all for taxes and the other comes from assistant state. And yet, we have to go to the congress to get permission to spend their own money. Around the world, trying to bring democracy to a iraqi soldiers, afghanistan. Youre talking about democracy around the world right back to your home, the white house and the congress. Something wrong with that picture. You and menu. You will be next. My name is very common. I went to thank you so kindly marion barry for your excellent leadership skills. I want to ask you during the civil rights time were you ever injured at all . Were you ever heard . Contest we. I was blessed not to have ever been shot. Celebrate the anniversary in mississippi and i cant go because ive got to stay here and work on this book. I was shot in march of 1977. Took over the Wilson Building and the islamic center. Im getting off the elevator, shots rang out. God was there. The bullet ricocheted. But read more about it in the book. [laughter] the lady back here has been waiting. Hello, margie. Hi, marian. Congratulations on the book. Id like to answer the legacy question for him. I have an idea. I think one of the colleges in this town, georgetown or George Washington for all of them should chary see for marion barry. It should be teaching kids about Political Science and how to run for political office. You are the greatest campaigner. I cant imagine one of the school should not do this. Im going to put it out there. You can put it on the news. I think this is what should have been. Some people are talking about that. Hello, marion barry. My name is donna willard. I am a washingtonian and when i read about being here, i was like i had to be here. I want to let you know its had a great impact on my life, mainly a something about the demonstration project in washington d. C. Because you make them know that kids want to go to college. Or maybe the recipient could not , i graduated from howard university. The poker i must be put in some of the low income areas to try to help bring culture like dvds and every name. I just really want to stand up and let you know youre a great person. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Let me say a lot of those programs, for instance, when i was mayor i used to give 2000 to every valedictorian, 1000 server salutatorian and 500. And i used to give 1000 to every student who is in the top 10 of his or her class. Thank you. Time for one more question. He started tonight saying one of the great view of the boat and my question springs to map you what question springs from that. What do you think is the biggest misconception people have about marion barry over the years . The biggest misconception is that those of my life is taken up with junk and scandals and alleged corruption. Most people about me, even in d. C. For a 152nd sound bite and nationally, the United States government sent that tape to every ambassador in the world every president of every country in the world send it to other propaganda. He ran on television. That is all part of it. I am not phased by it. People in washington d. C. As long as they long as it gives them some hope and somehow. I dont care. [applause] you get that . I want to thank you so much for coming here tonight. I also wanted to give you this is actually very precious object. I dont know if youve got one of these before, an actual press club coffee mug. Ive got two of them. Manufacturer plates. Thank you so much for coming. We are going to be outside sending your boat. Im sorry, right over here signing yearbooks. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations]
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