howard university for what is another moment's occasion for the arrestee. the founders library is certainly an iconic building on howard's campus. the clock tower represents a major symbol of the university. it always shows that everyone understands what has occurred in this building overtime. this building was originally designed with the inspiration from independence hall in philadelphia. that was not done by accident. he did that because that was a building the house the of america, and at the time he was designing the building, he used that as inspiration because lacks at that time, despite with the cut to shenzhen said -- ofthe constitution said, were not operating on an equal system. the building was designed with that in mind. it would on to become the site of many historic progress in this country, thi concluding dug the time of brown versus board of education. as a matter of fact, howard's law school is often referred to as the west point of the civilized movement. we still believe it to be west point, but we also think it is a center point. we are pleased today to look at it. when i can to school in 1988, this was my preferred place of stacks,lbeit, in the late at night. i believe it was the sixth floor of the stacks. i'm hoping i did not leave any graffiti there that anyone don't find. i remember being in this historic building. the books that were housed here represented an important opportunity for the education took place.ce -- when this building was built, it was the second-largest building built on campus. expensiveo the most building filled on a campus at time, it's this done -- and since then, has undergone a transformation to educate. the clock tower has represented a commencement. of our an image graduation surmise with the clock tower in the background. about 30 seconds talking about the architect of the time. he was born in 1895, and attended baltimore public schools before moving to new attended cornell. he received his degree in architecture in 1919. in 1920, he joined howard university as an associate professor in the architect department. his legacy on our campus is one that is as rich as any. is responsible for probably 10 different major buildings, or construction products that are -- on the state of course, the founders library where the cornerstone was laid in 1937. we are very, very proud today to join with the national trust for historic preservation to embark on a designation and project that we feel would restore the founders library. we can temporize this building to meet the needs of our students in this present era. it will still house the memories. you have treasurers including frederick douglass. in fact, i spent time looking at the writings of the presidents before me. i spent a lot of time looking at the original writings of frederick douglass. is one thing to read his words, and another to see his writing -- how few errors he makes. we think of autocorrect today, you can appreciate the brilliance of this man. with rooms-flowing in the comments the human -- and in the columns. housestory and legacy the is even more important. i'm the father of a nine-year-old and an 11-year-old. this election coming up in november, they will see someone in the white house who, for the first time, with not look like them. , as tohter, left night what the president before she was born. i said george w. bush p chee was not familiar. she asked me how old she was when president obama was elected. i told her she was just two years old. the point is we have come a long way in the history of our the fathert i've now of two african-american kid to believe that the arguments of like them.ouse look the only way they will understand the history and legacy of this country is if we take it upon ourselves to make sure we passed the history on. make isstment we must investing in buildings like these and the information and legacy that they house. with that in mind, i would like to call stephanie meek. [applause] ms. meek: thank you. it is wonderful to have you with us. when founders library was dedicated in 1939, as dr. frederick just said, it was one of the most modern and sophisticated libraries in the world with air-conditioning, elevators, and all the amenities of modern life. behold to ensure it remains on the cutting edge of technology and scholarship. than 75 years, founders library has been one of the hubs of intellectual and creative vitality at howard, and through greater washington, d.c.. in this very building, brilliant forged the strategy that became brown versus board of education. today, founders library houses some of the greatest collections of african american history and culture in the country. i have had the opportunity to learn just how precious the resources. inspirera continues to some of today's most dynamic and provocative thinkers. author and journalist tenant was acoates whose father library here talks about the powerful influence of this library and campus. he describes how it gave him the powerfulchance to wrestle with d philosophies of great minds. national bookhe award last year, as i'm sure you know. when asked why he wrote it, he said, i had a memory of myself as a young person, sitting in the founders library at howard university, and breeding baldwin's "fire next time" cover to cover. i wanted a book that generations could do that with. tong people have come here the source of knowledge and awakened their own creativity and inspiration. they have learned up scholars, thinkers, philosophers, and leaders who changed america for the better, and discovered the most important lesson there is. we all have within us the power to transform the world. for all that these reasons and more, the national trust is delighted to partner with howard to craft the next chapter of the founders library story, which is why i'm proud today to officially announce that founders library is the newest national treasure of the national trust for historic preservation. [applause] thank you. i national treasure program is a signature initiative of the national trust your it is a revolving portfolio of nearly 60 diverse and important projects from around the country that are at a critical moment in their evolution. we strongly believe that older buildings should not be trapped in amber, and left to gather dust. they should be active and fully engaged in the life of the community. working with howard, we are going to make founders the creative learning space for this waiver century, while maintaining its distinctive character, and central place in the likes of the university. we are delighted to join in this partnership. howard works to reflect the robust history of our nation. we look to make sure that overlooked places are protected. what my colleague will talk about, this is something that is critically important for our future. duchess for the future of preservation, but the future of the nation and our national understanding of who we are, and where we come from. beope our work together will just the beginning of our collaboration. i want to encourage faculty and staff and students here to tell us about more historic places that have been overlooked and underappreciated for too long that deserve our support. i hope ande can -- expect we can apply the knowledge and wisdom that has been accumulated here and developed for partnerships together to help craft a more inclusive vision for our future. fork you all once again being here today and for your warm and generous embrace of the national trust in this partnership. we will not watch a video that was put together by the national trust and howard university on the meaning and importance of this place and our newest national treasure, founders library. thank you. [applause] ♪ >> founders library has a story to tell. it is the story of a people. roots on theits african continent to spend africa, asia, the americas, and beyond. the story of triumph and achievement. its collection holds more knowledge about the black experience, as told by black voices, than any other in the world. of content, generations wisdom, culture, and history are testament to education and a symbol of freedom for the black community. rights war a civil room, an incubator for great minds. . testing ground for pioneers combined, it's resources serve as an unmatched tool for the self reflection and determination of scholars of african descent. as the primary learning resource for the nation's premier historic black university, it is a conduit through which indictment passes from the best and brightest of these generations to the next. now, it is time for the library's light to be passed again. today, with the support of the national trust for historic preservation, howard university announces a plan to transform the library into a 21st century -- forhere intellectu intellectual and cultural exchange. for more than 75 years, saunders library has served as a quintessential source of the black communities expirations -- community's aspirations for power and enlightenment. now, as a national treasure, it is poised to do so into the future. [applause] >> good afternoon, everyone. african-american national treasures remind me of the beautiful quote from a movie. memory is a selection of images. others printed delicately on the brain. each image is like a tapestry in the tapestry tells the story. the story is our past. black culture in its material form, we tell the stories of america, and the stories of who we are, and where we come from. i still strongly that back , andre, black landscape black history matters. our collected identity matters. memory-american sites of matter. our culture is embodied in old buildings in the history's that they keep. a howard alum said once, any form of art is a form of power, it has impact, it can affect change. it cannot only move us, it makes us move. i can relate. as a graduate student at the mercy of kentucky, i had the good fortune to conduct a statewide inventory of schools in my home state. rosenwald schools are part of the national treasure portfolio. schoolpresent a massive building program founded by booker t. washington. they helped to construct over 5000 schools. the design team included america's first african-american anditect, robert taylor, landscape designer, george washington carver. during the process, i learned that my mother and father both schools.rosenwald skil a solid connection to the past like never before. i had this multisensory experience with these places. i could see, touch, smell, feel, and here the floorboards -- hear the floorboards as i walked inside these buildings. c se was also a six ense. there was continuity in washington's fission from lifting the black community. it was ongoing and real. it had directly impacted my life. preservation makes washington and rosenwald life once lived real. you can tell the identity of our nation by the places we preserve and honor. for too long, our movement to preserve landmarks is associated ,ith famous industrialists wealthy farmers, and former presidents, while the stories of enslaved and free persons of color were often forgotten. the stories are booted in 250 years of slavery. 90 years of jim crow. .0 years of separate but equal yet, we can learn from these sacred spaces. for example, a national treasure enrichment, virginia which was once the heart of the antebellum slave trade in america. preserve theg to legacy of slavery. to use these sites of injustice as safe havens for difficult conversations about race in america. our goal is to move us beyond racial indifference and ward the place of healing and reconciliation. people.tion is about it is about social impacts. it is about creating a sense of belonging and brazilian resilientes -- communities. when we create a landscape that speaks truthfully about who we are, i think we can change the way our nation thinks in the way we relate to one another. preservation ties purpose can be redemptive, holistic, and transformative. it is true that the dick schaap is partially about racial inequality, however, we are more than the descendents of the enslaved. we are a direct reflection of their dreams and aspirations. this is the balance. memories of injustice and members of achievement. some of the sith, others printed on the brain. at the national trust, we believe our work is about trus h and service. we are flipping the script on the narrative telling a broader and truer story where african-americans are actors in history, rather than spectators. for this reason, we are intentional in selecting african-american national treasures that are rooted in activism, achievement, and architecture. in essence, we are reconstructing america's national identity. person plussaid one ae typewriter constitutes movement. today, a movement can be ashtag.d by a h for example, the black lives matter movement. at nationalt treasures like for one row -- .ort monroe it has an underappreciated heritage related to the ending of slavery in america. ship19, the first slave deposited its cargo of enslaved human beings were for monroe now stands. shepherd mallery, frank aker, and enslaved african-americans protection at fort monroe. more than 500,000 enslaved people followed in the footsteps of mallery and baker, leading to one of our nation's most extraordinary, and until now, overlooked story of self emancipation and determination. fast-forward to the 20th century , the rowhouses and tree-lined streets of the pauline community in chicago harbor a multitude of stories. here, a well intended socialist experiment became the catalyst for the first african-american union in the unites states. the brotherhood of sleeping car porters. the founding president would use his victory to help and segregation in the military, defense contracting, and education. these places matter. we believe these national treasures represent an important chapter in the story of civil rights. rights.tory of labor we are proud to have played a role in building the fort monroe monument.n national at the celebration, president obama said, you stand on the soldiers -- on the shoulders of giants, on the site of great historic moment. that means that you can initiate great historic movements by your own actions. are justnd for mondo two examples. moving into the 1950's and 1960's, institutions like the naacp, howard university, and the southern christian leadership conference developed legal and nonviolent protest movements that forever changed our nation. their stories are embedded in african-american national treasures. for example, by preserving the inldhood home of polly merry north carolina, the cofounder of the nationalization of women, and the first african-american at the scoble saint, we celebrate an unmatched legal mind. thurgood marshall once referred to her research as the bible of civil rights law. the simple house matters. the foundersrved library, we honor thurgoodamilton junior marshall. founders library matters. in birmingham, alabama, a motel was the epicenter of the 1963 protest marches and was a war room for the top leaders like dr. martin luther king jr. this is where dr. king made the decision to cement himself to being jailed to show solidarity with local protesters. dr. king wrote a letter from a and they paid a bond to set him free. standing as a historic monument to the civil rights act of 1964, el matters. mot president obama is right. the stories of activism and achievement ago struggles for social justice that we see today. , and chicagotimore youth, lgbt communities, and women can learn from these national treasures to use their collective voices for positive change in the community, if we help ensure these places in the stories are preserved -- and these stories are preserved. alongside the motel is a district in atlanta. once known as the richest negro street in america, and a boxing the whiteescribed as house. in louisiana, the african house at the melrose plantation is one of the finest examples of a landscape in america. from the mountain view home in last residence of , to am x in washington location in pennsylvania, we are past. locations from the some of those of, some printed on the brain. there are architectural marvels that take our breath away. residence that embodies the optimism and perseverance of american entrepreneurship. madame walker was the first self-made female millionaire. in 1917, "the new york times" described her home as a wonder house with a degree of elegance and extravagance the only a princess might have. her estate was designed by the first licensed black architect in the state of new york. he created an intentional monument dedicated to her own life, and to inspire her race to reach the highest potential. and her will, she said. the madame will give her trust to her race, after the life of herself and her daughter. as she thinks of it now, it will her, a a memorial of museum, or monument, when, in the after years, members of her a pilgrim programs -- to it. she understood the power of architecture to inspire great achievements in all americans. foundersrlooking library, it's handsome sense of maturity and a justice is both useful and majestic. architect'sly the best work. it has been compared to aladdin's palace and a fairyland . when the library opened in 1939, it was the largest of any hsb u and one of the most sophisticated in the world. it allowed the freedom to decide -- design intentional monuments meant to be preserved. ray, many hsbby 's founders library, many hsbu buildings are the heart of learning. yet, they need to be revised and restored to their purpose. book, award-winning oatesen a world and be,"c -- almondhis almond mat matter as a. he says, "i remember sitting in founders library and reading fire next time cover to cover." in the words of an unknown age notho said, we by years, but by stories. founders library has many stories to tell. community,ory, our into our understanding of ourselves. we are delighted to partner with howard university to envision the next chapter in the life of founders library, preserving and intangible history. it is a fitting tribute that howard reaches its 150 university in 2017. this is why we designated this hallowed ground our newest national treasure. closing, the recent historic onces make an indelible mark all of us is because they represent we are. by preserving african-american national treasure, our communal value and are contributions are no longer elusive. they are forever from numbered as lasting testimonies for the next generation of activists, achievers, and architects. thank you. [applause] >> we can now open it up to some questions if anyone has any. yes. >> what is actually going to happen to founders library? what are the plans for a? towe are in the early stages develop a plan. it will probably take a couple of years to do it right. we need to determine how we will implement here a building of this significance needs to be partly restored. there is a restoration strategy. also, thinking of how we can repurpose some unused spaces. we have to assemble a team of really smart architects and business leaders to secure the funding to implement the vision. thinking a 2-3 year planning process to both raise the money and actually designed the implementation plan. >> we have another question here from one of our students at howard university. >> good afternoon. just a quick question. as students, how can we get involved in helping to restore the library? , as an easy entry point, you can help to promote it via social media. you can go to the student center and take a photograph, sign your name on the picture board, and share the news that the national trust and howard university have a big vision for founders library. you can also conduct research. more understanding about contributions to black landscapes, about the role of founders library, not only here at howard, but across all hsb bsu's. i'm hoping there will be a transdisciplinary team across howard university, from the business school, from communications, from the information system, to provide input and good thinking, as we develop this plan. it looks that we have -- >> "washington journal" continues >> good afternoon. what kind of academic training does one obtain to do this sort of work on important places in american history. g? i love this. i imagine faculty at the mercy of maryland. there are very few people color who have graduate degrees in restoration. at the mercy of kentucky. i was the very first african-american to go into that program. you can be a professionally trained architect like my colleague, dell green. we also need a lot of folks from the world of business. when you really get down to it, historic preservation is real estate development. real estate developers, folks from that this is community, nonprofit managers who can in many ways, -- you can be involved, depending on your area of interest. >> i'm going to ask you all to stand. >> good afternoon. i'm the executive director of the study of african american life and history housed here at howard university. i cannot say how delighted i am to see this partnership with the national trust. my question is, in addition to adding the history department onto the collaborative team you were talking about earlier, we are very interested in hearing what the students have to say about this because it is very important. speaking to that, technology, we know, is very important. are there any plans on how we keep focusing on innovative technology transformations? >> you are asking the tough questions. we are still in the conceptual planning phase for the library. that is an essential part of this. when we think about preservation, not only of the building -- at the national trust, our preservation strategy includes the collection, the building, and the landscape. we want to make sure we have a strategy for preserving and making available the valuable collections and information both to the howard community, but to the international community. >> good afternoon. my name is taylor hinds. i'm a junior mechanical engineering major. the brown versus the board of education preliminary writings were held in these walls. >> what makes founders unique to any other historic building in acrossntry, let alone hbsu's is because of that story. there's no other place where thurgood marshall and other minds developed a strategy for a landmark decision in history. that happened here. theses so across much culture n walls that speak to the black experience and our contribution to american history. that is an essential history that more americans need to be aware of. we will take one more question. >> good afternoon. i'm an alumni and current student. was the plans include what previously considered, or will you start from scratch? >> i don't know. i think it would make sense to plans.ff of the initial i thought they were strong. again, it was a hybrid approach. atwe will have a one-on-one the conclusion of the presentation. these >> thank you. [applause] >> that concludes our press conference. we hope you have a wonderful day. if you are part of the media, we invite you to come to the front of the room for the one-on-one interview opportunity. thank you all. >> interested in american history tv? visit our website. you can see our upcoming schedule or watch a recent program. american artifacts, wrote to the housead to the white the wind, and more. the need for horses on the farm began to decline radically in the 1930's. it was not until the 1930's that they figured out how to make a rubber tire big enough to fit on a tractor. starting in the 1930's and 1940's, you have almost a complete replacement of horses as the work animals on farms. i do believe one of my books on horses, i've read that in the decade after world war ii, we had something like a horse holocaust. notcour horses were needed, and we got rid of them in an uppity way. not pretty way. robert gordon discusses his book, "the rise and fall of american growth." >> one thing that often interests people is the impact insuperstorm sandy back 2012. 20th centuryt the for many people. the logistics stopped. you could not charge cell phones. into your pump gas cause because it required electricity. of electricity to make modern life possible to something that people take for granted. >> tonight at 8:00 eastern on c-span's "q&a." starting monday on c-span, the supreme court cases that shaped our history come to life with the c-span series, "landmark cases." series examines some of the most significant decisions in u.s. history. >> john marshall said this is different. is a law.tution if it is the law, you have the courts to tell what it means. set treads got apart is anti-pr ultimate presidential case. >> the supreme court said it should make the decisions in those cases. >> monday on "the communicators," the chair of the house judiciary committee talks about some of the key issues in technology, encryption, surveillance, and e-mail. he is joined by a "politico" reporter. you only need to look at the problems we have had with foreign governments. we need to be moving toward stronger uses of an corruption and stronger encryption itself. panel ofhistory tv, a authors talk about their recent books, chronicling the history of mexican civil rights from the 1930's to the 1970's. we will hear about the fight for better farmworker conditions in california's salinas valley. the multiracial coalition in texas, the national