Enthusiasm for the park Service Partnership with the association for the study of africanAmerican Life in history. The park Service Needs this collaboration as we reach to collaborations and sharing those stories with a wide audience and innovative as you already know or will discover, the National Park service is a good partner. Our civil rights initiative, begun this year, offers opportunities for collaboration, and in fact, the park service fans to create opportunities to services interpret africanamerican stories associated with parks. The skills as researchers and historiography and teachers, our skills can help us do our jobs better. Earlier this year, the national 5. 5 service funded almost million. Midwesteagues in the region have planned an ambitious study that poses a big question. Its a pretty big question. They want to understand how the history of Outdoor Recreation related to the creation of an africanamerican middleclass, relationshipcan with nature and the evolution of africanamerican environmental law. Region will be taking a closer look at the of dr. Cal significance Martin Luther king and Karen A Scott King in their later life when they lived in a home on Sunset Avenue in atlanta. At the jimmy carter site, the research is focused on africanamerican education in georgia. This research will allow the park service to connect the story of the carters, who are proud graduates of plains high school, with the stories of africanamerican men and women equaltended separate but schools during the jim crow era, to connect them with those stories, but also stories of the resistance that brought about the desegregation of county schools. Willortheast region examine the construction of the northeast region and use that research to draw interpretive connections between park resources and issues relevant to contemporary society. Pervasiveh as the legacy of racial violence, citizenship, and social compliance. Have a landmark study identifying reconstruction sites and this focuses primarily on the occupied south. In another study, the northeast the light on park Service History by documenting racial segregation in units of the National Park system in virginia during the jim crow and eras, andil rights yes, virginia is in the northeast region. Official and informal practices of Racial Discrimination established in virginia. What strategies did africanamericans devise to gain access to recreational resources in the years following official desegregation . Capital region is also examining the history of the National Park service and public policy. Washingtonfore directed in protest and violence, the agency sponsored a summer in the Parks Program programs providing for d. C. Residents. The programedited with preventing violence in washington from becoming worse than it was, and it was pretty bad. He also publicly praised the parks service. How did that program work and what were its legacies. These are just a few of the projects that would help the National Park service be better stewards and interpreters of the places that we preserve and protect. While youre at the meeting, you can find out more about the National Park service site and stories for africanAmerican Life in history by visiting the exhibit in the exhibit hall, and there you will find posters that are highlighting community outreach, the Lincoln Home National Historic site in illinois and youth programs, including in archaeology course in richmond the last two summers with great success. Before i introduce the plenary moderator i would like to address an important aspect that speaks to be theme of this model. I attended the celebration of colsons chapel located a breath away from antietams battlefield. In 1866, three people design, financed, and builds colsons chapel. Filled foundation. They felled trees and huge logs to make the walls of this sacred space. From 1868 through 1877, it served as the friedman bureaus school and the chapel remained a place of worship until 1998. The building and its cemetery have been preserved by the friends of colsons chapel, who recognize its importance. Also recognizes its importance by listing it on the National Register of historic places. On theink it might be National Historic landmark registry, tear. In his opening remarks, my colleague invoked the spirits of the first 18 students who enrolled there, the remnants of two blackboards uncovered during restoration enhanced by replication. We can imagine them practicing arithmetic and riding their abcs on the board in the front of the room. This is where souls were uplifted, where freedom was created. That obscure place mattered. So, without further a do, we will get to the panel and it is my pleasure to introduce the resourcesrator, the director of the National Park conservation association. He hasoining in 1999 diversity enhancing programs. His mission to connect the National Parks two major cities to graciously two racially and ethnically diverse citizens founded a groundbreaking Youth Employment program. After joining the government was is topartment, he meddle in gaining passage of the National Underground railroad National Funding act and he was part of five successful National Monument campaigns. Thank you. Alan spears. [applause] mr. Spears good afternoon, everybody. Welcome to the 101st conference all these study of afghan American Life and history. It is a pleasure to be here. I want to thank our host. There are a number of people in the room. The study of africanAmerican Life in history. Alan. I am we will take about 40 minutes to do our first panel. And we will do our best to to wrap up by 6 30 p. M. , so can you can get on your way to the reception tonight which will be a real fantastic event. One housekeeping event if you have one of these, and who doesnt these days please place it on silent. We would like to avoid beethovens symphony and bird calls and what have you during what will be a fantastic handle. This is a great privilege to have this conversation with two colleagues, peers, mentors, and friends. I want to introduce on my part franklin, the senior director for the newly opened museum of the africanamerican [applause] and if it was possible to top that, we have bob stanton sitting next to him, the former director of the National Work service, the first africanamerican to serve in that role, [applause] i would be remiss if i did not say quickly, we are a private nonprofit. We are not the federal government. We are not being National Park foundation. We are in advocacy organization. I tend to dress like this on capitol hill in washington law be on behalf of the park service to increase relevancy diversity relevancy, diversity, and inclusion. We will talk about that today. This is 2016. How many people are aware of this . Ok. Thank you for coming. Everybody knows, so this is a wellinformed group. I dont think we need to the labor that point too much. In the centennial year, as we are thinking about strides to our National Parks, this president , president obama has done a fantastic job to establish new National Parks. It is the time to celebrate, commemorate what is going on in our National Parks. It is also time to think about what the future looks like. Mr. Stanton, you devoted your life to the National Park service and public lands. You have seen this from the long view. With your experience, talk about your thoughts on the centennial. How is the park service doing . What did they need to do to keep going the right direction . Mr. Stanton thank you very much, alan. Join you ino applauding the leadership, allowing this session this afternoon. Ladies and gentlemen, we are honored to have in the audience the president you honor us, dr. Evelyn higginbotham. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Ca and want to salute np the National Park service. It is certainly an honor to be franklin. John w. I asked each of you to join me. N applauding our colleagues and to john and to dr. Lonnie bunch and all of your colleagues, we are in your debt. We are so grateful. [applause] i will attempt to be brief, to speak about an agency i have known for half a century. And once i get involved and talk about the National Park service, i would ask each of you to be prepared to have breakfast here tomorrow morning. , i will be brief. To look in this audience and see all of these faces, we will refer to them as colleagues in the park service, although i have not been with the park service for the last 16 years. But they are still art of me and i am part of you. The finest they are still part of me and i am part of you. The finest minute when the finest men and women in the government. If it would be appropriate, i would like to briefly reflect on the 100 anniversary of the National Park service to reflect on the journey to which we have 25, 1916,rom august and recognizing we have scholars in the audience who traffic in facts i want to dispel the rumor. No, i was not there when president roosevelt signed the act in 1916. Park wasohn national the first part i ever experienced, and that was made courageousrough the leadership of the honorable stuart lee udall. Let me go back with the progression of the National Parks system and make a couple comments about where we are and where we might go. And certainly mr. Franklin has keen observations on this as well. We talk about the 100th anniversary. Yellowstone, joined by 34 other parks was established 100 years ago, signed into law by president woodrow wilson, and its interesting to note that the secretary of the interior had difficulty protecting the park from poachers and had he prevailed on the department of defense. You, mr. I would get to secretary. Congress agreed and consequently these secretary of the interior had the benefit of the u. S. Cavalry. Not recorded had that there were people of my beautiful color, the Buffalo Soldiers. That story is being told now. And certainly as alan mentioned at the buffalo soldier National Monument. Agency, ithe new muddled along. And a couple ii parts were added, what have you. And then a visionary by the name of Horace Albright prevailed on president Franklin Delano roosevelt maybe you looked at the reorganization of the executive branch and you look at these very Historic Sites under the department of war, under the white house. It may be considered under that congress theer by reorganization of the executive branch. The number of areas for which the National Park service was responsible. They doubled. All of the revolutionary war sites, civil war sites, the war of 1812. All camee of liberty under the National Park service. Then following that, we as well know, we went into the depression, followed by the second world war, the korean parks. Late 60s. A discussion and larger urban areas were established. Something else taking place. Recognitionfull that if we are to be sincere that all people, regardless of the walk of life, the racial or ethnic background, those legacies should be perpetuated in the National Park system. They were the first area to recognize the history of. Fricanamericans then congress authorized the National Council of negro women to construct a memorial in lincoln park in 1960 and the memorial is dead was dedicated in 19 74. Mr. Mr. Douglass Frederick Douglass and i met the National Park service in the same year. Think about that one. I first donned a grain bury a green beret in grand teton National Park. Kennedy signedf. Legislation making the Frederick Douglass home part of the National Parks system. Deeplyr started burning either time his legacy became part of the park system. But today, with president obamas extensive use of the antiquities act, it gives the authority to establish existing properties. There are 30 areas included. They specifically commemorate selmanamericans such as to montgomery, the tuskegee airmen, and what have you. The realize, our story is more than that. If you were to look at the scope prevailed aty as the museum and john may speak about this, we have only touched the surface. I think before president Obama Leaves Office there may be a couple more. The growth will continue. It will continue. That is only part of the challenge. The other part of the challenges, what you do with the existing areas. Recognize that our contemporaries and our four parents put their imprint, the handprints on every area in this country and that story needs to be fully told. I will close with this observation. Relinquisher should dr. Higginbotham and others, they did not write this script, but they would suggest this is the script i would read. Having the scholarship is only half of it. Having the scholarship is the will to share the scholarship. And sometimes the things we would tell would not be those that make people jump up and clap and feel proud. Words Langston Hughes would be ashamed. And yet, the full story has to be told. Now. Is being done i do have one historical document that belongs to the park service. I kept it for a while. [laughter] in 19 sunday 8 i told you you were going to be here until christmas. There were two brothers. And before i transition up or downward i am going to be advocating they get their full do. I was serving my first superintendent sees and these bright young fellows said, you know, we will be shooting off fireworks and what have you. And it was beyond the fireworks. And they presented this proposal to eventually log into a contract. It was proposed by one of my great heroes. And the proposal was to study are of national significance, but have not been recognized, and they convened an outstanding panel of scholars and produced a number of proposals that went through the National Park system advisory boom, boom, and many landmarks came out of that and if you were to take a look at the areas in the park system, they were first recognized as National Historic landmarks charles young, woodson, maggie lena walker, coming out of that area we dont know about that. That story has to be told. Without their efforts, would that be true . Then they made the proposal why doesnt the park service take an indepth look at the nots of the system that are established to recognize the significance of africanamerican roles or contributions at this rights . Ultimately, the idea is evolved into a request for proposal, and in the om a motter of many of almaitting here 1 the mater of many of you sitting here the contract was awarded for Howard University under the leadership of dr. Harris. I can hear the History Department now. It was called afro American History at the National Parks and it specifically focused on petersburg, Harpers Ferry, shall halmette, davis in the great state of texas and if you were to go to fort davis, Harpers Ferry you could see the manifestation. That was in 1978. It produced a scholarship. The park service have the will to use the scholarship to broaden the interpretation of the site. So, lieutenant flipper and the Buffalo Soldiers realized in that story. Fire black served with john brown in the raid their story is told. Shepherds college. Which credited Frederick Douglass. At knife the moon was stolen Harpers Ferry. It can be done. The scholarship has to be the undergirding factor. That is the challenge for the future. And certainly with a diverse population, there are so many stories to be told and scholarship to be collected and made useful to tell the story of all america. Of all america. Thank you. We are going to go ahead and place that breakfast order. That there is a new player in town. If you are a museum, how does that contribute . New kid on the block. We have worked to acquire the land that the museum sits on. And i have had a long working relationship with the park service because i came into the smithsonian through the full lives festival which is an event with the park service on park service land. But i want to go back for a moment and i have a couple questions for you, too, bob. Burnsy of you see the ken ps . You saw that my father was holding me as a two or threeyearold, saying i want to run somewhere. Copy of thatt a picture right about the time my father passed. So, i started going to parks very early. We lived in california, we lived in hawaii. So i went to the big island and saw the volcano. That is a National Park as well. We drove west and this is when he would drive with the aaa book and it explains what every town is known for, what its restaurants are, what its minds were, what its Historic Sites were. We have the book as we drove from d. C. To North Carolina or from new york to North Carolina. In my mothers people were from mydberg goldsboro, but fathers people were from oklahoma. The park service did a study of the wholesome massacre or program, as we call it, to justify creating a National Park. But we drove west. Chicago to st. M louis. The arch was built. Thats right. Mr. Franklin to tulsa, to see my family and then to amarillo, tucson, l. A. , where i became a proof reader for a textbook at 13. And then up into idaho and montana and north dakota. So, we went to grand teton, we went to the grand canyon. We went to badlands. E went to Mount Rushmore then in more recent years, i have gone to some of the africanamerican parks. I guess the first when i went to was the Frederick Douglass Historic Site in d. C. He had another house, but that did not make it into the park service system. And the association for africanamerican museums at its meeting in roanoke. My work has taken mean to atlanta frequently so i have seen the different sites in atlanta. And when this conference or the association of africanamericans meet, we try to learn about the history of the place. And therefore, we went on the selma to montgomery trail and saw the museum both in selma and where there ist an interpretive center. And i guess the most recent park i have been to, the site i have been to is right here in richmond. So, i got used to going to parks as a natural site, as an Historic Site and then later as an africanamerican site. A panel for the association of applied anthropology and they looked at National Parks that were not designated or africanAmerican History, but later was discovered an africanamerican layer. You see, our history is hidden and sometimes hidden in plain sight, but certainly hidden. And one panelist talked about the battlefield outside of baltimore. And it was known as a battle , but then people looked at who owns the land where the battle took place and it was a French Family that had fled the haitian revolution and brought their enslaved people with them to this plantation and they were infamous for not giving them sufficient food or clothing. Layer ofas a hidden that story. The great dismal swamp, which is on the cover of my fathers book was created as a natural site until it was discovered that africanamericans had been fromg there as free people probably 1600 on. It was assumed to be uninhabitable, and people said, let us continue to assume it is uninhabitable, because they will not find us living here until they need the cyprus to be cut and the People Living in the swap had actual employment around cutting the cyprus tree. Are we need the discovery of the place, whether it is a park service site or not. Right now, we are awaiting the ineiling of two new sides d. C. We have been planning this museum, we have been studying what are our neighborhoods like . What was our neighborhood like 100 years ago, 200 years ago. In the 1790s it was all plantations. Our first capitals were new york and philadelphia. There were africanamericans living on that land. Years ago,eading andng to learn about d. C. , across from where it would be in 1830s, there were slave pens. That got my attention. Unveil two new signs in d. C. One on slavery in d. C. , and there are no signs currently talking about slavery in d. C. Unless there is one in the pearl on the river heause when lincoln came, could see the slave pens from his office and he wrote about it. So we have the link, what it looked like to him. Sidehen we have a second and we took from solomon northrups own riding, the description of williams private jail where he was captured and we are using images from in 1836 broad side slave market of america. So, we have to bring this history to light and we have to continue those of you working on your dissertations know there is more research to be done to find out the history of our places. [applause] did you have a question to pose . Mr. Franklin what was it like working at Frederick Douglass . Mr. Stanton Frederick Douglass was my first superintendency, and it includes areas in d. C. And it included parks within washington, d. C. , and maryland. 1970 by theted in first negro superintendent of the park service notwithstanding young had served as the superintendent 13 years before the park service. Swiss signed into law by president kennedy. Most of the women at the Frederick Douglass association, the National Colored women club, the leadership of its first there wasdent, but 542,000 dollars that was the initial restoration of the home and proudly that happened in my first superintendency and the history of the home has become more widely known. Modest visitor center. Howardhitect is a graduate. Lifesize sculpture of film was by ae black producer who died not too long ago, but interestingly advisorthe technical was a distinguished member of the group, so there is a rich history at the douglas home. Into disfavor and was booted to the u. S. Virgin islands. You know, you have to work somewhere. Been thes what has challenge of bringing africanamerican site into the system . Mr. Stanton i go back, and i touch about this i touch on this extensively in my memoirs. My first 23 years in this country was a different america. All of my childhood and school was under the doctrine of separate but equal. I could not entered the front door of a cafe where my mother was a cook to order a cup of coffee. Not until 1964. Stewart udall had the courage to select young africanamerican males to go into predetermined locations. I was refused service in with twowyoming along other africanamericans working in grand teton at that time. But what i have experienced over my quarter of a century at the parks, the story has to be gotten out to young people about experiences of the going into a park. To we need to continue describe the breath of the programs and activities. Unfortunately, too often the people are seen as tree huggers and bear chasers. But the only representative for senate a very technical and professional discipline in the ranks of the park service architect, archaeologist computer specialist, budget, financial specialist those Career Opportunities have to be shared with our young people. I may not want to be in grand teton yellowstone outfront, but i do want to be an engineer or Landscape Architect as part of my career. But that story is not told. Therefore, people have a limited perception about what their Career Opportunities are. That story has to be told to our young people as they are planning their careers. Similarly, when young people come to the museum, they are seeing the final product. Dd all of the hands that have touched this project in gestation. We used to have a program called career awareness where we brought middle School Students to see the program behind the scenes, and i think similar to to park service, we made me expose young people to the range of park Service Careers and the training that you need to engage them. I spoke to a group of high last year, and i started by talking about all of the different careers in cultural institutions. Do you want to be an architect . Do you want to own the company that builds the building . We need lawyers. Is amithsonian billiondollar dollar business. We need people who can take keep track of money. Mr. Stanton thats right. Mr. Spears all of these aspects that people do not know about. The audience may not know this, but the park service played a major role in the evolution of the museum, the national museum. A president ial commission was appointed by president george w. Bush, and the commission was staffed by the park service in a number of your colleagues led it through that time. And at the beginning we realized we were two different worlds using similar, but not exactly the same language, so we had to clarify what you mean by story, what we mean by story. But the park service ably managed that commission and the commission made that report recommending that this new museum the created under the auspices of the smithsonian, particularly so it would have access to federal funds. So the smithsonian is quasifederal we received most of our money from federally appropriated runs in them we have to raise money on the private side for our exhibitions, for educational programs, for other things. But we work very well with the park service. Before we opened, with actually signed a memorandum of understanding between the new museum and the park service. Was somewhereand involved in that. Mr. Stanton to a degree the smithsonian is decentralized as well. When of the 50 states when a person is considering a career with the National Park service, while they may have an interest in being at grand teton or the everglades, you are really a park Service Employee and there may be an occasion where there will be an opportunity or a need for your skills and knowledge in alaska, hawaii, the virgin islands, puerto rico. It is an organization that has a very mobile workforce, having very capable people to pick up and relocate. That is what we try to encourage as well. I dont know how we are doing on time now. At mr. Spears we have a few minutes. We have communities all across country, africanamerican communities, reeling from a variety of issues. What is the role of history in the africanamerican experience, providing a path forward, giving people hope, and anchoring folks to a history that is glorious and the role of the park service in that into an half minutes. In two and a half minutes. [laughter] mr. Stanton excellent, alan. President lincoln, in his second inaugural address spoke to the healing of a nation or binding up the nations wounds and mr. Lastass, and one of his speeches, he said we differ as the waves but are as one as the sea. I have concluded there is a very prominent role the parks can role that there is a that the National Park service and the National Parks can play in unifying us as a people, rectum recognizing we made mistakes along the way. But we should be able to live learn from those mistakes. I think the africanamerican experience is shared across racial and ethnic lines and vice versa, we can understand and respect someones background or culture. But if we stay divided or move down our own stovepipe, we will never be united. If you take a look at the areas of the park system they begin to reflect the face of america in terms of our accomplishments as well as our difficult times and i would just close with and i dont want to embarrass john here, because the spirit of his father and his legacy burns deeply within me and, i think all of you. Served as the National Park system advisor during my director following years of please and prayers and begging on my knees. Andthey produced a report if you were to read this, and i think it might be online, that would give a response to the challenges. And finally the year 2000 in st. Louis i keep a copy of his speech with me. Its four pages. More wisdom than maybe many libraries have. Inhn made this comment some of the most difficult times in our history, places that chapters d gettysburg, selma to montgomery, port chicago, the battle of little big horn, the same creek thatcre those places inresent difficult periods our history where we have stumbled on the way to a more Perfect Union are not the places in which we should allow ourselves to wallow in remorse, but rather be moved to a higher resolve to become better citizens. That is the bottom line as to ,hy we have National Parks hopefully sue stimulate and to become better citizens. As i continue to learn the history of the smithsonian, i learned the Anacostia Museum was with then partnership National Park service on National Park service land mr. Stanton what is the name of the park where it is located . Thats a beautiful name, isnt it . [laughter] mr. Franklin i will try to into that. [laughter] mr. Franklin fort stanton. Is the location of the Anacostia Museum and the secretary of the smithsonian that at that time , in response to the king assassination and washington going up in flames decided to create a museum in the neighborhood and that is why it is called the anacostia neighborhood museum. In 1987, thened park service and anacostia were in the process of planning their first urban nature trail and i thought, what a wonderful opportunity to teach young people about nature in the city what is poisonous . How can you tell which way is north . So they created an underground railroad trail in the park in the city so that people could rn about nature unfortunately it got to urban sometimes. [laughter] mr. Franklin but that was part of the experience as well. A wonderful way of showing young people in an urban setting what nature is and how it is linked to history. So i think we can do more of that in an urban setting. Ladies and gentlemen, James Franklin and bob stanton. [applause] you are watching American History tv, for eight hours on American History programming every weekend on cspan3. To keep upn twitter with the latest history news. The National Historic preservation law became law in 1966. To mark the 50th anniversary of the legislation, the national Beth Plemmons good morning. Welcome to the United States capitol visitor center. My name is beth plemmens, and i have the pleasure of being the Visitor Centers chief executive officer. We are delighted to have you here today as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Historical preservation act. Our exhibits and Education Team have planned a full day of activities, and i do hope you can fit those into your schedule, as many of those as possible. On december 2 in 2008, nearly eight years ago, we opened our doors to the public, and we have welcomed over 17 million visitors to the capital
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