Next on the next on the presidency, presidency. Andrew cohen andrew looks at two days in jfks cohen looks at two days in jfks presidency. Presidency. June 10th and june 10th and 11th, 11th, 1963, that defined 1963. It defined his response to the his response Nuclear Arms Race to the nuclear arms and civil rights. Rice and civil rights. Mr. Cohen is mr. Cohen is author of two days authors in june. John author of two days in f. Kennedy and the june, 48 hours that jfk and the made history. 48 hours that made the white house history. The White House Historical association Historical Association provided this video. Provided this video. And you, tell us about andrew, tell us about your book which your book. Focuses it focuses on on two days in the two days in the Kennedy Kennedy presidency. Presidency. June 10th and june 10th and june 11th, june 11th 1963. 1963. Why why did you did you decide to decide to write a book write a book focused focused on only two days of the on only two days of
I had been looking for a way into the Kennedy Administration for sometime. Artists maybe to believe, but one of the most seminal days of my life was november 22nd, 1963, one as an eight year old i learned of the assassination of president kennedy. It isnt unusual for someone like me or any of my generation to remember where here she was, but it did seem to me like to change something. It develop for me a fascination. As i grew up, my friends were interested in captain cook and the final frontier. And i was interest in jfk and the new frontier. Through my career as a journalist, as a student before that, i had been looking as a washington correspondent for away as well for way into the kennedy. Story of course colin there, were a monumental biographies. There were heavy memoirs, there were academic studies, there were scarcely a part of jfks legacy that had not been dissected and inspected and examined. But i wanted to see if theres an i wasnt sure if there is nothing new to say. When i
Andrew, tell us about your book, which focuses really on two days in the kennedy presidency. June 10th and june 11th, 1963. Why did you decide to write a book focused on only two days of the kennedy presidency and why did you pick those two days to focus on . Well, thank you, colleen, and its a great honor to be here with you and the White House Historical association, particularly meaningful to me because as was just said, it was founded by Jackie Kennedy and in the white house 60 years ago. I had been looking for a way into the Kennedy Administration for some time. Part of this may be hard to believe, but one of the most seminole days in my life was november 22nd, 1963, where as an 8yearold, i learned of the assassination of president kennedy. It isnt unusual for someone like me or anyone of my generation to remember where he or she was, but it did seem to me to change something. It developed for me a fascination. As i grew up, my friends were interested in captain cook and the final
[ laughter ] but, you know, at the end of the day, you have to what is it . Theres the word hope. You hope. What was his name . Leonard cohen, the writer, leonard had something about a crack in the a crack in the sunlight or a crack in the whatever. And he said, theres something about that thats the reason we have cracks. So we can let the light through. And somewhere in people like lincoln and douglass they could let the light. Get your perfect offering, theres a crack in everything, thats how the light gets thats how the light gets in. What a perfect way to end this session. I just want to say thank you to richard, david, and craig for joining us today, for todays cabinet conversation and thanks to everyone for watching. Youre watching American History tv. Every weekend on cspan3, explore our nations past. Cspan3, created by americas capable Television Companies as a Public Service and brought to you today by your television provider. We cre featuring American History tv programs as
Coordinating committee and taking part in the 1963 march on washington. Mister courtland also served in the second terri general of 1974 six pan african congress. I was born in new york in harlem in 1941 and my mother moved me and my sister to the west indies to trinidad where my grandmother and our family lived. Four years later, 1945, i stayed in trinidad from 1945 to 1952 and then i came back to new york after my grandmother died in 1952 and lived in harlem for a couple of years and then moved to the bronx. I intended Catholic School, st. Helenas and then, you know, went from well actually Grammar School which was actually an interesting thing because it was african all African American nuns and then i went to st. Helenas and then went to Howard University. My mother sent me to Catholic School because, you know, at that point it cost a ten dollars a month, which was, you know, serious money in 1952 and 1954, but also she wanted to make sure that i had the best education that she cou