the recipient. you go and tell. who? the show. that is analogous to go telethon amount 10 and then kept alive and the seniors. the title originally had the, in it. go, a telephone the mountain. so it is one that is a rap around and ensconced of the african people in this country. >> i will tell you about the cover because we have asked about the cover particularly the photograph that so often the few books that have been written about michelle and the articles you have the glamour shots. and we don't have that on this cover. we have michelle who is engaged in a conversation with they older woman that

symbolizes what we have felt about michelle and what we know about this particular experience because we don't know who this person was. these are actually from the associated press, again our publishers adjusted them and we look doubt them and we felt very comfortable with the photograph and what it symbolized but one of our contributors contacted us and said guess what? i went to my hair dresser, you know, you learn all kinds of things broke and she took the book and guess what? i am a famous. i have a letter in this book and the hair dresser said you are not as famous as ms. emilie he was on the cover. [laughter] so michelle was talking to

miss henry and pay the contacted her and found out where she was and i don't know if i can do within dialogue but she said, if i do not do it right but she said ms. henry, she introduced herself and say we have yourok photograph on the book and she said no child you don't. really. >> we have you talking to michelle obama how did that conversation go? this occurs september 18, 2008 when michelle was in richmond floor the economic summit and she said child, i don't know what she said to me because my knees were knocking i just do not remember. peggy said what did she say to you? >> i told her about myself and my husband and the fact we had

to get another job to support ourselves. we had jobs cleaning offices and she and her husband were riding to work one day and he said to her, mary, i cannot feelw3 my legs. they are known. my arm is number and he pulled the car over to the side of the road and he died. so ms. henry told the story to michelle obama and it was quite soon after the death of her husband so telling the story she was in tears. and ms. henry said michelle reached over and got tissues and hugged her and comfort third hurt and they became friends as a result of that conversation. several weeks ago when the president had his first speech to the joint houses of congress, the white house

invited ms. henry to come to d.c. they put her up in a hotel there broader to the congress and to the white house and by this time we had sent her a book so we could verify that she was indeed and she took her book with her to the white house and she showed it to the president and he said michelle i think you need to sign this some michelle obama got the book and signed it. now we're waiting for michelle to sign our books and all of the contributors books. we are going to the white house the 27 of march, we just have another contributor come in, we're all going to the white house. we don't know when. but we are going you heard us and you on c-span, you heard

us. somebody tell michele. [laughter] because we want to go. >> i have to tell you the black women's network is something because black women talk to one another "go, tell michelle" blogsño bought.com, facebook, and people who are writing us to say what is this a facebook thing? you know, it is a thing. we say go for itxd because if peggy brooks-bertram can do it to anybody will do it. they went to our web page "uncrowned queens".com but we still did not understand or appreciate the brat and the scope of their network. beginning with the black churches and we just left today publishers say it is

listed it will take two monthsxd before you can get a read the -- weedy nor presentation set up. don't believe it because when one black woman calls the minister of her church, you have got to read it. and you have a reading saturday morning and if you go to a black church on sunday you have the reading money and tuesday and wednesday and it is fantastic because we're working and selling a bookñr telling by a virtue of people and them understanding what it is and it is important to see the importance of the historical moment. the women are saying we need this book in french. book

in french and that this on the web page. my daughter has given a translation of a review in the spanish so are latino friends can read about the book in spanish. people all of the world have expressed interest it has been a phenomenal experience but talking=!ç with 100 womenluáz all over the world almost every day. last week we were here in washington d.c., capitol heights at the swearing getty gallery and one of our contributors set that up for us and it was a brilliant affair. we wanted you to know that the network is working. it has changed our lives forever there are people that

we love, but we have a person sitting in the front row. she had no idea that i would mention this but freddie lives right down the corridor of where the obama inauguration parade is going and we were invited to come to her house and overlooked from the balcony so do we have been getting photographs we're now in the process of putting up everything that was happening along the parade route, who was going to be there so it was absolutely fantastic that the network was keeping us and we were in our pajamas trying to put it at the book together and seal the deal it has been an extraordinary experience. how is this booktv looked at?

people who were in the african-american study, the people of who are in american studies, a cultural and women's studies, a sociology, gender, and they want to take a look at this book women specializing biography right thing. how do they write? but people remember that. the women out of africa addressed the first lady your excellency and it was a salutation. we say the greeting is a salutation and that the african american women had many years ago. i cannot say what exciting experience it has been an also we have at least hundreds of pages now of comments that you have made to us and we are

working to document that for historical preservation of what women thought it was what they were doing or saying and it seems like a good time to those who have contributed to come up to the microphone and say a few words about what this has meant to them and what motivated them to do this. would you like to start? >> greetings to you all. is such a wonderful honor to meet you to personally. i feel that i know you since november we have been communicating and also with the contributors on a daily basis and it is a remarkable experience so thank you and

producing this work and for inviting me to be a contributor. two things i would like to share, the poem that i wrote this call so much of the woman that i am. the person writing that hearing michelle obama as an anomaly as the first black woman of course, the firstñi lady, but she was different. that was not my experience at all. michelle obama was my aunt and my mother and all of the women who grew me who was two towns over from georgetown where michele's maternal grandparents are from. there is a huge connection for

me to write about how michelle obama is not the anomaly but so much of a woman that i already know and the woman that i am. that was the mood behind my pc also want to share i returned three weeks ago fromñi ethiopia where i was honored by eight the african international media's on it as i won an achiever award for my work and rebranding the image of africa and that is what you are doing what you talked about today. the need for us to repair and the image of black women. that work is being done on the continent being led by the diaspora economic forum, another contributor who

is here in the states but it was such an honor for me to be a part of thet(çó africans study were this year's theme was women in the media and to bring the award back to the united states so i could share with all of you and my family and friends. absolutely believe that my participation in this book was viewed very heavily and honoring to be a part of less. i think you again for being here [applause] >> hello peggy and barbara i think we have it mailed both of you. i am a third generation washingtonian and the mother of a beautiful four year-old daughter and i refuse to have

her anywhere but in washington d.c. i could have bought maryland or virginia but i wanted her here so i am glad you were here in this magnificent city at this time. the way i was selected, my home is stage and in your truth. it was a fluke. my friend sent me the e-mail and i wrote it in 10 minutes. and i sent off it was divine and greater powers took over so why was honored to be selected. i had a launch brunch this day before the inauguration and gave the book out and ordered a large quantity and gave it to my guess my mother lived in melbourne australia and she had the book all over the

place and was excited about it and i'm actually going to visit her there next month and looking forward ... okay. okay. i think we have a battery technical issue was on one of the microphones progress has been spectacular and the sisterhood has been amazing program not a person that belongs to a sorority so it has created its own sword a. serve on the board of governors for the women's national democratic club i am the youngest african american woman on the board at this club and they are excited

about the book they put in their library and they want you to come at some point* and speaks the we will make that happen. i am excited to be a part of it and so excited for use the we wish you continued success and busing [applause] >> can you speak a little louder? >> it is good to meet both of you in person i have been looking at your pictures on the web pages and i am excited to meet you and to be here and be a part of the experience. it has been amazing. i am not a writer i just got the e-mail from a couple different people and the first time i got it, i said this

sounds like a good idea of then i put it to the side but then another friend sent it to me and i said i will respond because like a lot of people i had so many thoughts during the election season and so many conversations about everything that happened including "the new yorker" magazine cover and i felt a connection to michelle and saw so many different people and it and to my amazement, my letter was@óq1ñ thank you for that purpose of the thing i think that made me want to write it was the need to express myself about the show because i do think she represents so many things to so many people and in my letter i say when i look at you, i see me because i see the connection having gone to

law school in a predominantly white institutions and not quite feeling as if i belong to sell looking at her i knew she had experienced some of that. when i see her i think of my mother because she is a practical nurturing caring per centcom she reminds me of my sister, her friends, my cousin, of the one who smile is something i always wanted to emulate. again the one who seems to glow, she just embodied so many people for me. she represents the best in me so that is what prompted me to write my letter and thank you for allowing me to express it [applause] >> xdxdas peggy mentioned i live

here in been district of columbia on pennsylvania avenue burper i have had a chance to observe the inaugural the last four times and i have had a chance to wade through the president's and first lady's so watching for the planning for this was a challenge. but i must confess, my thoughts about michelle may have been a little different in that after living in d.c. for so long and working for

the federal government, i have had a firsthand look at all of the first ladies and all of the other people around. i know when they get into the white house, people expect them to act but there is no job description. that is what i was concerned about that if anything there is no job description you have to create your own. but i knew she would create something that would be good for everyone. that was my thought four rating. -- for writing. i do have a friend here in the house, much of it is the chairmen of the d.c. black

history community pride did ask him for help by sen please use your network and see if you can get people out here. i did want to mention him. thank you for coming. we're glad you are here [applause] one final contributor who is here, . >> i thought speaking in public was over for me. i am of course, hoping we will hang out again my name is miriam and my letter is quite different to the other letters he will know to in the book. but what i felt when i was writing and is the same. michelle obama for me looks exactly like my sister and

exactly like my mother and grandmother. she has not disappointed at all. she is who she is. i love that. i spent about half of my life in africa. and working as a public affairs counselor and my job was to teach the national's as we call them about the american culture and american politics and why we do what we do and i must say that most of the time i was the first woman to have my office and in faribault to have holding the office there is a lot of curiosity about

african-americans in the town per car love doing african history month and i would love to have not only a book signing but other programs for overseas my letter is malay a concern to michelle to ask her to remember the win the that are not here, with the wind and it french-speaking africa that about us and who we are. they do not understand and we don't know. of the opportunity to share this the better it is. i am looking for the booktv translated into french and i am also working for you to speak to our audiences in french with a simultaneous

translation. i thank you so much for accepting my letter part by thank you so much because i eight newly arrived back in the united states, i don't have a large group of friends but now i have a lot of sisters barbara thank you so much [applause] >> good evening. my name is chock [applause] i work with the black history celebration committee but a couple of comments come of one is that i am half of the african-american and men at that the women represent our gramm does that the black women aren'tñiçmk year two and u

ought to be congratulated for that. >> the second thing i but like to do is make a commitment that i will make all efforts to make sure the public library places this book for cryer will also make sure that i make america i will try to make sure it isxd a caucus for thisxd and i do they did is something every library should have in school and i could make the commitment we can make that happen for you. thank you [applause] we wanted to thank the contributors to our here today for stepping up and speaking now part of this is the first time for many of them we have had an opportunity to see

face-to-face and put a face with the name and the e-mails back and forth. because of this book we have the unintended consequence which is the development of the network of sisters and it is growing because we are continuing to receive,"tters and we hope to have the online "go, tell michelle" book soon propose of those letters that were not able to be placed in the book because there are certainly and other kinds of publications or activities that we need to go along with this book. we talk about the educational program that you took that we

saw this as an educational tool -- tool but we think high-school students could use it as a discussion guide to talk about the various issues of african-american women who wrote in this book have been identified but in a sense for those who get to in the book gas well. we have more to do and we know the network that we have established, we gave you some uralsk for various facebook and blogs that we have but we encourage you to go tell michelle committee there our facebook or blog and tell us stories and add your comments about the fox we love to get

your feedback that is very important to us. we have gotten feedback about how people have seen the book and what itçó says to them. i also want to add we spent 40 hours in the studio making the audio book. we started two or three weeks ago and that should be salable early or late next week, see these, we marked the art to try to. when you read these letters out loud, you hear them and see them differently and feel them differently and we think it is an extraordinary collection and you can listen to while you are driving or sitting doing nothing but just

want to listen for croaky been right out fourth dose and he looks silly sell what i said we will let you know, . >> hello i am with a youth group called code paint and together with the number of women's groups we're doing a mother's day gathering in front of the white house 24 hours from may 9 through june 10 and it would be the perfect place for us to read together and we would love to have contributors come and read from the book for us. we have three generations of obama women have been invited to come we hope they will join us be cut as the book sounds marvelous. i cannot wait to read about why a better placen