houses were, they were built and, you know, the walls were that thick, the rooms were quite close, and walt and purple of 18581860 lived with another man in his mother's house every night they went up together to the same bedroom so the idea they didn't know what was going on was unthinkable. but once i saw that, i mean, it is a trauma, the human trauma. i can see them in their rooms, i can see the fights they had and i think it is quite natural to think of traumatizing something like that. >> let me say while i am an los angeles that i would love to see a film. [laughter] >> note to anyone here. .. >> and the white papers talk

about one day, 700 blacks are on the docks, they are -- at memphis, getting ready to leave because many of them crossed the arkansas river and had everything with them and their wagons with every belonging they had with them and with their dogs and their families, and

their... and they are talking among themselves, this is all reported, saying, now, this is right. we need to leave. and, until this -- there is justice and i'm going to find canaan, and, then the scenes -- hundreds of scenes like this, just incredible. so, sure, it would be great to see and vivid, many vivid ways to talk about history, that in way, as well. >> our time is up, make it quick. >> the -- the intersection -- i wasn't thinking with these questions the intersection between scientific knowledge and the knowledge of the humanities, and the liberal arts, cp snowe was also a student of rester ford's at cambridge and they were friends, and they were once going to the dinner at the house together, of the head of the english department, and snowe was talking about how brilliant

this man was, and what he had written and interpreted, and rutherford, who was extremely well read, said, yes, i know he's brilliantly but don't you sometimes wonder or wish that he knew why if we press a button at the front of the house, a bell rings in the back? [laughter]. >> with that, our time is up. please join me in thanking our panelist. [applause]. >> during the 2009 los angeles festival of books, larry wilmore sat down with book tv to discuss his new book and take questions from viewers. the program is half an hour. >> well, our next call-in guest will be larry wilmore, the senior black correspondent of "the daily show" and we'll show

you a clip and then take your calls with larry wilmore. >> how much of a game changer is this barack obama, for more i'm joined by larry wilmore, our senior black correspondent. [cheers and applause]. >> yeah. it is unbelievable. obama's not only popular, here at home but around the world. and, its not his rhetoric, not even his smile, it is something that a little more basic. >> in that regard, my younger son, canon, is 8. and he now says he'd like to be black. [laughter]. >> no kidding. and a lot of advantages, to being black. black is in. >> two things, john. larry king has an eight-year-old son, that is [bleeped] up! [laughter]. >> but, secondly, black is in.

that hasn't happened in a long time. >> i know that you kept track of that, with the -- >> oh, yeah. oh, yeah. jon we have had our moments, during this '60s we had civil rights, gave us a lot of buzz, and 193 so, joe louis gave us a hill let's but who competes with soup, the last time we were in is when we built the pyramids! >> i don't want to rain on that parade but i believe you made us build the pyramids. >> like i said, we were in! [laughter]. >> and the book is "i'd rather we got casinos" the author is larry wilmore, mr. wilmore how long will the "black is in" period last. >> probably 42 years, is my guess! >> why. >> it is in the 7 year cycle. so, six, seven year cycles, black will be in and we'll move

on to mexicans, chinese, who knows. >> host: where did you fwt the title of the book. >> guest: from a piece i did of "the daily show" talking about black history month and john couldn't understand why i wasn't crazy about it and i was like, 28 days of tribute to make up for 400 years of oppression i would rather we got casinos and i thought it was a funny line and thought it would make an interesting title for a book. >> host: in your book you spend quite a bit of time writing to the n.a.a.c.p. why is that. >> guest: well, in the book, the book is like a fake collection of op-eds and fake radio interviews and that sort of thing and the first op-ed i suggest changing the name of african-american to chocolate. and throughout the book or series of letters -- are a series of letters, to the n.a.a.c.p., where i'm trying to convince them to get on the chocolate train and change to it chocolate and i wore chocolate today in honor of that, so... >> host: and what is this impetus behind that campaign. >> guest: well, you know, my

feeling is that african-american is just finished. it was done. you know? and black people, we change our name more than porn stars, we really do. it has been colored, negro, black, afro-american, it was afro-american -- we were named after a hair style, that is how far it got and americans of african descent and african-american and the feeling was that, when think of africa all i think of is hot and it doesn't really do that much, no romanticism. hot, i might get malaria and something might eat me. and brother whose speak french and i feel like, if i want to be around brothers i can't understand, in an unbearably hot environment where my ancestors once roamed i'll go to the check cashing place, that is how i look at it and i figured let's move to the 21st century and that is where i came up with chocolate, who doesn't love chocolate. >> host: how did you come up with your title, on "the daily show," senior black correspondent. >> guest: senior black correspondent was actually dj

jaferbaum, head writer and now an executive producer, we trying to think of what would be the right angle, and any time you're on the daily show the first thing in your head is steve colbert, the best ever and you don't want to imitate him and you try to find your own thing and i didn't want to be the opposite of something, you know? and we thought it was funny that -- i thought it was funny, too i was going to do a bit where i was chiding jon that, finally you have a black correspondent and dj thought it would be funny to be the senior black correspondent, you know and really own that title. and it took off from there. >> host: what were you doing prior to "the daily show." >> guest: "the daily show" marked a return to performing. before that i had mainly known as a writer produce are in hollywood for a number of years. the thing that probably was the most well-known was the bernie mac show which i created an executive produce and have just come from doing previews on the office and writing that and started as a stand-up comic and

felt now is this time to start teaching again and kind of stumbled into "the daily show." >> host: how often do you appear. >> guest: really only once or twice a month but because of reruns, and cable, and this internet, it feels like i'm on a lot more than i actually a i give the illusion that i am on the show more than i am. >> host: larry wilmore, by the way, we'll put the numbers on the screen if you want to chat with larry wilmore, here's your chance, 202-585-3885. if you live in the east and central time zones and 202.585-3886 for mountain and pacific time zones you are watching book tv live from the los angeles festival of box, from african-americans, what kind of reaction to you get to your book. >> the thing -- i have gotten great reaction from people that have read it and know about it because most of the people who kind of know me know by work from "the daily show" i insisted

only three black people total watch "the daily show" and there is a small audience but there really -- all seriousness there has not been much what you call black satire out there and this is -- a lot of blacks come and say it is a refreshing take of light of issues we don't always see and that makes pea feel good. >> host: refreshing take, text messages from a birmingham jail, are you walking on sacred ground here. >> guest: i don't think so. you know? that was one of the first titles that came to my head, when i was thinking of doing a piece. it was one of the hardest ones to write but i felt it was really a kind of hit right in the middle of the target zone in terms of hysterical title. >> host: larry wilmore is or guest, we're on the c-span bus here at "the l.a. times" festival of books, first call for him from buffalo, new york. go ahead. >> caller: hi, larry, how are you this afternoon. >> guest: good, how are you. >> caller: listen, since -- when

i seen that barack obama was probably going to become president, i got pretty serious about calling it -- into c-span, exclusively, requesting that he address the issue of reparations for the slave descendants and i have to follow-up on that, how do you feel about that, personally? >> guest: well, in the book, i am -- have a chapter called give us the super bowman where i insist -- you know, a lot of people want reparations and the argument is slavery happened so long ago and i understand that argument and, you know, many people today had nothing to do with slavery and we were supposed to get 40 acres and a mule and we didn't, statute of limitation and i get that and in the book i argue there were more recent transgressions you can get reparations for, like serb katrina, the super dome and connect things you can get reparations for and go for it. >> host: jackson, wyoming!

>> caller: yes. hi, larry i like to see you on -- on the show you are a real kick. >> guest: thank you. >> caller: do you know that it's estimated when michael jordan... every time the ball went into the basket he'd make $360,000, and, a teacher makes $40,000 a year. and i think our priorities are kind of screwed up and take a look at the mexicans, and, they are family only and go out and get together and buy a business or share in the rent and mexican people, they thrive because they are so... and means the black people are just so -- you know, of the black male, have been... having the black woman be the

mother, and i just think that stars like you or other famous black people should be helping out the black community by allowing people to build businesses and would be a great way for blacks returning things to their community, thank you. >> host: larry wilmore. >> guest: apparently you want me to be a fannie mae and freddie mac. so, i'm not sure if that is the right business to get in, you know? it sounded like we were making a point, a lot of sociologists, kind of the destruction, and through slavery and jim crow and those things and some of the reasons why the black female had to be dominant in the house hoyled and some of that and some of those are still around today and some of those are the things that pop up and especially in impoverished areas and those are real concerns and that sort of thing but i think the best think

i can do, i've felt is to be a role model to my own kids, if everybody was that we'd be a lot better off. >> what do you think when a white call your from jackson, wyoming says the black people. >> guest: the black people, that's okay. i don't think wyoming, i think dick cheney is from wyoming, i have nothing but love for jackson, wyoming. >> host: the call your also talked about the black community, is there such a thing? >> guest: there is a black community, it is' planned community, actually, kind of like irvine, california. and there is a waiting list to get into the black community nowadays, now that obama is president, you know? but it is very nice, very nice. >> host: stanleytown, virginia. go ahead. >> caller: yes. big fan, larry and big fan, c-span and -- ishtings me, too. >> caller: i would like to ask you about your previous career and the concepts and ideas you came up with, because it was

revolutionary and if i did a -- if you had the show i would still watch it. it was great. thank you. >> guest: i really -- thank you for that call. all credit goes to keenan ivory wayans on that. he did a have called "i'm gonna get you, sucker" where he did a lot of pair roding and he brought the hip-hop culture into america's living room and you had the satire edge with the hip-hop culture and this dancing and the fly girls and there was an excitement about the show i felt at the time, and i love watching the rerun and that kind of thing, but, i do miss "in living color" a lot, i loved doing the show. >> host: are you married. >> guest: yes, i have two children, john and lauren. >> host: how old. >> guest: 12 and 10, i live in the pasadena area, i fly to new york and -- when i do "the daily

show." >> host: next call, moab, utah. go ahead. >> caller: hi, just enjoying so much hearing the conversations and people's perception as a transplanted philadelphian there are three or four chocolate people in the whole town and i think a lot of -- a lot of the white people really are -- >> vanilla. >> caller: thank you. are kind of jealous of the chocolate people because y'all have it together and we're disconnected from each other, i wanted to thank you for your body of work and humor and the way you approach things, you are a beautiful human being. thank you very much. >> guest: oh, very nice. i want to be on c-span every of the week and i like to say, van enemy is a very under rated flavor, goes with chocolate very well, in fact. >> host: you have been behind the scenes a lot. >> guest: yes. >> host: in your work and all of a sudden you aren't any more and have a book out there. you come across as rather shy.

>> guest: yes. >> host: are you? >> guest: i was very, very shy growing up, extremely shy and i still have, you know, some of that in me and when i did stand-up comedy as a peopler, i'd be in the back of the room and that sort of thing and i'm sure there is that in there but i really love performing a lot. >> host: what is a shetland negro. >> guest: important issue, a person like gary coleman or webster, they don't grow past a certain pointed. much like the shetland pony. and, in the book i argue that that is the way to save the sitcom because america loved the shed land negro and gary coleman and webster and couldn't get enough, bring back the shetland negro one of the most politically incorrect titles in the book! but, i think if we bring them back we'll save the state come.

>> host: facility daily, you're on with larry wilmore, please go ahead. >> caller: larry, i'm a big fan. i just -- i have a couple of questions. first of all, in europe, jews are often referred to as french jews, or german jews. do you feel like african-americans in the united states should be rivered to as american africans instead of the -- referred to as american africans, instead of the sub category of african-americans. >> guest: or you could have georgia blacks, or florida african-americans. i mean, regionalize it. i wouldn't be mad at that. >> caller: you could do that, too. >> guest: california chocolate. >> caller: my second question is, clearly your involvement with "the daily show," you are a politically interested person. are you worried about barack obama's presidency? i mean, it has brought us so much closures to a coherent

american identity of multiculturalism but if his presidency fails and if he's forced into, you know, capitulation to special interests and the financial mess, you know, what happens then? and what are your feelings about that? >> guest: well, on the comedy side i would say that i wouldn't worry much about change for barack obama, just keep giving me the hope and don't reduce to it glimmer of hope. i don't want glimmer of hope. i want hope, okay? and on the serious side, i think the impact of barack obama will be felt more on the younger generation. where there will not be a question that a black man can lead something, can be in charge of the country. when i was a kid, a black couldn't even be a quarterback in the nfl. i mean, you talk about image issues that america had with blacks as leaders. but, it will be a given for the younger generation, and will not even be a question that a black can lead at that high of a level. >> host: have you met president obama. >> guest: no, i never have.

although i was on a show -- on a daily show episode and he was appearing on and i heard he was on satellite watching the show and was laughing at the bit that i did and then i think i did a joke that may have been a little too close -- >> what was the joke. >> guest: i can't remember, now but i read a blog about it where someone was watching the feed, with obama and said he was really laughing at the bit and then got kind of a little quiet. i think i talked about his reverend or something. and -- but i heard he enjoyed it for the most part, so... >> host: coming up on 100 days, a lot of media coverage of the first 100 days, what is your impression of the first 100 days? >> guest: so far, so good. you know, he had that kind of scary amazon book moment with hugo chavez and didn't wanted to be in his book club, looked like, you know? but it is a bit overwhelming, there is so much going on. i can't remember any first hundred days when there was such a beg agenda of things to do.

you know? so, you know, i don't know how he's handling it. i think michelle is up set that she has to take care of that dog, though, i don't think he's too happy about that and i want to see what will happen with the mother-in-law living with them, that is the untold story, you are the president the most important man of -- in the world and you have your mother-in-law living with you, good move! >> host: boca raton, florida. >> caller: i want to say you are a funny man, as a vanilla man talking to a chocolate man i enjoy watching you. >> guest: thank you, appreciate it. >> caller: seriously, now, what do you think the position or status of a jesse jackson right now? compared to what we -- of the election of mr. obama's present -- as president, do you think jesse jackson is envious of him, angry about him or happy about him, his election, because, now

is jesse jackson now being considered, i'm being respectful, still a chocolate leader. >> guest: right i understand. it could be a combination of all three, i mean, you never know. i mean, he was certainly that shot of him crying, you know, on the election is pretty powerful, but sh but, he's not so much your lead off battery any more, he's like your third base coach, giving signals and wanting to probably still be in the game but his legacy always will be solid, he was the first viable black candidate to really excite the populous and more of a populous candidate than obama was, of course and opened the door and paved the way i think for obama and i think his legacy is pretty, pretty solid in that regard. but i think it has to be hard for anyone who has been at the front of a movement or the spotlight. i mean, keep in mind, jesse had martin luther king's blood on him on that balcony and has -- has seen a lot in his lifetime. let alone feeling like he is

close to the white house. so i think there is a myriad of emotions that probably go through his body, but to give him credit i think he's mostly proud of the fact that there is, you know, an african-american in the white house. >> host: where did you grow up. >> guest: in los angeles, pamona. my family is from chicago. >> host: what did your folks do. >> guest: my father was a probation officer. growing up, my mom was an educator, he was a part-time teacher, part-time mom. and, my father at about -- his late 30s, 40s went back to school and became a doctor, so... >> host: what do you remember most about your childhood. >> guest: oh, god, where do i start? boy, the thing i remember most, is my brother and i just kind of making each other laugh all the time. my parent divorced when i was pretty young. and they kind of fought a lot, too, and i think my brother and i probably softened the blow by making each other laugh and making fun of everybody and it seemed that we had so many characters in our lives, growing up, that everybody was a character and we had so much fun

making fun of all of that stuff, and that is what i remember the most, is spending time with my brother and laughing, about a lot of things. so... >> host: on a more serious note, do you remember racism in your youth. >> guest: absolutely. very much so. you know, it is just so -- it was so different back then. i grew up, born in 1961, so i mean, the watts riot happened when i was very young and i remember martin luther king being shot as the very first thing that happened, and i can remember being treated a certain way and not understanding why and that sort of thing, and i rob my mother writing a chick in the department store and they put an "n" on it and man! things like that, you know? but, i -- at the same time i feel very, very fortunate, that i had a lot of good friends, of -- you know, white, black, i grew up in a big mexican -- in i