mr. allen's lawyer and publisher plan to proceed with the release of the book. for more information about this story and of the book industry news visit our website. now on book tv georgia congressman john lewis chair of the student nonviolent coordinating committee. he recalls his life of activism in the hopes of imparting his experience upon a new generation of activists. this is just under 40 minutes. >> good evening. you are a beautiful group. you are just beautiful and handsome. i want to apologize for coming in a little late. we just completed a series of votes. but i am delighted and very, very pleased to be here. my friend and my brother, thank you for those kind words of introduction.

my friend, thank you for being here. thank each and everyone of you for being here. it's good to be here. politics and prose again. i remember, june of 98, it was raining and storming. i went to atlanta and it was raining and storming. i told the story, walking with the wind. tonight and not point to tell the story. now, many of you realize our know from my past that i grew up on a farm in rural alabama. 50 miles from montgomery. my father was a sharecropper. but 1944, i do remember. when what happened to the rest

of us. well, with the $300, and on this land a lot of pets. and it was my responsibility to care for the chickens. i fell in love with raising chickens like no one else could. i became very good at raising chickens. the chickens taught me something long before i got involved. tommy patience. tommy to wait to. they taught me ted never give up, never give and. fresh command three weeks. but the philosophy and the discipline of nonviolence that i came to embrace when i was only about 18 years old, back in 1955

at the age of 15i heard rosa parks and martin luther king jr. i heard dr. martin luther king jr. speak talking about non-violence and passive resistance. as a young person i start studying the way of peace, the way of love, the way of nonviolence. to lay down the burden, the burden of hate to and try to move toward community, that sense of one family, one people, one house. in this book across that bridge i tried to suggest, but they're is a better way. a better example of moving

toward a sense of community, not just american community, but the world community. what is faith all about. keeping with the philosophy in the difference in nonviolence, to believe in some way that you're going to succeed if you're going to overcome, but you have to be persistent and you have to insist. you have to be like the tree, planted by the rivers of waters. your anchor, did you may get arrested, you may go to jail. over and over again. but you have to keep the faith. keep your eyes on the price. never ever give up, never given or out.

before we have been on a city, and the march, on the freedom rides in 1961, the same year the present problem was born. we studied, we prepared ourselves. first time may 1961. thirteen of us, blacks and whites, preparing to go. we met right here in washington d.c. twenty-one years old and had all of my hair and a few pounds lighter. we studied tonight may 1st 1961 we went to a chinese restaurant right here in washington d.c. row alabama, never been to a

chinese restaurant, never had the food. that night of may 3rd someone said, did you eat well? because this may be like the last supper. the fourth 1961. boarded a greyhound bus, from washington to virginia, atlanta. and arrived in a little town. left bloody. one of the same, the attack. came to my office. february 09 and said, one of the people that a tax.

i want to apologize. will you forgive me? an incursion. cigarette the people there. the father start crying. i start crying. speak about reconciliation. the ability to capacity to be reconciled. move to a community. you believe in something you should speak of, speak out, stand-up and fight. yet to be consistent. you have to insist. nothing, nothing.

not one thing is stronger than the truth. maybe some setbacks, may be some disappointment. the scheme of things they're going to win, you're going to succeed. the way of peace, the way of love, the way of nonviolence, the way of truth we will win out. this book is suggesting, for this in the middle east and africa, in america, any part of this planet, this little piece of real estate that we call earth, we can, as dr. king suggested, learn to live together as brothers and sisters

or perish as fools. ghandi put it another way. it is nonviolence or non existence. it is my hope that young people and people not so young will use across that bridge to find a way to get in a way. find a way to get in trouble. trouble necessary travel and disturb the order of things. when i was growing up my mother and my father and my grandparents and great grandparents said don't get in trouble. delicate and the way. to study, through listen, to be impatient i got in trouble , unnecessary trouble. i feel that it is time for the american people to get in trouble again.

good trouble. [applause] as a people and as a nation we are to quiet. we need to make some noise. we need to push and pull and do what we can to redeem the soul of america and save this little planet, not just american community, but said this planet for generations yet unborn. i happen to believe through years of work and service that the vote is the most powerful nonviolent tool that we have in a democratic society. there is an attempt today in my estimation, a deliberate

systematic attempt to make it almost impossible for people to participate in a democratic process. some of us give a little blood, only give a little blood on the bridge. 1965. toll brothers and sisters and colleagues gave their lives. we cannot go forward to let people steal an election before the election takes place. use this book, use this book to guide you during the next few days and weeks and months and the next few years, get out there and do your best, bring together not just american community, but the world

community. never ever let anybody tell you that you cannot make it, you cannot do it. just go out there and do it. take sitting in. take writing, standing, walking to madrid. speak up. speak out. given the way, make some noise. rivers to cross. not just the reasons. the bridges all over our land. squeeze the way of peace, the way of love, the way of nonviolence. sometimes i wonder what has gone

wrong now citing. something in the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe. can we be a little more human? can we be kind to each other? can you excuse me, i'm sorry. i apologize. we don't come into this world putting people down because of race, color, class or because of sexual orientation. we can do better. we must do better. immerse a model for the rest of the world. thank you. [applause]

[applause] >> you know, one thing, this is the very first book signing. outside ethier in their from colleges and universities. this is the very first, and this is amazing. this is amazing. see each and everyone of you. thank you very much. thank you. [applause] >> want to begin with the questions. the microphone is in the middle. we have to clear an aisle so people can ask them. please try and be brief and to questions. we will begin our wonderful continue our wonderful evening and really have a national public meeting.

>> this is fairly obvious. the one group, mr. people who are organizing and speaking out, the tea party. against. seem to be against any sort of conciliation or compromise. you have to deal with some of these people every day. what is your thought on where this is going? ..

back to birmingham and montgomery. i have one member of the united states state senator i'm going call his name he said to me, john my voting record would be different. sometime you have to brick people to the point, so they can be informed, they can be educate, and be inspired. >> hi. my name is [inaudible] i was on the oat word of d.c. vote. i'm an voting rights activist as the political work. i find it terribly ironic. how many people live in the district of columbia. how many foctds do we have in congress?

zero. it's the most frustrating thing in the world. we don't have it here in the district of columbia. >> if it were left up to me if i was a dictators. i would make it happen. >> let's come up with some creative -- you know, by the way, we're honoring julia at the dinner this fall. what can we do? it's the most frustrating thing? >> you have to don't organize and mobilize and don't become frustrated and give up. >> no. we don't give up. >> we need more members, that will stand up and vote for the vote of d.c. that's what we need. organize your friends across the land to vote the right way.

>> i'm kate and i strongly believe that your courage did not stop on the bridge that day as an american jew, i appreciate so much you and julienne bond not attending the million march and as heterosexual ally i'm thrilled what's been going on in the african-american leadership community. you, jewel bond have been jealous many others colon powell and the naacp rent vote. so i want to know, i've heard you talk about it on the radio. i want to know how -- what can we say to our african-american friend and others who are such good people, well meaning people who haven't caught up with civil

rights for lgbt and same-sex marriage. what can we say to convince them to bring them that last piece of civil rights? >> well, my response the so many of the friends and others, i said something like when dr. king said from time to time during the late '50s people ask about him interracial marriage. races don't fall in love and get married. individuals fall in love and get married. also go a little further in saying i fought too long and too hard against discrimination based on race and color. not to be against discrimination based on sexual orientation. if two guys or two women want to fall in love and get married, it's their business. no state or federal government should tell people what they can

do or who they love. you do not build a war and say we're going to make it -- equal for some people and not equal for others. i think the 14 amendment to the institution, i'm not a lawyer. that's my belief. that you cannot have equality for some and not for all. >> hello, congressman lewis. i'm here with a few of my students. i don't know when f you remember but we you spoke with us a few weeks ago because we were going on the whole trip. >> yeah. i remember well. thank you all for being here. >> we're dlielgted to be here. in fact, your visit so inspired us on the trip when we got back from the trip we went to

birmingham, montgomery and atlanta, and we immediate -- made a little documentary of the trip and turned it in to a little book for you. we called it "dear john lose, a civil rights journey." [applause] a few of my students are here. they're getting a little shy. i'm being the spokesperson. together in class we told the story and i was their scribe and we put it in to the book. >> thank you so much. i look forward to reading it. it's -- [inaudible] >> thank thank you very being here. thank you. [applause] [applause] >> how are you doing, congressman. >> fine sir, how are you? >> fibro. i recently moved to d.c.

i want to con section lose the question a little bit. i recently left working at goldman sachs and i decided to work a career in d.c. public schools. i felt i needed to be an example to kids. i was a section eight housing. my mother was on welfare. my question to you though, as i challenge a lot of my peers in the african-american and minority communities who were working on wall street as well as others that i know that are doing quote, unquote, successful year -- careers how do we reenergize our youth the most educate from the communities when you look at the civil rights movement a lot of the health and resources were provided organically. ilt and just reading it as a history major in undergrad, organically from the low-income communities. i feel today a lot of the

resources are people who aren't from the communities come in and provide help. i feel like you only can get so much if those who are providing the help are from what the same soil in which you come from. how do we get more young people like myself back in to the community working to better their communities so question have the next big push you ardently fought for while you were in your youth. >> well, i think it's important for all of us to give back, you have to inspire, educate, inform people they can make a difference. they can make a contribution. dr. king said we can all be great because we all can serve. >> right. >> i think that is a great need for people who left some of these communities to go back and be there especially in some of the inner city schools, to see

black males is important. all of the young people that are working for -- teach for america all over the place bright, smart young people and more and more people of color are involved. young women, young men, we need more african-american male and need that image. you need people in the classroom leading, standing up, showing people the way. you need to get more people to hear the trumpet call and just respond. >> and i think, you know, i explored the option of teach for america. as a savvy person, with you look for teach for america and you look at the board, there are no african-american males on the board. and so it's like, if i come in with that branding, and i'm telling the students you be what you want to be or whatever it is you choose and they say, let me research the organization. there's knob who looks like me.

how do we continue? >> i'm not sure that -- i know some of the people. >> african-american males. there are a few females. >> but in a spellman college, female is on the board. >> yeah. >> and i think there's one or two -- they have done a great job. >> iom not saying they haven't done a great job. >> let's get african-american males on the board let's work together to make it happen. i know, the director of the program. >> thank you. i appreciate it. i appreciate your hard work because if it wasn't for you i wouldn't be able to accomplish things. >> thank you for what you're doing. go for it, brother. [applause] [applause] >> congressman lewis, thank you for your courage on all races. will be we will be indebted to you forever. my question goes to 1963 march on washington.

you were asked to tone down the speech. as you reflect back to the time, would do you it over? >> yes. julienne published a response -- julienne was the communication director if the student naive lont coordinating committee, he made events of my speech available to different people, and some people sold -- they didn't like it but they thought it was a little bit too radical. maybe a little militant for the day. but you read the words today, really, it's very meek, really. [laughter] but mr. raldolf, and martin luther king jr. and others came to me there were people in the administration concerned about some of the -- president kennedy

didn't like the idea of a march in washington. he said it would be violence and chaos and disorder, and he sort of told us we would never get us to the right place. the congress bring hands ever thousand of people to washington. it mr. raldolf spoke up and said, mr. president, this will be an orderly, peaceful, nonviolent protest. and ten of us spoke, it became the last speaker. i spoke number six, there were ten people that spoke that day. i'm the one still around. but there was certain words, certain phrases that i use. i didn't think that the -- be strong enough to protect people in the south. i thought the speech that we had prepared was a reflection of the people that we're working with in the deep south and the delta mississippi and southwest

georgia in the black bet of alabama. so mr. raldolf came to me and said, john, for [inaudible] can you make the changes. at one point dr. king said, john, that doesn't sound like you. can we change it? i couldn't say no to mr. ran raldolf. i couldn't say no to mr. martin luther king jr. he was one of the most impressive i individuals you. ed to meet. if the man had born in another time, maybe in another continent, he would have been maybe prime minister, president, just a wonderful, wonderful human being. some of those meetings he was said things like brother, let's stay together. brother, can i say something good about something. just don't say anything. and he held that group

together. and we made the changes. thank you. >> hello, congressman lewis. how are you? >> good. how are you? >> good. i'm going try to be brief. i'm going fail miserably. basically, i guess if my main question. i like what you said about getting in the way. and doing things different. thing the biggest problem we have in society. we get stuck in patterns pat herbs of brainwashing or what have you. have to act is earn way and do a certain thing because your church told you our your parents. what you said about getting in the way, going up the microphone and holding up the arms and wearing a blue shirt and, you know, making a fool of yourself because you know you have to and you know that john lewis is an amazing man with a good mess an.

the end this is what i want to ask, everyone in the room, you know, you clearly you have moved everyone in the room. we want to cause change, you know, break the pattern. help society and eventually help the world and end all wars. people say it never happens. that's just possessism. that's another pattern. my question is, what can i do. what can every single person in the room do to make good change happen in the world as opposed that was a nice speech and moving on to i don't know watching "will and grace" after this. >> you have to come together, organize, mobilize, get out and vote, and be prepared and willing to engage in peaceful, well-organized, well disciplined action. just, you know, we pray, we pray we wish, sometimes we have to

get out and be prepared to move our feet. you know, really. dr. king used to say this. more power for [inaudible] a determined people. people didn't think we would succeed. some people didn't think we would succeed. walking across the bridge on march 719 are, 1965. but the president said he couldn't get a voting riepght act through the congress. we created the environment. in a matter of short time, the same president was speaking to the congress and speaking eight days after bloody sunday, sometimes we have to make politicians say yes as dr. king said. when they have a desire to say no. >> yeah. [applause] >> we have to create the climate

and the environment. >> 0 i know there are people behind me and the woman said the people behind me. i want to say because i remember what it was. the issue is the power of love has to overcome greed and hated. how do you do that? >> well, love everybody. love everybody. love -- don't have any ill feeling or bitterness toward anyone. love. it's a better way to live. >> other than the woman right next to me. [laughter] thank you very much. >> thank you, sir. >> hi, congressman, lewis. >> hi. how are you? >> my name is john. i'm an editorial intern. i wanted to say first of all, i love your appearance on steven koa colbert show. i feel he could have been a little more friendly. my question is very brief in the end of april 18, fox news

reporter 70% of americans feel we need voter id laws. i was curious about your response to that. >> i think that is a step back. you know, i think it's a form of voter suppression, what are you going say to people when never ever had a driver's license? to people who live in a remote part of america? some you going deny someone 90 years old the right to participate in a democratic process because they fail to come up short? if someone came up and said, i'm john doe, i live at 1516 smith avenue, southwest atlanta, are you going say to the person, you may not be legal. or you may not be who you say you are?

put some faith in the american people. we should be opening up the process and letting more people come in. more than -- [applause] more than 4 million people will turn away at the polls the last national election. 4 million. and now we're in the fifth dominion of voting age are not registered. we need to make it simple. one person, one vote. [applause] and let people come in. let people participate. don't u b afraid of the american people. >> and so, men picking up -- a man picked upper rick holder ballot you don't think thereby could be more . >> i don't -- hold on. >> but there couldn't be isolated incidentses if there weren't the laws. >> i have faith in the american people i trust the american people. i don't want to go back. i want to go forward. >> thank you very much.

>> thank you. [applause] >> hi, congressman, i'm -- [inaudible] i'm looking forward to reading your latest book. i was curious on, congressman, after the i heard the auto biography of harry i reread the portion of the book after the summer of '64. i was wondering for you would talk about it. it was interesting hearing about his side and rereaderring your portion. >> just briefly i would say it was a great trip. my friend julienne was on the trip. it was a wonderful trip, that harry rayed some money, many of thousands of thrars to take ten of us on a trip to west africa, and never been to africa before. and i learned a great deal. it was another student

nonviolent coordinating staff person we were able to get some additional help. during the days it was cheap to travel. we got a few more dollars with the trick and travel all over the place, really. i learned so much. i came back a better and stronger person. >> thanks, congressman. >> thank you. [applause] julienne, do you want to add anything? >> [inaudible conversations] [laughter] >> okay. >> thank you so much. thank you so much. [applause] >> thank you. >> thank you. [applause] [applause] >> every weekend booktv offers 48 hours of program focused non-fiction authors and books. watch it here on c-span2. book tv recently visited columbus, ohio with a help of the local cable partner time

warner cable. to explore the rich culture and literary history. we're airing interviews with local authors and tours of the prominent literary sights. watch one here on booktv. welcome. we're at the -- [inaudible] i'm paul in columbus, ohio. james lived here. lived in a lot of houses in klum boss, ohio. we're in the house he lived in when he went to ohio state university from about 1913 to 1917, james is one of the great american shore ever authors and often compared with mark twain. he was a humorous. he never read any novel. he was a master of the short form is what they like to say. he is well known for the cartooning especially the cartoons for dogs and his career after of the new yorker he

blossomed in to being one of the great writers of america. i like to move throughout the house and tell the stories about the family as we see the house. this room has a great resist. we know the father of three boys had a lot of noise. they had over 50 dogs and not all at one time. they had two or throw dogs and this is where charles would retire, close off the doors and put nims isolation and the dogs and the boys knew it was area. let me read you a great quote about charles, he was a politician, and striking man. great book writes a chapter about people that had a impact on life. it's not long. but it certainly tells you about charles. he was always privately -- [inaudible] by the mechanicals. he was also plagued by the

manufacturing which takes in a great deal more brand. knobs froze in his stowch. doors touch. wines fouled, the detachable would not detach. the adjustable would not adjust. he was forever trying to unlock something with the key to something else. so chaster was quite a man. of course, he had been to put up with the wife and she is quite a story in herself. she was a fisher and the fishers are a famous family in columbus. there were five fishers. they think he got lot of his humor from her. we're not doing in the kitchen is which is now the office. in the kitchen mom used bake brownies every christmas. it was an interesting thing. and gems remembers because i had a dog who liked to bite people

and she had a cavalier attitude toward the dogs. the boys could give them chocolate and brownies every christmas for being bit. that's the way she took things. another funny dog story that has to do with the dog that i enjoy she had a sister that didn't like job. according to the guy she didn't like the dogs either. chef coming over once and they had a great plan. get some dog food. and gather them up. they had two or three at the time of their own. they over a douched and a half dogs. locked in the basement. the sister came, dear, i'm busy with dinner would you feed the dogs. i hate the dog. set the plate by the top of the stair. they'll eat. you can imagine. and he writes about the incident with wonderful humor. the dogs burst out. nearly knocking her town.

she grabbed the broom chased them, ran them out of the house. she had to chase them out from under the bed. it was chaotic. and very charles looked a at his wife. i hope you're satisfied charles said and james write, she was. now we'll move upstairs and i can't help but remember one more story. it happened at banister just like this. charles was a [inaudible] imagine him sitting in the parlor with the politicians and the very serious way talking about whatever poll tieses talked about in columbus. miami in a negative lachey draped herself over a banister proclaimed to the gentleman. they let me out of the attic. that was her and poor charles

lived with her happily all these years. his life and adventure were in columbus like typical child. when they were living for a short time or visiting in washington. his brother wanted to play a game. and being the younger brother he gotted to play the one with the apple. to his wisdom he had the back to the brother. unfortunately it was impatient and turned at the wrong time and had the eye put out about seven years old. james had a glass eye all of his life because of that glass eye, his other eye went bad in the last four or five years of his life. he was pretty much legally blind. could see very little. it didn't keep him from working. i mentioned one of the pieces we have here, the glasses he used. there's a picture you may not be able to see very well working close to the draws that helped him to see even as the blindnd

came upon him. but his life at ohio state was interesting because of that glass eye. he couldn't pass biology, he had trouble -- [inaudible] which was required and he was no good at baseball. he had no depth perception. so he did not graduate from ohio state. i mentioned the new yorker and this is where his life took off. when i was in connecticut, he lived this connecticut most of the time. he worked for ross. ross the editor of the new yorker. and their relationship and his relationship with the eb white, the author of "charlotte's web" solidified him as a writer in the american's eye. most of them were published in the new yorker and his cartoons got rave reviews. people loved them. as primitive as they are. theytured something. a fun story we sell on the short video i like to tell is how a

real person came in to ross was irritated. how can you turn down my work and print the fifth rate artist cartoon. no, third rate artist. he said. they had quite a fun working relationship. it inspired them to write a book called "my years with ross ." he wrote a play which was made in to a movie. a wonderful movie. if you're a strong buckeye fan, many of us are buckeyes. isn't fond of the football program at ohio state. he tooks some shots at. very indirectly. he never refers to the university by name. but it's quite a fun film. walter played by danny is pictured here. that's another thing appreciate often associate with him. it was one of the