next, lbj foundation president, former chief of staff to laura bush anita mcbride and white house historical association president stewart mclauren on presidential legacies. they spoke at a white house historical association conference attended by representatives from presidential sites around the country. good afternoon. good afternoon. my name is bob mcgee. i serve on the board of directors of the white house

historical association. as you continue to enjoy your lunch, i want to introduce our program for today. you may have heard that we were planning on having our wonderful friend of the white house historical association, the renowned white house historian dr. william seal with us for this lunch session, but he has been unable to join us. we, however, have a terrific plan b for you, and that is a conversation with anita mcbride, mark, and stewart mclauren on presidential legacies and commemorations. and i know that if time allows, anita and mark and stewart will take questions at the end. so, now, to our panel. anita mcbride's career relating to the white house and the presidency spans more than 30 years as a white house adviser, chief of staff, and diplomatic adviser.

currently, she is executive in residence at the center for congressional and presidential studies in the school of public affairs at american university in washington where she directs programming on the legacies of america's first ladies and their historical influence on politics, policy, and global diplomacy. anita served as an assistant to president george w. bush as well as chief of staff to first lady laura bush. she directed the first lady's travel to 67 countries in 4 years to support foreign policy objectives and human rights, women's empowerment, global health, and education. she's a member of the u.s.-afghan women's council, the international republican institute's women's diplomacy network, the national italian-american foundation, and most importantly, a board member

of the white house historical association and chair of the committee that organized the presidential sites summit. mark is an author, presidential historian, and president and ceo of the lbj foundation in austin, texas. until recently, he served as the director of the lyndon johnson library and museum for eight years. he has authored four books on presidential history, including his newest book, the last republicans, inside the extraordinary relationship between george h.w. bush and george w. bush." mark is a commentator for abc news, "good morning america," and -- finally, our third panelist is stuart mclauren.

he's president of the white house historical association. his 30-plus year career in washington has been in senior roles at georgetown university, the american red cross and the motion picture association. he also worked with the ronald reagan presidential foundation to conceptualize, plan, and execute the ronald reagan se centennial celebration in 2011. please join in welcoming -- please join me in welcoming today's panel, anita mcbride, mark, and stuart. >> thank you, bob, very much, and i'd also like to recognize gail west on our board of directors and teresa bar et. these men and women give extraordinary leadership, guidance, and governance to our organization. it was founded by mrs. kennedy

in 1961 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan partner to the white house, and we're honored to be the convener of this presidential site summit this week. today, we're going to talk a little bit about presidential legacy and commemoration, and let's start by diving into lbj. johnson was larger than life as president, larger than life post-presidency, and what would he think of his legacy as we see him today? >> well, first of all, stuart, to you and anita, congratulations on this conference. i know how much work they have put into this, and it is clearly paid off, because it's been a rousing success. congratulations to both of you, and thanks to all of you for what you do. i mentioned it yesterday to the

group that convened around lunch, but not only as a historian, i'm a patron of your establishments, and i appreciate so much, not only what you do but the passion that you put into what you do. so, thanks so much for preserving and perpetuating the history of this great country. stuart, to answer your question, i told a story yesterday that i'll repeat, but lbj, when he was a senator, was campaigning for reelection, and he convened his speech writers around a stump speech that he wanted to take around the state, and they brought him a speech, and a draft, and he starts reading it, and he comes upon a passage from plato, and he says, plato? plato? let me get this straight. i'm going back home to texas to talk to just plain folks, and you have me quoting plato?

he said, keep the quote but start it with, my daddy always used to say. i mention it because "my daddy" said certain things about lyndon johnson, and what he said contemporaneously when lyndon johnson was president was very different from what we were saying today. presidential legacies evolve, and i think it takes us at least a generation and even more than two, in some cases, to get a clear perspective on how, basically, a president will be remembered in perpetuity. but lyndon johnson took much longer because vietnam so divided this nation, and it took at least two generations for passions to recede around vietnam. but when they did, and we got clear perspective, when those -- that dark cloud of vietnam dissipated, we saw what lyndon johnson did prodigiously in the

legislative arena, and in particular what he did in civil rights. and there is no president, save, perhaps, abraham lincoln, who's done as much in the cause of civil rights, which, in so many ways, defines us as a nation, as lj. lyndon johnson. and finally, he's getting due credit for those accomplishments. so i think, in answer to your question, stuart, he'd pleased. >> well, we can't talk about presidents without talking about first ladies, and anita, you've done a terrific job in your role at american university focusing on the role of first ladies, and you yourself were chief of staff to one of america's favorite, laura bush. let's talk about ms. johnson as we keep the johnson theme going here. mrs. johnson took over being first lady very suddenly in the passing of president kennedy, and mrs. kennedy had done so much in our space, historic preservation of the white house, but mrs. johnson continued that in her own way. these are 45 men and women who have been very unique in their presidencies and in their personalities, and also in their

legacies as we see evidence in these wonderful presidential sites. but tell us about mrs. johnson and her role as first lady and that transition and a very painful way and what she did in the white house in our space. >> well, first, i think -- so, let me put my microphone on. that would help. thank you, stuart, for that question, and first, i want to acknowledge a couple of really terrific first lady historians are in the audience with us. katie sibly from st. joseph's university and nancy smith did oral histories with lady bird johnson and got to know her quite well and has been at the archives for many, many years. i'm always struck by -- and i happen to live in the neighborhood in washington, d.c., where the -- just around the corner from where the johnsons lived at the elm. where he lived as vice president and then they lived for even several weeks, if not almost a

month, after he had become president and she had become first lady after that tragedy of the assassination. so, i always sort of walking by that house feel that, you know, the presence of the johnsons still sort of looms in the spring valley neighborhood of washington, d.c. but i'm really struck by the quote from mrs. johnson herself about how she felt about becoming first lady after the assassination of john f. kennedy and now people -- she said people look at the living and they wish for the dead. you just can't imagine, really, the personal pain, of course, that that exhibited, that the whole country was feeling this grief and now here were the johnsons, front and center, and to take over leadership of the country at such a traumatic time and feeling bad, awesome burden of responsibility and challenge to also help comfort the nation

in a certain way and to help mrs. kennedy through it all, which, of course, they were incredibly gracious as we know and told her she could live and stay in the white house as long as she needs to. to get her children packed up and moved out and to move on with her life. but mrs. johnson, again, having a front row seat of working with laura bush for so many years, and she would say, very honestly, that in addition to her mother-in-law, of course, lady bird johnson was her favorite first lady and she learned so much from her, from watching her and being a texas woman herself, and sort of the graciousness of mrs. kennedy, how she -- also mrs. kennedy, of course, but mrs. johnson, how she presided over the white house, and mrs. bush, who loves the outdoors and loves flowers and plants and natural

landscapes and the national parks always looked to mrs. johnson as an example of, you know, someone who so appreciated our natural beauty, and mrs. bush would say, you know, people would look at mrs. johnson and say, oh, she loved flowers, but really, what she was was our nation's first conservationist first lady. so, i think that her presence and one of the personal recollections i have of mrs. johnson, which is seared in my memory for the rest of my life is lyndon johnson rob, who we all heard from last night, of course, the descendants panel, by linda had called me when i was chief of staff to mrs. bush and had said, i'm bringing my mother back to washington for what i know will be her last time to see some of her friends. of course, we know she had had a stroke. she wasn't speaking. she was in a wheelchair. but she was still very vibrant,

and she said, do you think we can come to the white house? well, i knew instinctively laura bush's reaction would be, of course. and i never, you know, answer for anything on mrs. bush's schedule without talking to her first, but i knew the answer would be yes. and i said, i'll call you back with dates and times that could work. and mrs. bush was so thrilled to have mrs. johnson come to the white house that she is now the sitting first lady can take the former first lady through the white house, and so mrs. bush had made sure that any of the resident staff that were still working in the white house that had been there in the johnson time were there to greet mrs. johnson at the diplomatic reception room door when she stepped in, and in addition, the -- one of the butlers who had worked for the johnsons, mr. german, was now a part-time

elevator operator, operated the president's elevator at the white house just a few days a week. mrs. bush made sure he was there and that he was the one that greeted mrs. johnson when the door was opened at the car for her to get out, and the way that mrs. johnson reached up in recognition to embrace mr. german and how he embraced her really would just make you weep but would also -- the two last things that i'll just say about mrs. johnson's visit, her last visit to the white house, mrs. bush wheeled her into the room on the ground floor, which had just been repainted under one of the restoration projects that mrs. bush did, thanks to the white house historical association, and mrs. bush had had the walls of the room painted a perfect yellow complement to the dress that mrs. johnson wears.

in that room. so it's very striking. there are two -- three very striking portraits in that room. jackie kennedy right in front of you when you walk in the room. that's beautiful. that painting of her. mrs. johnson's over the fireplace, and then eleanor roosevelt. and so mrs. bush said to her, lady bird, i want you to -- and mamie eisenhower is in there too. i'm sorry for the eisenhower center in the room. i'm talking about mrs. johnson's visit. i'm sorry. but laura bush said to her, now, lady bird, i want you to know i had this room repainted in a color that would match your beautiful dress, and then she took her upstairs in the elevator and brought her by her husband's portrait on the state floor in the grand foyer, and

mrs. johnson, i'll never forget it, just in her wheelchair, you know, leapt up as if to embrace her husband, and it's just one of those things that, you know, as a staffer in the white house, you realize you're staff, you're not a principal, you don't live there. you work there. but it's one of those incredible privileges and opportunities that you get to see firsthand. >> talk about, stuart, the way in which the johnsons took office, which was through tragedy, and you mentioned a quote, which i had forgotten until you recited it yesterday. mrs. johnson described that period after president kennedy's assassination as americans looking at the living and wishing for the dead. boy, that really puts in perspective the difficult situation that she walked into

as first lady, and her husband as president. >> sure. >> we talk about death and grieving and these are important times in our nation's history, when a president passes. tomorrow, most of our group will be going up to washington national cathedral, which has been the stage and the setting for a number of presidential funerals. this saturday, senator mccain's funeral will be in that cathedral. it's amazing to think of our 45 american presidents, 8 of those have died while in office. that's a significant number. and there have been elements of their state funerals that took place in the white house itself. tonight we'll be in the east room, which is where lincoln and kennedy laid in state and others. but then there have also been the post-presidency funerals. we remember reagan and ford and recently mrs. reagan and mrs. bush. what is it about these moments of death and focus on a former president or a living president, one of my early -- probably my earliest memory of a living president was four years old, sitting indian leg in front of a

black and white television in the kennedy funeral and being transfixed and scared about this, really. what is it about death and presidential funerals or first lady funerals that brings home to us who they are to us and what we remember them to be? >> you know, we're naturally divided as a nation. i don't know if this will answer your question, but we are naturally divided. we were divided from the very beginning when our founding fathers came to philadelphia to forge the nation. they were divided by sectional, cultural, ideological differences, and they found common ground into which they planted the seeds of democracy. that's the story of our country. we are naturally divided as a nation. but there are moments in our nation's life when we all come together as americans, and one of them is when we have the death of a president. we don't lose a republican president or a democratic president. we lose our president, and it takes us back, and we think about that time, and we become

united as americans, and there aren't that many opportunities for us to have these moments of unity, which are so needed in our nation, and that's why i was disappointed that not more was made of senator mccain's -- senator mccain is one of those few americans that we all revere, we all cherish, him as an example of what it is to be american, and we can celebrate in his legacy the things that we all hold dear as american values. so, i think that's what, you know, we've talked about the passing of george h.w. bush, when he's come perilously close to death and this man is a beacon of character when we need a notion of civility and service over self, and it's a notion of what these people represent and what we aspire to be as

americans that we celebrate around the passing of these people. >> well, mrs. bush's funeral, i think, we were talking yesterday about it was like america's mom had passed. reminiscing about who she was. tell us your thoughts, anita. e you were both at that funeral. tell us your thoughts and impressions on a first lady's funeral like that and how that differs from a president. what does a first lady mean to us at a time like that? >> i think you described it really well there. she was like a mother and a grandmother to the nation, and really left an imprint through her example as someone who loved her husband, loved her family, and lofved her country and realy lived her life so openly and with such great joy to be each of those things, a mother, wife, and first lady of our nation. i think she was also, too, you know, a very gracious second lady, and in the shadows of

mrs. reagan, which, of course, couldn't have been very easy. but she presided over the white house with such joy and really one of the things that she said to her staff and people knew this about her when she became first lady, she gathered her staff together, and she said, i want to do something that helps an american every single day. and that was quite a charge to give to the staff, and that's what they set about doing, and you know, had she had another four years or he had had another four years, who knows what that could have been. but i think their post-presidency too, the two of them, his post-presidency and her life with him after, i think that was, again, a great example that continued to endear her to the country. i think there's something, too, regardless of what you might feel about president george w. bush, the fact that this family, you know, father and son, lived through each other's

presidencies and those two first ladies had that opportunity to, you know, help each other. laura bush said, you know, i learned a lot about being first lady from my mother-in-law. what a great example. no other first lady has had that because, obviously, as catherine back there knows about the adams, louise adams did not have her mother-in-law to ask questions about being first lady. and it was just so different. but barbara bush left an imprint on just the sheer force of her personality and her character and of course i was -- john meech um who speak earlier today on the presidents and the press panel, of course, is the only person in america, other than barbara bush, who has read her full diary, because she kept incredible diaries, and mrs. johnson kept incredible diaries and as we know, john was a eulogyist at her funeral and

he captured her beautifully, her wit and humor, very self-deprecating but she could slice and dice pretty good too and i think people kind of liked that about her personality. >> we had george w. bush at the library around the civil rights summit that we did four years ago, around a 50th anniversary of the passage of the civil rights act and we were in the great hall of the lbj library, this majestic space with the presidential seal etched in marble and around the perimeter of the hall are portraits of all our presidents and first ladies, and barbara bush was infamously known among her family ranks as the enforcer, and george w. bush looked at her portrait and he said -- he leaned over to me and he said, if you look carefully, you can see her eyes move. one more. i was relieved at the funeral that it was so short. that's what she would -- and i was -- >> she planned it. >> she absolutely planned it

meticulously that way. and i never forget, it was a couple years before her death, i was -- the bushes asked me to do a fund-raiser in kennebunkport -- for the kennebunkport public library, which i was happy to do and the evening before, we had dinner, and my wife and i had dinner with the bushes, and i walked her to her car. the bushes came in separate cars, and she -- as she was getting into the car, she said, you know, george and i are coming tomorrow and i said, i'm honored. she said, tell me about the format. what are you doing? i said, i'll speak for about 40 minutes and take about 10 minutes' worth of questions and she was going to the car, and she said, make it a half an hour. no questions. >> well, we talked a bit about the presidents and their legacy and the first ladies and their roles. but we have 45 presidential descendants that have been with us this week, going back to the -- to james monroe, descendants of james monroe that are here this week. let's talk about presidential families. and descendants and what role

they play in keeping or evolving or changing that legacy of a president and a first lady. >> i'll let mark do most of this, of course, because he runs a library where you depend on the the family to be involved. but it's, it's a huge factor to be able to -- and i think we heard that through a lot of the panels at our summit this week. i heard it even at the philanthropy panel, being able to engage the community where a presidential site is for people to have that buy-in and feel connected. the more they can feel connected to the human side of the person who's been honored with their name on the building is important. and passing these stories along is so important. i was really struck this week, too, that, you know, susan ford is here. she's on our panel. she's always terrific and about representing her parents' legacy. she brought her daughter with her this time. because she wants her daughter

to now sort of take up this mantle of secession planning, for passing on the legacy of your ancestors, who have had this incredible role in our history of leading our country. i think it's hugely, hugely important. >> and i think that's right. i think it's important, though, not to direct history. i talked to george h.w. bush about this. and he said, we're not trying to build the legacy. i'm going to let historians decide what the legacy should be. and i think it's advisable for family members, too. and i had the great fortune of working with linda johnson rob, whom you all saw last night and lucy johnson, the johnson daughters on projects relating to the lbj presidential library

and and they're not heavy handed. they'll trust that historians will get it right. and it must have been very painful for them to see their father defined by vietnam for so long. both of the johnson daughters were living under the white house roof with their parents. and both of their husbands were in vietnam. so their husbands were putting their lives on the line in vietnam, because of the decisions of their commander in chief, their father-in-law, and they're hearing protesters outside the white house gate chanting, hey, hey, lbj, how many kids did you kill today? and they could see him striving for peace and knew how painful this was for him. so i really admire their not being heavy-handed in trying to direct that legacy and letting history sort things out, and it has. >> how special was it last night at our event at the kennedy

center to have john tyler there, the grandson -- or lion tyler, the grandson of john tyler. spanning over 200 years of american history in three generations. >> that's incredible. >> and you just feel like you're seeing through them a window into american history. >> that's the role they play. >> a big part of what we do at the white house historical association is education-related. teaching and telling the stories of white house history, going back to 1792 when george washington selected this piece of land just two blocks from where we are right now and the young irish architect that designed the white house. and so we have these institutions and presidential sites, libraries that develop education programs that unpack and tell the story. let's talk a little bit about the importance of the education process, connecting with the generation, who did not know

these men and women as a living president. how do you put those programs together and how do you do your outreach to take legacy and take education to students of all ages? >> well, i just think, here's, you know, one thing i would lake to add to this. and of course i know this afternoon, our next panel at the archives is on civic education and the whole role presidential sites play in this, and this is so important. i think, personally, we've been chipping away at our civic education in our country for two many years. and i think our kids in middle school, i still have school-aged kids, you know, middle school and high school kids, aren't getting the same sort of lessons that we were getting on the black board. it is a little different. but i think that there are so many opportunities that our sites have. and even our opening night

ceremonies when we brought the three actors from the play "hamilton" to the stage, not to sing and dance for us, but to really say, how do you feel about this role that you have to bring history to life in a way that is so engaging? and really what responsibility they have to educate our young people. and i was really pleased to hear them say the partnership they have with the gilder lairman institute in new york on middle school and high school education around these founding father figures. and to really, you know, explore the courage, but also the sacrifice that it took to found the nation. so i was very encouraged by that. and i think we've tried to really tell that message throughout our summit this week. but the libraries with the rich material that they have, the

papers, the artifacts. one of the earlier panels said, it's one thing, i think alan debier, the philanthropy panel said, it's one thing to have the artifacts there. it's the stories that you have to tell. and how do you tell them, and keep telling them, to keep people engaged? and i work at a university and other people are here at universities. every time you have a new class of students that comes in as, you know, freshman, you sort of realize, okay, this is sort of the next group that you have to teach about 9/11 or whatever it might be, because now they were two years old when 9/11 happened, so what do they know about it? what's their frame of reference? they don't. you know, how the president had to deal with those decisions. how the country changed forever. but you feel this obligation, when you're around young people, of constantly educating them about our history.

>> you know, and it's -- i know this is the very definition of preaching to the choir, but that's why you -- what you do is so vitally important. because there is an education gap in this country. kids don't care about civics. but if you can get them engaged in the stories of your presidents, they'll start to get interested. we've seen that with "hamilton" on a huge, just a monumental scale. i'm looking at joe and donna, you get them engaged, kids in michigan, in the story of that michiganer, gerald ford, typical michigan kid, who becomes president of the united states, and does something to heal the nation at a very perilous time in our nation and they will start to get interested in civics and history. and that can only make us a stronger country. >> i think we have time for three questions. there's a microphone right here, if you would lake to come to the microphone. but i would to begin by inviting steven raustine from the kennedy

foundation to the microphone. one of the great privileges of my professional career was to work with the ronald reagan centennial celebration in 2011. not because i thought he was a great president or not necessarily because of what he meant to me, but it was an opportunity to take the life, the leadership, and the legacy of the 40th president of the united states and to share that with the next generation that did not know him as a living president and to have partnerships and collaborations with eureka college, this wonderful school in illinois, which formed him in so many ways. and with other sports teams and high schools and to teach these stories about this man. but that was in 2011. and in 2017, i believe, was the kennedy centennial. and they did also an extraordinary job of reaching across the country, and i would love for you to talk a little bit about that, steven, in terms

of the legacy of a president, and taking a commemoration like a centennial and sharing that president in new and fresh ways with the country. >> right. thank you so much. i think it is that tame, just like you were talking about the passing, be it of a president or a first lady, that we come together and think about it. you know, today, 80% of the people in the united states were born after the kennedy administration. 80%. so it's those folks who are trying to connect with them. so when i started, the first thing i did, to be honest with you, is read the report you put out where i learned all the great ideas and it's really thinking about partnerships. we had over 200 partnership arrangements with museums and organizations. there are 896 places in the world named after john kennedy. and we reached out to literally hundreds of them, from the kennedy center to new york airport and things like that. and it's really not just telling the history, but why is it relevant today? and we use this expression of visionaries never go out of style. you think about world peace, the peace corps is just as relevant today. talking about commemorations, next year, we as a country will

be celebrating the 50th anniversary of landing on the moon. and today we think about big ideas, when we think about a big idea, whether it's in your company or organization, you call ate moon shot. it literally was the first moon shot. i think the way to think about it in a way that brings us together. not that he did everything right, but looking at those key points, just as a commemoration like a centennial or next year's celebration of landing on the moon is. thanks again for all of your leadership. >> great example. >> anybody else have a question to raise with the group? well, while we're waiting, if anybody else doesn't have a question, i'll put these guys on the spot really quickly. other than the presidents you've worked or represent today, give me your two favorite presidents and first ladies, if you could have dinner with them tonight,

who would you like to have din we are? >> well, i'm going to steal this from mark, but i think almost everybody in the room would say abraham lincoln. i would absolutely love that opportunity. and also, i would love to talk to martha washington. i would love to know what it was like to be the first person to have to do this job and really bear the responsibility of setting the precedent to be the first first lady of the nation, even though it wasn't called that at the time, of course. and i would really, i would love to meet the trumans. i really would. i'm just so fascinated by this cross-country trip that they did in their car in the post-presidency, just like that, lake mom, pa kettle. like, here i was, living in the white house, and now i'm driving and going to every motel 6 that exists. i think that's so quintessentially american. we're just really cool people that go to drive-ins. >> i'm going to borrow from john

f. kennedy who said, when he had a number of nobel laureates, i believe, in the white house, you know, there have been so many great minds here since thomas jefferson dined alone. and i would forego all of the others just have to have abraham lincoln alone. but i would certainly want dolly madison to host it. going back to the trumans. just what anita said, there's this great story about harry truman who goes bounding with his driver/bodyguard, mike westwood, down from independence to jefferson city for a meeting. and truman is in the front seat and spies this woman whose pigs have gotten loose and they're running all around. and truman demands that westwood stop the car and he hops -- truman hops out and helps her to coral these pigs. a reporter gets wind of this

when truman, you know, arrives at his destination in jefferson city. and they ask him if it's true. he said, yeah, of course it's true, but remember, i was a farmer before i was president. >> see. >> so down to earth. >> i think we have a question. >> yeah, trying to tie into your comments, and i appreciate that gerald r. ford story. one of the things we did a year ago was to come up with the idea to take president ford's story of standing up for diversity in his senior year at university of michigan, where his traveling roommate, because of the color of his skin, couldn't play on that football team. now, an historical group had kind of put this hour pbs thing together and students would fall asleep and there have been some stabs at it. and we said, let's turn it into a play. let's turn it into a 40-minute play. well, half my board is ready to

lynch me, and what am i doing with that, but we did 10 productions of the play. we have a waiting list of schools that want us to go in and do this play. but it's a 40-minute play talking about president ford in a locker room with his traveling roommate, willis ward, talking about why he can't go on that football team. so i think, i just wanted to share that, is we need to make our stories relevant to our audience. and i think that was discussed. and that's the way to do it, is to take a story that's iconic and make it in a format that we want to do. so i appreciate you highlighting that, mark. >> it's really creative, joe. >> one thing that brings to mind is a new tool that we have at the white house historical association in partnership with amazon web services and it is a white house tour app. you can download it on the -- from the app store or from google play, wh experience or

just search white house experience. and right now, it takes you on a virtual tour through the public rooms, the estate rooms of the white house, as well as the non-public historic rooms. but eventually, we want to perhaps have it teach the stories of what the white house was like at different times, different presidencies, like you represent. and tell other stories and teach other aspects of white house history. and in the meantime, we would love for those watching by c-span and those of you here to download that app and explore the white house with us. we are really grateful for all of you and you're on the tip of the point of the spear out here in american history and presidential history and white house history. and it's been inspirational to us this week to have you here and we look forward to working with you collaboratively, moving forward. we don't want this to be an every four-year or two-year experience. we want us to be arm in arm, telling us these great stories

of these 45 great men and women who have led our country and prepare the next generation who will be leading it in the future. thank you all very much. have a great afternoon. [ applause ] will be leading it in the fau future. thank you all very much. have a great afternoon. [ applause ] this labor day, american history tv is featuring sessions from the white house historical association's presidential site summit. last week, representatives from presidential sites around the country came to washington to discuss their common work and 21st century challenges. among those attending were descendants of presidents from

james monroe to gerald ford. we'll continue with our coverage of the presidential site summit in a few minutes. c-span, where history unfolds daily. in 1979, c-span was created as a public service by america's cable television companies. and today, we continue to bring you unfiltered coverage of congress, the white house, the supreme court, and public policy events in washington, d.c. and around the country. c-span is brought to you by your cable or satellite provider. american history tv is on c-span3 every weekend, featuring museum tours, archival films, and programs on the presidency, the civil war, and more. here's a clip from a recent program. >> the shadows of german armies

cover western europe. the self-styled master race was riding high. ♪ ♪ ♪

>> now, adolf hitler stood just as napoleon had stood just a hundred years before him and looked across the english channel to the one fighting obstacle that stood between him and world denomination. and beyond, a little island, smaller than the state of wyoming. crush that little island and its people. austria, czechoslovakia, poland, denmark, norway, holland, belgium, france, had given him more than 100 million slaves to work for him or starve. the preliminaries were over. it was time for the main event. the battle of britain.

♪ >> you can watch in and other american history programs on our website where all our video is archived. that's c-span.org/history. each week, american history tv's "real america" brings you archival films that provide context for today's public affairs issues. ♪

there are the offices of a state commission that exist because the people of new york believe that everyone should have a fair and equal chance to earn a living, whatever his race, creed, color, or national origin. charged with the power to bring full legal redress to any person deprived by discrimination of a just opportunity to get and hold a job, the new york state commission against discrimination consists of five commissioners. in discharges its duties, the commission relies not on enforcement procedure alone, but also on education of the public. it uses every means of communication to make the people of the state aware of its law and its aims, and respect for

the individual, regardless of race, creed, color, or national origins. while a law against discrimination makes possible more and more rich contributions of many of different races, religions, and origins. the intellectual probings of dr. i einstein. the discoveries in the field of atomic science. yet, for every one of these, there are thousands held down to poverty and despair by job diskrcrimination based on national, religious, race differences. the most minial and poor paid labor, there once existed not even hope. only the day-to-day effort to

get and keep a job in a hostile world. >> i don't like to bother you, but i can't go home to my wife and children again without a job. things are bad. everywhere i go, it's always the same. >> sorry, we need experienced men. >> but i've had plenty of experience. >> can't use you, mack. >> discrimination is a terrible weapon at those to whom it is directed. a weapon which strikes at their lives, their living and those they love best. >> look on the table. >> eviction notice. >> what are we going to do? >> to help victims of economic

discrimination, there was introduced to the new york state legislature in 1945 the bipartisan bill in which the opportunity was defined as a civil right to be protected by law. in public hearings, the people were given a chance to discuss the proposed bill and make their wishes known to the legislators. >> i contend you cannot put an end to prejudice just bypassing a law. >> mr. chairman, that may be true, but there's a difference betwe and we need to combat that by education. but discrimination is an overt act which hurts people. and we must protect them against it just as we protect them against robbery and murder. >> passed by the legislature and signed by the governor, the bill became the law by the sovereign will of the people and the

commission against discrimination was set up with offices throughout the state, where complaints may be lodged with field representatives by those who feel themselves wronged. each complaint is passed to one of the commissioners who makes use of the personnel in the field. the commission has established in several communities, citizens drawn from business, labor and the professions to broaden the battle front against discrimination. to give advice on the problems of law bound to arise in a field which offers little precedent for guidance, the commission maintains the legal staff headed by a general counsel. under the law, legal action may be resorted to when the commissioners have tried unsuccessfully to win compliance by conciliation and persuasion.

legal responsibility applies to employers, labor unions and employment agencies. >> it's very gratifying to know that your employment agency intends to correct its application forms. as you know, the law requires that no one should ask a prospective employee about his religion. he should be hired on his basis for his ability to do the job. >> okay, then. tomorrow i'll get new application blanks, no questions about religion on them. >> splendid. and thanks for your cooperation. >> thank you, sir. >> in all their dealings, the commissioners are scrupulously fair to both sides. >> the commission has made a thorough investigation of circumstances leading to your dismissal, and we find that you were dismissed as a part of a general layoff, and that your nationality had nothing to do with it. >> the commission has opened

membership opportunities with equal rights and other groups formally barred orb segregated. >> the union did accept your recommendation. >> yes, sir. the members voted to change the by laws so any qualified worker can join regardless of race, religion or nationality. >> the commission agrees to investigate every complaint and to take all other legal steps necessary to bring justice to the wronged. but while legal pressure brings correction of specific cases of injustice, the commissioners found that such pressure, coupled with persuasion, often goes further, changing the employer's basic attitude and his whole employment pattern. >> sure, i want to comply the law, but i'm not sure my employees would stand for a negro in the shop. >> employers tell us they had no

trouble when the worker was qualified n qualified. one important thing is to have your shop foreman know how to deal with the situation. >> in any plant or factory there may be a few who, because of ignorance or fear, are potential troublemakers. >> hey, charlie, how do you like that? >> hey, frank, listen, what's the idea? >> we work with white folk around here. >> look, fellas, you'll find a law that says if a man can do the job, we current turn him down because of his complexion. and this man can do the job, so we hired him. >> yeah? okay, either he goes or we walk out. >> uh-huh. you two and who else?

now look, fellas, you hang on for the rest of the week, see. by that time, if you can't make an adjustment, well, you can quit and there will be no hard feelings. how's that? huh? ♪ >> most men carry around with them some pet prejudice, big or little, which they have cherished all their lives despite its absurdity, but will collapse if they face realities. a new york state law against discrimination by its very nature, confronts people with the necessity of coming to terms with such realities. in all cases on the commission's record, it has been demonstrated that where those of even the most back ground and races work

together, get to know each other better, and to respect each other's abilities, their attitudes have invariably changed. >> what's the news? >> we're staying, the both of us. >> that's fine, okay. >> so he's colored. well, he's a good guy, and he's a good worker. he's different. you know what i mean? >> sure, sure, he's different. but they're all different. and you get to know them and you find out they're just people. some are good, some are bad. just like you and me. >> in all its cases, the commission checks up after six months to see that the agreement has been observed and to note any improvements in the overall pattern of employment. the commissioners have found that through a single successful adjustment they have been able to open the door to countless work e workers. and as more and more people begin to understand and to exercise their rights and

responsibilities under the law against discrimination, as more and more states pass similar laws, the idea of an equal chance for all may become attainable, bringing home to the american people the great truth that democracy works best when all work together. ♪ >> tuesday, at 9:30 a.m. eastern, watch c-span's live coverage of the senate judiciary committ committee's hearing of brett kavanaugh to the supreme court. day one inchuludes opening statements, then introductions of judge kavanaugh of condoleezza rice, and rob port lan. following the introduction,

judge kavanaugh makes his opening statement. watch day one of the senate confirmation hearings, live, tuesday, at 9:30 a.m. eastern on c-span, c-span.org or listen on the c-span radio app. c-span, where history unfolds daily. in 1979, c-span was created as a public service by america's cable television company. and today, we continue to bring you unfiltered coverage of congress, the white house, the supreme court, and public policy events in washington, d.c. and around the country. c-span is brought to you by your cable or satellite provider. our series "1968, america in turmoil" is available as a podcast. find it on our website, c-sp

c-span.org/history. this is american history tv only on c-span3. american history tv is on c-span3 every weekend, featuring museum tours and programs on the presidency, the civil war, and more. here's clip from a recent program. >> i play golf, and i had not played as much because i husband didn't play. but when i got down there, i knew they got the golf clubs, because we worked and worked, and i played golf and that helped me, very definitely. >> how did it help you, just with a more relaxed atmosphere? >> no. 18 holes takes four to six hours and there's a lot of talk. >> the more times you did

something like that, did you feel as if it was easier to relate with some of the males, did they accept you a little more? >> one time we were working late, and i wasn't agreeing on some things. and i came in, they had the pizza already there. they said, you can't have it, you're not supporting us. but that didn't last very long. my father was a strong man, and this is this and this is that. the guys didn't intimidate me at all. and that's the thing i didn't ever let them know. >> watch this and other american history programs on our website,

where all our video is archived. that's c-span.org/history. filmmakers and former white house officials described their work on productions depicting the presidency and the white house. a discussion was recorded at the john f. kennedy center for the performing arts in washington, d.c. good evening. i hope you've been enjoying tonight's program. it's been fascinating and there's more to come. a your ago i was honored when fred ryan, chair of our board, asked me to chair the white house historical association's board committee for this important four-day senate. i want to thank the members of our committee for their year-lock commitment and contributions to the planning of the summit. with