but it was just a tremendous experience. and an experience that i certainly would never have had in just ordinary nursing. >> thank you very much. >> i'm just really grateful. thank you. i've been dreading this, but, because i have never done anything like this before. >> you did fine. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2019] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] you're watching american history tv all weekend, every weekend, on c-span3. >> freedom must be the great arsenal of democracy. for us, this is an emergency as serious as war itself or it. >> detroit became known as the arsenal of democracy after this fireside chat delivered by franklin roosevelt.

he called on americans to arm in -- and support the allied powers. because of its strength as an automobile manufacturer, detroit was well-positioned to transition to wartime manufacturing. within the first year and a half after the attack on pearl harbor, 350,000 workers moved to detroit to join the war effort. president roosevelt honored detroit's contribution by the declaring it a great arsenal of democracy. during our time in detroit, we met up with a historian and tour guide who took us two sites around the city that tell the story of the african-american experience here. we begin outside of ford field, home of the detroit lions, which is located in the heart of downtown detroit. >> so we moved to what is now porterfield. 1940's,920's, 1930's,

1950's, this was the center of the african-american business district. ass district grew african-americans were migrating from the south to the north. we call that the great migration. thousands of african-americans are leaving the south, leaving conditions of jim crow in the south, leaving conditions of sharecropping and tenant farming and looking for jobs in places like ford motor company and other auto factories. but because of property discrimination, they can't own the property everywhere in the city of detroit, but there are certain sections they can. one of them is black bottom, the african-american residential district. the other is paradise valley. . that is the business and entertainment district. from the 1920's to the 1950's, there are 350 black-owned is nessus in the -- businesses in the area or very close. this would have been the center of african-american activity.

hotels, restaurants, jazz clubs, stores. all the things that are part of african-american needs and of course culture, it would take place here in paradise valley. it would end up being destroyed after the 1956 interstate highway act. the federal government passes the interstate highway act where they would fund the loading of a freeway throughout the country. the cities get to pick where the freeways go. political leadership at that time chose to put it down the main street of the african-american community, hasting street, and took the land by eminent domain including shops, restaurants, stores and hotels. we lose the black district business after 1956. by the mid-50's, most of paradise valley is destroyed. for the residents who live in black bottom, many of the first wave, when they lose their land, they will have to find places.

as the successive waves happen, they end up in an area where jewish residents are beginning to leave away from. african-american migration in the city of detroit follows jewish migration. jewish migrants are more likely to rent and sell places to african-americans than any other ethnic group. they moved into an area where dexter, lynnwood, and grand river, that neighborhood, that's where the 1967 uprising will occur. there will never be a center of african-american business ownership in the city of detroit. we lose that when we lose paradise valley. it was called urban renewal, but african-americans called it ne gro removal, because if they were renters, 80% of the people were, they only got two weeks notice before eviction. there was already a wealth inequality in detroit and it

deepened that, because now you have lost everything and have to start all over again. today when you are in downtown detroit, there is a lot of development. businesses, restaurants, and stores. bottom and paradise valley not been destroyed, the business owners would have been growing since the period of paradise valley. you have hundreds of black-owned businesses. what would that look like in 2019 had they not been forced to relocate? tour staffour cities recently traveled to detroit, michigan to learn about its rich history. to watch more video from detroit and other stuff on the tour, visit c-span.org/cities tour. you are watching american history tv, all weekend, every weekend, on c-span3. next on american history tv, house speaker nancy

pelosi hosted a reception at the u.s. capitol to commemorate the 100th anniversary of house of representatives passing the 19th amendment to the u.s. constitution, which guaranteed women the right to vote. other speakers included house minority leader kevin mccarthy, journalist cokie roberts, and kay cole james, and former senator barbara mikulski. the respective chair and vice chair of the women's suffrage centennial commission. >> ladies and gentlemen, the honorable nancy pelosi. the speaker of the house of representatives, accompanied by the honorable kevin mccarthy. ms. kay co