[applause] >> good morning. ood morning. good morning and thank you. movement, measure the 2013. we are live on 1190 wliv, c-span, and it will run on c-span again during the week, three times, and msnbc. every year at the end of our national convention, we have the leaders of various national civil rights groups join us to talk about what they have done and we have done in the preceding year, what we have not been table do, and then what we

commit to doing in the coming year so that we are held account to believe what we say. it is not enough to just convene, talk about things, show how smart we are, give our best sound bites, we must measure what we do, what we do not do, so that people will know that we are serious in our service to people. this year, we added, though, that with the 50th anniversary of the march on washington, we wanted some of those who have served above and beyond the call of duty for the last half century to assess where we are since the march where we need to be, where we have made progress and where we have gone backwards. so we have a special panel added this year that will put us in

context and in focus. let me introduce the panel to my -- the panel. to my right, the reverend pastor of ron, the this church, first corinthian. he also chairs the ministers division of national action network. to his right, the honorable rosalind brock who cheers the board of the naacp. to her right, our friend and colleague, he's been to every measure the movement, the c.e.o. and president of national urban league, mark murial. to his right, the head of youth move, the youth department of national action network, which he runs out of our atlanta --

which she runs out of our atlanta office, mary pat hector. and to right is the one and only president and c.e.o. of the national coalition of black civic participation, melanie campbell. and to her right is the national executive director of national ction network, tamika mallory. ,o my left on our special panel and words cannot describe this lady and many of you saw her last niringt on politics nation, she is the widow of the co-pilot of the civil rights movement, ralph -- reverend ralph davis

abernathy, the one and only ms. juanita abernathy. dr. king called them his favorite -- called him his favorite preacher, the pastor emeritus of the baptist church in cleveland and one of the pre-emflent ministers of our history, the -- preeminent ministers of our history, the reverend otis marks jr. one of the leading figures of the civil rights movement who was in the trenches for the last 50 years, unparalleled in black history, honored to have everend c.t. goodyear.

and of course the the founder and president of the rainbow push coalition, reverend william augustus jones augustus junior and justice john scott and went on to found operation push, ran for president and has been a guiding force to all of us. our mentor and on this occasion , i put him on that side so he could, for just two hours, the the young man on the podium again. [applause] reverend jeffrey lewis jackson. [applause]

don't mess with me, i put you over here and your piano and again. mannd you'll be an old again. [laughter] .ou will age 40 years and one we will be joined momentarily by reverend joseph lowry who also appeared last night with ms. abernathy. , i wanttart by saying -- rosalinose loop and to me get to start. our legends that made today possible need to put in context for you watching all of the country that what we are in the midst of, if you don't have the right context, you will make the wrong analysis.

but alsoessed challenged. on the beginning of our , we had a video tribute from the president who is an african-american. the keynote speaker, the attorney general who is an african-american are. th did not happen by itself and it is not herman. they did not give mr. obama and the first lady the deed to the white house. they give them a four-year lease. [laughter] they will have to leave area and what will happen between now and then and what will happen after they are gone. we need to be guided by guys that help make that possible -- by those that helped make that possible. we need to use this window of

time properly. if we relax and act like the struggle is over, we will end up worse than it was before we started. [applause] would like each of you to take two minutes to tell us where you see where we are and where we are generally headed. i just want an overview from then i want to go to our legends. >> thank you very much. to the pastor of the church, great to be in uniform -- in this beautiful place this morning. [applause] reverend al sharpton, another big round of applause [applause] friendship andis my colleagues on the panel, i am the brother in the middle. and to the legends over on my

left and you're right. i want to join in saying thank you to all of them for their sacrifices and hard work to help us to where we are, which is standing on the shoulders. stay with me for a minute. i want to give you three numbers. we are 50 years after the march on washington. the letter from the jail, the untimely death of edgar enters, the and timely assassination of resident kennedy. the introduction of the first comprehensive civil rights bill in the congress, 1963. how far have we come? when it comes to high school attainment, they will release these numbers next week with the state of lack america we went from 25% of african-americans having a high school diploma in the 13.to 81% in

.or every -- 2013 for everyone that had a college degree in 1963, there are five who have college degrees in 2013. in 1963, the unemployment rate for black americans was 10%. in 2013, it is 13%. we have to understand that we have come a great distance and we should be proud. but there is so much unfinished business. i just want to let you know, quickly, over the last year, the national urban excerpt over 2.5 million people in 95 communities across the country. men andhe infantry women. we are the soldiers in the trenches trying to help it will find jobs. helping people turn themselves

for better work. running afterschool programs and helping people remain in their homes by avoiding foreclosure. we have done that work and we do that work and we are proud of that work. that work does not make headlines because you are saving a person one at a time. this year we are launching a new initiative called jocks rebuild america. in 30 communities across the nation, we will ask and job training, under ownership and we willool programs. launch an unprecedented new effort to try and help those who have then formerly incarcerated to find training and jobs. [applause] solutions that are out there. i am proud to be here today. i think reverend sharpton. i just want to say this in , i wantand yielding everyone to know that we have a firm commitment as this

generation's civil rights leaders to work together to set aside ego and rivalries. [applause] to set aside foolishness and games. and to work very hard and we have been convening ourselves together toward the counteroffensive -- comprehensive agenda in our community. i want to thank everyone who has an part of that. we will talk about that later read thank you, reverend sharpton, for having me this morning. [applause] naacp.r of >> thank you, reverend sharpton. i along with mark and privileged to be here today. i thank all of you for the opportunity. greetings on behalf of the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization, the naacp. [applause]

the house this morning and i am pleased to have the opportunity to share with you the work that we have been doing the the last 18 months and naacp is 104 years old. we are in our second century. our word -- borad,ard, has word to establish a strategic plan. a five-game gingers. ,e think these five elements when put together, form a mighty fist that can change the dynamics in american society. economic empowerment, health civiccriminal justice, engagement, and education. we are concerned about what is happening in our community. thes time to put aside bickering that is happened in our community. we need to work together in partnership because courage is

not skipping this generation. we are serious about the work of trying to enact the creation for the 14% of african-americans who are slipping in unemployment. that our young people who are not graduating from high school, not going to college. also as a healthcare activist, i am concerned about the plethora of african-americans who are dying disproportionately from hiv and aids. were its ownity country, we would rank extremes in theworld -- 16th world for the number of individuals who have hiv and aids. we need to do something about this pandemic that is imploding in our community. it is time for us to do that area gun violence is another issue that we have to do something about. my friends, when we think about that, we are often quick to raise up in our community when

we are the victim's of and violence by those police officers. when we turn the guns on each other, we still have to have that same outrage that same indignation because we are killing ourselves. [applause] in our second century, we are --mitted that we can expect can't expect anybody to do anything for us that we are not repaired to do for ourselves. [applause] that is one of types of forums are so important. we certainly thank and praise the leadership of dr. reverend al sharpton and those who are assembled here today. leading the clarion call for to workcan-americans together in unity. we have got to get it together. if we are going to make a change

in our community an. as vacant of the future, sharpton said don't just talk about it, be about it. that is a him -- theme. i brought some stuff i want to share with you in detail. it is not about rhetoric. , when he said in 2008 stood and was giving the closing benediction, when the first american of african descent became the highest elected official in the world, the leader of the free world. he said, and i quote, when will that meetme deeds both need scaffols? that's why we are here. [applause] hi i want to start off by thanking all of you who have participated in the 15th annual national convention. it has an great showing. our members of supporters have

in house. we thank you for being with us -- [applause] and of course, i always like to give props to reverend al sharpton for allowing some of us young folks to lead within the civil rights movement and do what we are passionate about. [applause] mark andheard from the challenges we're facing. . statistics of what is happening in our community area we understand that community of color and urban communities are on fire. we have been dealing specifically with voting rights over the last year, and we have seen that our people have belly answered the call to present, stand up and fight back against voter suppression. as we look at what is now happening in the courts with section five, where you need preclearance in your particular district in order to change

roles and regulations and see that the courts are listening to whether or not section five should the defendant, we know that is a dangerous situations or us. these laws will be changed in a way that we will be misrepresented and and therefore our chapters across the country have been fighting back against that. we have been organizing people to register voters and get whatever is necessary, if it is an id that they tell you you need, while we fight that law, you have to have the id. our chapters have gone out and organized in churches and areas across this country to ensure that our people are empowered with what is necessary to fight back against oppression and the walls of evil. we have done that. we saw in 2012 election, we stood on line, they would not be silenced, they got up, they with they needed to do and five. [applause] -- and fought back.

[applause] are stillstates that working on suppression. they decided that we may have been able to overcome in one election, but that does not mean they will not work on continuing to figure out how to disenfranchise our people. we canurt keyesff ofe ice and gp because we may feel that we election.- won one it means nothing. if they can take away our voting rights, they will start working on other rights that we currently possess. [applause] then we see that when you hear joblessness and our communities, very serious. it is truly causing some of the things that you see. gun violence in communities of color is off the chain. we saw what happened in newtown. that obviously was a tragedy that i would never, as a mother of a young boy, get a call that

my child had been sought or soon another child be shot. very serious. very sad. at the same time, newtown is happening on a summer night in communities of color all over this country, every day. [applause] though we push legislation federally and locally, what we we do about reform in our community? not just political reform, but intercommunity reform. how do we get our own to stand up and address this issue of gun violence? we have been doing that. our chapters, maureen from chicago is here, they have been organizing people on the ground in chicago to get our young in such asee fire dangerous situation they're in chicago. in new york, we started the occupy the corners initiative where this summer we stood on corners all over in the most dangerous places in the city,

and reverend sharpton was out there with us at night, alone :00 him at 12:00, 1:00 in the morning, we stood on corners to police our own and let them know that we care about their issues. [applause] , as i close, these issues, this issue of gun violence is not only about the gun. begun a serious. but the the issue is that communities are broken. ,ur young people are jobless under educated, they have mental health issues, serious issues that are taking place in our communities that are not being addressed. while we deal with legislation, we also have to stay on target with dealing with job creation. dealing with education equity and all of these issues. that is what national action network has been doing. we are going to continue to do that while we get the grassroots movement to continue to understand that the only way it will happen is if we work from within to change what is

without. [applause] >> voter rights, gun violence, employment training, opportunities. in the 1950's, when rosa parks sparked a movement in montgomery, it was your husband that stood in the meeting in montgomery and lead the dr. king to montgomery improvement association. you shared with us last night on television how, on the day that your homeone to form was bombed. you -- your home with one child and you were pregnant with another. you lived with daily threats for five second years --

consecutive years. people that our now sitting in high places, people of our community, do not take into account what you and others suffered that sponsored them to where they are. , whereith this audience people are shooting and killing each other, complaining about a voter id, what you and dr. abernathy and dr. king and mrs. king and your families had to personally go through to make it possible for us to walk through these doors. >> thank you, reverend sharpton. .- for the opportunity first of all, we have to understand where we have come from in order to understand where we are. [applause] there are so many of our young and even-- adults

older people who have no idea of how we arrived where we are today. our young people cannot be told because the parents don't know. [applause] it is notrents -- taught in our schools. the parents are not getting it, reverend, i'm, sorry, i have to say this -- [applause] but the church, the black church has always been the backbone of the black immunity. -- community. if it does not speak out against the ills in our society, where will it come from yucca -- from? we had the church in the movement. had it not and for the ministers of the black church,

there would not have been a civil rights movement. [applause] , large extent, that is one of the basic missing elements in our society today. the not being critical of clergy. i am just telling it like it is. [laughter] [applause] we have a lot of theologians who are coming out of our seminaries, enjoying the fruits and they are, being told and they are saying that everything, the only thing that needs to be preached from the pulpit is the gospel.

they don't need to hear anything about what is going on in our daily lives. what gotse to that is, her they represent a knack of -- representing? [applause] wasuse the god i serve concerned about the needs of all of his people. [applause] he fed the hungry, and he gave close to the naked -- clothes to the naked and he healed the sick. we have got to, and black america, come out of the public and into the community. [applause] he concerneds --

about this. nobody in the community is freer than the black pastor. his hands are not tied. well, they shouldn't pay, by corporate america. by corporatebe, america. [applause] and the powers of the city officials to his salary comes from parishioners. expect him orrs when theyak for them cannot think for themselves areas that is what the movement

was all about. that is why it was led by ministers. pastors. and weut ourives on the line for the lease of the because, people in corporate america could not stand up. we could afford to stand up, because our red -- bread and our housing came from the membership of our churches. we were supposed to stand up area. hadsend forth those who entrusted to become -- em member of our churches. the ministers stand, we need to be independent. beingso many clergy totally controlled by position.

-- they hold in the community. we as church members, we need to back them up. lift them up, encourage them, let them know that you are behind them. personswill have both and our communities representing god's people in the way that they should be represented. [applause] and our was bombed church was bombed the same night. 15 minutes after our house, the church was bombed. first baptist church was the oldest black baptist church in montgomery. 1865 during slavery. ,he building was built in 1890

as they loved the church much as they love to the lord. my husband did not want that church on. -- bombed. but the lord fixed it so they mbed it and the members had to understand that the lord is our shepherd and that building was just a representation and they built it back. [applause] we kept on moving. the church stayed together. ministers all over montgomery bonded together in support of the civil rights movement. that is how it started, and it spread all over the country. when they organized in 1957,

this country became civil rights sensitive are. churches and pastors allver america became concerned about what was going on in their communities. and decided that they, too, could do something. they became sensitive, for the first time, i think, since back in slavery, to what was happening right under their noses. we can get so concerned with what is going on where the gospel is concerned that we out in thehe sheep pasture. we don't always administer to them as we should. i say to you as church people, push the pastor up, support him that youhim to know

expect him to be a leader. once the clergy in this country come together, we won't have any more problems. [applause] washington knows that there is no power in the world like the church. it is an unbeatable force. that is why we were successful during the civil rights movement. we were church connected, search supported and church led. we need to go back to those days and pull ourselves forward areas all of these clergy i am the only- one who is not area. [laughter] is pastors and ministers who are here have laid their lives on the line.

they will continue to do it, because others will see the influence that they give. and that they have on the rest of us. and decide that i want to be like them. we are not where we need to be. we are still in the process. we are evolving. we are not going to get where we need to be until we decide that we are not where we need to be. we have opened a lot of doors and we think that we have arrived, but we are not there. the discrimination all over corporate america, there is still discrimination in our schools. as quietly as it is kept. you still go to school in your and yourood, neighborhood is always on the other side of the railroad track in every community in this

country. blacks on one side of the railroad track, white on the other are. watch it, look at your cities. see that railroad track. they are there. that is the separation of the community. when we go to school and our communities, our communities are all black for the most part . where we going to school? black schools and our communities. i am not saying what schools are better, but we are america. , red, black, white, brown yellow. why can't our schools be typical of the whole country? [applause] , we are educated together then they can discriminate and say, we would hire you if you were qualified. if you were educated beside that white girl or that white noise

-- boy, you got the same education. where is the difference what we need to do is reach over and understand that clean need to be totally integrated in this country -- understand that we need to be totally integrated in this country. [applause] >> the challenge to the black mega , you have seen

churches today, but we have not seen the connection to the movement. in our seen this week what is your message to the pastors of today as one who has been unparalleled our history as a leading minister? >> thank you, reverend sharpton, i am honored to be a part of this historic panel. let me commend you for the activist leadership that you are providing. [applause] about where we are in terms of then, now, and not yet.

i walkedrld that was, 12 miles per day one way to get to high school. there were prayer is all along the way, but there were also clan members on the highway. today our children and grandchildren have a choice between the automobile their father is driving and the automobile their mother is striving to get to their school. in between the school and the hallmark there is a danger of being shot. -- and a home there is a danger of being shot. that reality is the challenge. in this area where we meet this ofning, the necessity preaching the gospel on sunday and walking picket lines on monday.

that is the mission of the church. dr. king talked about the church meeting to be the headlights and not the tail lights. as a matter of fact, three of the great letters that dr. king toul's letter the american christians. they put dr.ge, king on in the middle of the afternoon at 3:00 on a panel discussion and he was listed to give the inspirational address. they assumed everybody would leave, but they did not anticipate that all of the delegates would stay and keep their seats and hold each other's seats. when the city crowd came, there

was not enough seats in the building at 3:00. gaver came -- dr. king this message on the challenge and responsibility of the church. that responsibility has not changed. no one bombed the first baptist church montgomery because they were simply preaching a praise gospel on sunday morning. they were bombed because they were involved in revolutionary change in the community. mrs. abernathy, that night when exploded, found her way in the debris in the darkness through the light and did not give up, but we dedicated herself.

here she is, one of those still remain and telling it like it is. it is the responsibility of the church in every generation to take the risk of being bombed for righteousness. it is the responsibility of the church to be a freedom house, a family house, a house of integrity. in my early days, six days a week, we recalled the n-word. on sunday morning, it was a brother, sister, president. the presidential notion started in the black church. president of the usher board, president of the board of up-

and-coming and the take care of me club. theology andtial sociology and political science caught fire. found in of this is the black church. relevant, but radical, revolutionary, loving, at uniting, affirming, and reassuring. that is the meaning, the purpose. we have to constantly take the responsibility of being pushed out of business in order to be worthy of being in business. , the church is, or

,hould be, the prophetic voice the base of the education. -- sitting there in calm demeanor, he said to the going to win. truth crushed to earth will rise again. we will win because carlyle was

right. lie can live for ever. ,ruth forever on the scaffold ron forever on the throne, yet that scaffold sways the future. because the to win bible is right. you reap what you sow. thee going to win because moral arm of the universe is long, but it bends towards justice. we're going to win. with all of the challenges and the unbelievable kinds of dangerous and disrespect, people have not yet learned how to save

president obama. it is the responsibility of the church to teach the community that jesus is the way, not the nra. we have to teach the community that jesus is the light, not the tea party right. jesus is the light. numbersdo this, untold will be inspi educated, and redeemed. a new freedom army must be produced from generation to generation. [applause]

>> many of us remember in when they fought in alabama to give us the right to vote, one man that lead people to the courthouse and was physically punched over and over by the sheriff. from 5 d -- from the fighting to the right for us to vote to were they have schemes undermine our right to vote, tell us how you view of these 50 years and the responsibilities

we have now to pick up and protect what you and dr. king and others fought to give us. >> [inaudible] the problem is how to do it now. ithave been talking about before we understand what was that it inspires us, what is now will change things. we cannot make any mistakes on not. all right? ofhave to look at the worst the problems we have and to our them. nobody is going to do it but us, but we are capable of doing it. we should not want anybody else to do it. for them to do it for us says we are who we used to be, not who we are now.

put it backg to together again. some verynto difficult problems, and money is one of them. at least three of us have decided we are coming back to make it because we owe it to martin king. [applause] it to martin king. one of the past presidents is coming back. bernard lafayette. that is terribly important. violence all non- over the nation. he is taking it all over the world.

he brought 19 people in from nigeria and kept them for two weeks. gone back to do some good work already. the point is, we are right when we said that we will win. we did not win before simply because we went to church or because week march. all -- wecause we were all of said, we wanted a better way to lift. before it martin ever moved to montgomery, we wanted something better, but we were getting exactly what the system was talking about. when we look at it, we almost forgotten why we made it over.

we were being killed every day in the south, all over the south. nothing changed, the laws were passed, but nothing changed in the south. our schools did not change like they did in kansas, nothing changed because we did not have the right strategy. what martin king brought was not just a matter of a new voice, but a new strategy, a new way to move. actionnon-violent direct that made this possible to win. we stood up because we had a strategy upon which we could stand up without being killed. all right? we almost forgotten that the strategy was there. that it ever existed. without it, we will not make it.

means we are not just to change black people or the black condition, we can all stand up in the streets and make our voices heard if we choose to do so. it was interesting dead every movement follow the african- american -- it was interesting that every movement followed the african-american movement. the african american movement was based on non-violent direct action. all of the people who wanted to act did not act because they were afraid to act. , it gavein gave us all helpless people a way to move that we all moved. we were all suffering and we all still will be suffering on until we believe that we really have a

method that will allow us to win. nobody wants to act, they want to win. we want to change the condition under which we live. that is the important thing. i was thinking about problems that we have, like education. a child is dropping out of school every 27 seconds. i did not say minutes, i said seconds. when we look at it, we love to see pictures and the magazines of young people with graduation hats on both in high school and college and it makes us feel good. the pictures are so pretty and there are so many of them. what is really happening, 40% of

us are dropping out of school. within a year and a half, they are in prison and we are not talking about that. clear we can not be a people if we are dropping out when other people are getting major educations and the sciences. when we look at china with 40 million people coming out of -- coming out with degrees in science and the united states is 18th in the world and we are at the bottom of that. right? the responsibility that we have is quite great, but quite important. as we walked down the street

then, we have to do the same kind of thing right now. [applause] in fact, if we take a million , we aren prisons alone not quite certain of that number, but everybody uses it -- we do not know whether it is small or large, but we know that too many of us are in prisons today. and are dying in prison they are not out here helping anybody exist. forare we creating a means them to really live. and then we say, why are they selling dope? they do not have a way to lift.

if week -- they do not have a way to live. if you do not change it, how did you change it becomes an issue? it is in the action bar we find out who we are. --is i the action where we find out who we are. you cannot do it talking. onwas so happy when i saw al tv. that is what we used to do on monday nights. we had a church on sunday and then we had a meeting on monday. that is what we got together as a community that is when we were thinking together so we could act together. that is when we heard the voices of those who would make a difference. that is where we learned what we liked and what we did not like and what we would do.

we would live and die on the basis of what we do. we will not live and die on the basis of what we say. we can hear him every night now, almost every night, we have to be on the road sometimes. the point is, he is taking that message and he has an immediate contact with the president of the united states. i am not just saying that because we are at his meeting. i said it's all the time. i told him a long time ago, i am glad we have something somebody can take the place of the monday night meetings. together andcome hear the words that we know are

backed up by the word, it is then we have a chance to win. will we look at those education figures, we cannot make it without it. will we look at the fact of what martin can dead, we cannot -- when we look at the fact of what martin king did, we cannot win simply because we use his name. we are willing to die for something. to dieare not willing for something, you are not fit to live for something. that is what martin said. [applause] is what it is really all about. we are a people that have had to die for nothing, so now that we have made it, let us die for something.

we have lived with out lots of money. we dol never make it if not use the money we have properly. organize? haveo we put what we behind meaningful programs? that is what changes things. hall will we work with each other to make -- we committed ourselves. we are remaking its because of martin. the thing is, we committed ourselves to understanding that the best thing we have done as 47ck people is to put

people in congress. .e got political power what are they doing? they are doing a lot more than it seems, but they will do a lot more when you seem like you are behind them and want them to do something. [applause] we have to see it in terms of our ability. be involved ind making everybody else are registered to vote. that is the thing that we have done so well. we did not win simply because it was nice. we won because it was necessary. make ourselves know that we cannot afford to lose anything we won.

we worked too hard to lose it. we do not have time to redo what we have already done. we have to go beyond it to something higher and better. so that we free our young people. hill is going to be -- who is gone to be our grandma? that is to kept our families together, that is to cast us religious, that is to kept us believing in god. better for you to be there than not to be there. point being, we must go to those

churches where we have a chance to move and act and those that do not want to act after church, forgets them. you do not need them. reason to understand the for going to church is to organize. lause] >> on thursday night, martin with 13 the third and the rest of us commemorated the 45th anniversary of his father's

assassination. april 3 in dr. king's last speech, we teach this in our leadership class. it was time to do with economic reciprocity and accountability. specifically about companies, operation breadbasket. during the movement that started in the south and north and urbanize did and expanded it. --opened political doris political doors. the downside that people did not he has had to,

preach while people stood in the audience with guns pointed at him. he ran for president with more threats than any candidate ever had. facing investigations of the nothing, just trying to make something up. he is still here. he is still with us. rev. jesse jackson. [applause] >> thank you. that was great, thank you. [laughter] let me alone.

to godto express thanks for allowing their family together today to engage in meaningful discussion, welection and projection, have faced too many locked doors and closed churches. do not take this pastor for granted. [applause] i really want to thank god for thisconnection between

family of panelists today and reverend sharpton because we must make something ideologically clear about the ring of authenticity that you .ear in reverend sharpton when your misses that are not the speak -- when you. mrs. abernathy speak, there is so something so genuine that you have to listen to the language and the message. remove not the ancient landmarks are mothers and fathers have set. thoseou separate from landmarks, you are dressed without a sense of historical connection -- adrift without a sense of historical connection. joshua helprpton --

to lead the wilderness movement, that was the joshua regeneration. this is the post-joshua generation. joshua came out of osmosis army. army.es post-joshua generation. joshua generation and the post-joshua generation. he stands between two of generations. am i making sense?

knew moses. this is the josh with generation. this is the post-joshua generation. that connectivity is important. i am a bit perplexed today as i listen to these challenging statements. a misstatement to keep referring to dr. king's name -- even he knew better. the i go to the airport, ground crew gets the plan up and

gives the plane down. reverend abernathy is my co- pilot. when i am asleep, my co-pilot flies for me. my last staff meeting before , i received ais call about midnight. martin wants to meet with us in the morning at 10:00 at ebenezer. dr. king could not make that call, he did not have the strength. dr. abernathy was our rock, she was our frame of reference. -- he was our frame of reference. i did not want to go to the

meeting, i was doing a program. doing what we do. to theber getting airport at 7:00, i missed my plane. atlanta. d us.bernathy convene ga perplexed am a bit about where we are today. i have had a migraine headache. i do not quite know what to do. . thought about quitting

maybe i have done as much as i could do. to.ave the right to go bym being attacked membership, by the press, i've been attacked by the white house. maybe i have done as much as i can do. books anding to write give lectures. -- i cannot stop. did not talk that way about quitting. if i fast and maybe to the point of death.

come to my bedside. we are going to memphis because have dreams.rs then we're going to washington. those three stages were the same. as he prayed, the disciples slapped. ept. was -- disciples slappe

today, dr. king, we may do been -- we may be moving to integration, but we may be integrating into a burning house. integrating into a burning house, this is not just about -- is about direction. would you rather have the all court or thisreme diverse court? this to reverse course -- this diverse court may undermine section 5. they may take away affirmative action.

it is a bit more complicated that is why i am a bit confused about this burning house. we live under the law. mrs. parks was a freedom fighter. she traveled the country. she was no pitiful lady. to challenge the supreme court decisions.

she was not a woman with tired feet. she was tired of being oppressed. she was a freedom fighter. [applause] i say that because if we buy -- this is not just a 50-year celebration. that would be a huge mistake. 246 years of slavery, headquartered on wall street, cotton picked in alabama, processed and sold in new york. new york,market was not mississippi and alabama and georgia. [applause]

the first state to abolish slavery was vermont. 246 years of slavery, abolition came 150 years ago. we have been slaves longer than we had been free. -- we haveen free come from taxes without representation. we have been free 48 years. we have gone from the back of the bus to the back of the white house. it is the wilderness years.

have a roless must to play. the harlem we once knew is on the way out. on wall street. they're putting this out of parliament. -- out of harlem. in detroit, the governor in sevend a czar cities to replace democratic elected mayors.

the power to end labor contracts. they took out democracy. in michigan do not have someone they can vote for on the local level. today, we are free, but not equal. we are number one in athletics. march madness, may sadness. but may sadness.

i am perplexed. we are free, but not equal. number one in infant mortality. number one in short life expectancy. number one and unemployment. number one in home foreclosures. and are closing schools hospitals and transportation. equal access for education for all of us. what does that mean? they could bond welt under good conditions.

well underld learn good conditions, but what about the rest of them? there are some calls today in gun rangesere are no in chicago. guns are manufactured in the suburbs. drugs come across the border. guns in combat drugs in, jobs out. homes taken. that is the urban policy for reconstruction. plans forthe reconstructing europe? at 2% government

secured. i close on this note. we have seen to adjusted, one thing worse than slavery is to adjust to it. in most southern states, the number of black in jail and is the number of the margin of the governor's campaign.

wall street companies own all of the prison telephone systems. $1.5 billion over prison telephones. a call coming from new york, he has a brother in jail in utah. it cost $15 a minute to receive the call. in chicago, they make money off of prison telephone calls. jail is a hotel. is a housing complex for them. i am perplexed because i think lse sense.fault

i think we are on a rudderless boat. there is a game when the jets played the cleveland browns. would keephe jets the ball and make a field goal. the jets got 3 yards, but they lost the ball. cleveland gets the ball and they could run the clock out. -- theveland browns referee blew the whistle. you cannot take your helmet off before the game is over. the jets kept the ball and kicked a field goal and won the game. you cannot shout before the game is over. [applause]

>> rev. jesse jackson. melanie campbell, you has been in the trenches. our legend.rd from we want to hear from you. >> [inaudible] i thought you were my friend. until just now. how do you come behind that? how do come behind that? reverend, thank you. forgiving as a teaching moment. for giving us a history lesson in real time.

, our elders, who have not left the battlefield. that we challenged us need more prophetic voices, the faith stand with leaders, to stand with the civil rights leaders. i want the sisters to stand up for a moment. [applause] to askst thing i want you, are you ready for the fight? brothers, stand up. are you ready to stand with the sisters in leadership?

are you ready for the fight? .isters and brothers, stand up we know what we need to do. us, theyael, all of told us what we need to do. have lifted are present -- we selected our president for a second term. crazy, so there. sisters to do not mind speaking up and challenging. down, i am so sorry. i used to be married to a baptist preacher.

we left a couple of weeks ago, women of power summits. not turnen, if we do out, the black vote is not there. what we did last year, we connected with the brothers. when they talked about the voter i.d. laws, it was our brothers that would be mostly impacted. we partnered up -- i remember last year. martin's parents here. part of the movement was that you took that fight, you ticket to the streets. -- you took it to the streets. we have to take it to the streets. [applause]

the tea party game that is going on, they are talking about austerity. and look goodck up. they are talking about sequestration. about cuttingng this budget on the backs of poor ours, on the backs of children's future. it is time for us to rise up and fight. give the president some push back. he cannot do it by himself. we want to see some more black folks appointed. now is the time for us to stand up. they are still fighting.

trying to take it from words to deeds. it means nothing if this room does not multiplied in the streets now. [applause] >> we have about 45 minutes left. we're going to hear from the last two. i want to hear a plan from mark and roslyn. then i will do the last 30 minutes with some of you in the audience. obviously, not all of you. it is a question, not a statement, not a sermon. a question.

want the guardians to get to the microphones. do not move yet, but i want the guardians to get there. i know somebody is going to act sit you want people to down. i'd come out of the acting up tried. -- tribe. oldg lady who is 15 years heads are used department nationally. -- youth department nationally. she called me on my radio show when she was 9. chapters all over the country. [applause]

before you speak, we are joined by the dean of the civil rights movement. [applause] >> a lot of people can see why i have women like fact in my life.

working on is the violence in the community and the guns. this is an issue that is not just affecting us as a people, but affecting people from all different colors and cultures. we need to let people understand. a stray bullet does not have the name or new hampshire. -- or an age. it affects generations pontifex family is. -- it affects generations and its affect families. we have worked with organizations such as black getting people, registered to vote. we did adopt schools to educate

our young people in high schools and colleges on the candidates running for president. and other elections going on in the city of the atlanta. this is something that does affect you and it is important. there was no excuses, we had vans and we have cars taking people to the polls. national action network is also working on education, we have talked -- we're working on them -- working with them on education. jesse jackson was just talking about the school closings. what is the plan? help with that plan? what can we do because we understand that it is the youth who were the foot soldiers. thats the young people

died in riots. all lot of people in the news said we are not ready, but that is not true. we need to encourage them and motivate them because we are ready. that is all i have to say, reverend sharpton. [applause] >> no one can address where we are today in the black church and where we need to move forward than our own head of our ministers division. >> thank you. thank you. by what iy humbled have listened to and heard and

was said by melanie, this was a teachable moment. something's got to happen more frequently in our community but we said at the feet of those who have endured and survived. i was sitting listening to mrs. abernathy, who set me on fire. the issuesespond to post-ised about this joshua generation. i once read somewhere that the nation that makes a distinction between its scholars and its warriors will have cowards that make laws and fools to fight wars. churches, when we make distinctions between pastors and

warriors, we will have preachers who can be purchased. preaching that has no power. one of the things is that martin , a newought strategy strategy. part of the issue is that much of the possibilities for new strategy have been minimized in this particular generation, my generation, because there is a lack of prophetic imagination that ignites the possibilities of social transformation. part of the reason there is a lack of prophetic imagination is because for many clergy in my generation, there is a dysfunctional preoccupation with the trappings of success.

and not really with the idea of edifying the institution that has undergirded so much of the community. wanting affirmation from the structures that reinforce oppression. [applause]there is no way that you can be part of any justice struggle when you are seeking validation from those who maintain the system that schools,poverty, poor prison industrial complex. if you look for validation in the structures you will always be one thing and in need of some real deliverance, i think. in many ways. but the lack of prophetic imagination has to do in our current generation with regard to the church because of a few things. there has been the

abolition of the passion for the possible. in other words, we have lost hope. when you hear reverend moss and ms. abernathy and reverend vivian and reverend jackson speak, the only thing that enabled them to endure was a hope that transcended the reality of what they were dealing with and a belief in what was possible in spite of the affliction they suffered. [applause] when you lose a passion, when you lose a passion for what is possible you resign yourself to being manipulated by forces that do not have your best interest in mind. [applause] secondly, i think there has to be an undying commitment that ignites the creative forces in our community. one reason why we seem helpless in our communities and our churches to confront many of the current crises we face is because there is a lack of creativity. you have to be able to set yourself in this current

cultural context and develop strategies that speak to the moment. not just to ideas that really are reduced to soundbites, but creative ideas that are collaboration. part of the problem is we are so territorial and we are so gets topwith who billing on the program that we have forgotten about how to come together and collaborate and in the midst of collaboration we lack something that was done in this generation, which is to mobilize, which has almost become a curse word in our culture, and two, they believed in what they were doing. last, and i say this all the time, a deep hunger for healing that goes beyond building a church. you see, because part of the issue is we are so focused on

our ecclesiastical development and making sure that our .hurches have a location i want to make a distinction because of the distinction between location and presence. many churches are located but have no presence, which means they are not really having the kind of impact a community that lends itself to transcendent possibilities to counter the cultural insanity we see every day. the only way that will happen is if our churches begin to collaborate, the collaboration cannot be a vent-oriented -- i have heard you say that, reverend sharpton. it cannot be a vent---event- oriented, because that means your goal is soundbites and media hits and flashing cameras.

when you transcend advance -- events and really have in mind coming together for sustained engagement, you need to hear that, sustained engagement, because many people will show up for the one rally but never show up the next day for the groundwork it takes to really participate in the transformative work in our community. [applause] for those oftly, my colleagues who do this, one of the classic definitions of preaching is it his truth through personality. the truth of the gospels through the personality of the proclaimer. the problem is the proclaimer's have always been flawed. that is what makes the gospel so powerful. but we have not been dysfunctionally flawed in the past. that means that the flaws have now become insecurities that minimize the opportunity or us to participate in the kind of work that will help transform our community. in other words, our insecurities

become excuses for us putting our hands to the plow and not looking back. thank you. [applause] we are going to take two minutes, and i mean two minutes them to give us three points the organization will work on and commit to in this year coming, then we will go to the audience. but before we do that there is a passage in the bible, reverend -- senthere moses said caleb out to survey the promised land.

when the crew came back most of them said that we cannot take the land. and he said, why? they said, because we saw those that inhabited the land and to us they seemed as giants and we seemed as grasshoppers. , and the not giants israelites were not grasshoppers. but that is how they seems to be. but there was the objection by caleb and his young associate joshua who said, no, we can take the land. years later, when joshua had taken the land he looks back at caleb, who was now an old man, and said to caleb, at 84 years old, you believed and you saw that we could come here.

where do you want to lay? and the planes? caleb said, give me the mountains. why? because the same young caleb that believed in the promised land did not want an easy way out once he got to the promised land. when weat in real life stood there in january of 2009 and president-elect barack obama called on the caleb of the movement to have the last word in his inauguration, the man that believed it in his youth and lives to cs approach -- us approach the mountaintop, reverend joseph lowery. [applause]

>> thank you. thank you very much. i do not know what to say. [laughter] comes from i say another source. let me say all, this. al sharpton has brought a new dimension to the movement. [applause] one of the problems we had all through the movement was getting the word out. communication. is doing the

communicating. i turn on the 6:00 news and i expect to hear them say what we done. [applause] and i have to give credit for that. to do theasked me benediction at the inauguration some of my friends called and said, we want you to do the invitation. -- invocation. but i said, it is not your call. [laughter] the president wants me to do the

benediction. it is all right with me. i will have the last word. [laughter][applause] nothing came after me but the "star-spangled banner." i have never liked "the star- spangled banner." talking about bombs bursting in air, that kind of thing. even "the star-spangled banner" sounded good to me. [applause] the president called may before the inauguration and said, he called me on my cell phone. he had some kind of funny cell phone and i called him back on

it and he answered and i said, i want to speak to the man who is going to be the 44th president of the united states. and he said, that would be me. i want to ask you, will you do the benediction at the inauguration? and i said, let me check my calendar. [laughter] i am not just sitting around here waiting on you to call me. jesse,been in touch with and we got things to do. then i thought he might take me seriously. but i checked the calendar, and

i'm clear. when youody told me, get up on the steps of the capitol and look down at the mall, you can see the lincoln memorial on one hand and the washington monument on the other. on the steps of the lincoln 40-rial is a place where some years ago a young baptist and calledood there america to a new level of spirituality. you wallowing in

the dust and dirt of race and color. i want you to come up to higher ground. to, whatu to come up did he say? when you get my -age, two things happen to you. one, you forget things. and two, two, two -- [laughter] [applause] when you get up there you will see the lincoln memorial and you see the washington monument.

and when i got up there and they called on me to give the benediction, i felt pretty good. i had never been up there before. and i looked to see if i could see the lincoln memorial and the washington monument. at that time my eyes were about 88 years old. i am 91 now. if i lived to october. [applause] if i live to october i will be 92. so i could not make out the monument and the lincoln memorial, but i heard as i stood, i heard the voice of a young baptist preacher summoning

out of the lowp to the of race and color higher ground of content of character. i was standing on the capitol steps where just a few years before i stood before george wallace with a petition of the montgomery march. he slammed the door in our face. but god opened another door. and he had a young man walk-in who i heard -- martin's voice andng, deal with character

not color. .eal with integrity, not race when we come here today, god is calling us. i am so proud of what you are doing. i do not know if i will ever be back here again. it will know how long i amut whatever time it is ready. [applause] -- i have thought i am not fearing any man. i have seen the glory. i tell you -- sit down, i am not through.

[laughter] [applause] when you get 91 you can take some. you cannot say you will not invite me next time because i might be in heaven. , toi, i am proud to be here the thing they, want from us is for us not to be together. that there learned is no sense in turning on each other. we have to turn to each other.

and i thank you, brother al, for what you are doing. . just want one final thing we have got to understand that god is sending us a message. what clearer herege god consigned then is a girl who had been in the long enough -- and yet he was running for president. do a said, you did not hell of a lot to help me. i said, i did all i could. to paveed you to run the way.

[applause] it was not time for you to win. you are not ready. -- were not ready. but god had a man waiting. and he called this young man. i told sharpton, i want to support him. sharpton said he had not made his mind up yet. i said, my mind is made up. god has a plan. -- ittrying to send us is time for us to get together. what better messenger than the

president of the united states? be white, you want be greek, you want be a italian, you want be german. hewill be one of us -- won't be italian,, he won't be german. he will be one of us. some of us do not want to believe that. sent me a message. get out there. . am serious about this negro [laughter] i went to selma -- he made a speech about, what was it? the joshua generation. he looks back at me and john lewis and said, you while are the moses -- you all are the moses generation. you have done a good job.

but we are the joshua generation. and our job is to complete the task that you and others started. we are going to complete the task. and i said to myself, that is my candidate right there. [applause] it is clear. yeah, cornell west. he is a good boy. that god to understand moves in mysterious ways.

and he picked this young man to pull him up there. after we left selma. i will take this and i will be through. i went on a college campus and met with the students and the faculty. they would always ask me questions. i would ask them questions -- what do you all see in obama? you know what the white women said? he is sexy. sexy. john lewis and they went down,

and i walked up here and i said, i want to ask you a question. he said, do you think barack is sexy? and i listened very carefully to the answer. [laughter] and she said, no comment. [laughter] i am coming home now, al. i will not be here next year. but i want you to hear, god is sending us a message. what better message can he send us than to put a man in charge

all the white fellows, they take orders from barack. be evert think i would able to see it, but i'm glad i did. i'm glad i did. god, this is a new day for us. we have no business acting like we used to. negro. calling for a new thattch the new leadership he has given the world. but the know about you, leader of the free world is a black man. [applause]

if that does not make you become a new person, something is wrong with you. if you are still acting like you used to act when you have a new leader of the free world, something is wrong with you. you have got to stop turning on each other and turned to each other. -- findingt to stop fault with each other. alhave got to stop thinking versus,esse versus otis what is that boys name?

we do not have time to be against each other. god is expecting us to follow the new leadership. and i know he cannot do everything at one time. my god. what cornell and, what's that other boys name -- boy's name? anyway -- don't waste your time

fighting them. we have got to turn to the agenda. measure our movement in terms of how we respond to the new leadership. god cannot reach us through a black president, what in the hell will it take? [applause] what do you need? what do you want? my god, what else can we have then a new black president? and not only did he get elected , he got reelected.

[applause] they wanted to call the first time a fluke. but the second time, wasn't no fluke, baby. reelected. god bless you, al sharpton. bless you for what you are doing. god had to make a new preacher out of you until you looks different. -- until you looked different. [applause] ira member -- i remember when you were on msnbc. that was in the same negro i

remembered. it is a new day. it must be a new negro. i am coming. her walking loud, talking out. -- talking proud. getve come to save you -- out and turned this new negro l oose. get up and turn this new black president loose. -- up [applause] let me tell you, martin said, i am not fearing any man. am not hating any man.

i ain't got time to be against you, jesse. to worry aboute whether or not you will pay me. we me $2200.00 -- o yeah, i remember. otis? god bless you. raise hell as much as anybody i have ever known, but i love you. i love you. you cannot keep up with me. ,ut we come toward a new day and god is calling us today to put our hearts and minds together. and helped change america.

god bless you. you pray for me and i'll pray for you. thank you. [applause] >> we have to wrap this up. three fromt's hear each organization and we will do 10 minutes. let's start with that boy from the urban league. >> reverend joseph lowery, you

raised the house. i thought that would be the last word. but let's big reverend lowery a big hand. [applause] because i could listen to him and his legends all day long. so, very quickly, we have heard history. we have been inspired. and i just want to take a minute and talk to you about a plan. januaryecember and in reverend sharpton along with ourlf and melanie and colleague from the naacp, we convened 50-60 liters of african-american organizations. wemet with the idea that would be remiss in our responsibilities in 2013 if we

did not try to find common ground around a plan to move our community forward. not just a vision, not just inspiration, not just tactics, a plan.a plan -- indeed five areas is what we decided .ould be our priority economics, inequality, justice, poverty, and jobs. number two, educational equality. number three, healthcare disparities. number four, the criminal justice system and violence in our community. and number five, voting rights. we are working together on a draft plan that we hope to have before august 28 of this year. but in the short run i want to give you four things that president obama has proposed that can help move our agenda

forward. number one is the american jobs act, which the president re- proposed at his state of the union address. number two is the promised neighborhood concept, which the president also proposed and will be incorporated into his budget that will be released on wednesday of this coming week. number three is the concept of early childhood education for all of our children. [applause] notwe expect it will be only an idea but also a way to finance it in the president's budget. number four is this idea that we need gun safety legislation and we need it now. [applause] and we have to confront the obstructionist. the last thing i want to share, because time is short, is that this coming week the national urban league will release its 2013 state of black america report. i want you to write down the website, nul.org.

you will be able to read the report for free online beginning this week. if you want to purchase a copy you will have to buy it but we will allow people to read it online in total. has to beoday informed by a clear sense of where we are. it is absolutely incorrect to say that we have made no progress. it would be disrespectful to the legacy of martin luther king, whitney young, john lewis, and all of those who led the march on washington to suggest that we have come no distance. it is also patently incorrect to suggest that we have arrived, that this is somehow a post- racial nation, that somehow because we have changed the occupancy of the white house that somehow that means that the work we must do is no longer relevant. so i encourage you to recognize

that we are going to not just have a commemoration or celebration on august 28, we ,ill have a plan of action some notions and ideas that we will take from public policy recommendations that can take our community forward. we will have to be inspired, and you have heard the challenge issued to those who served in the pulpit to be much more focused on presence. i want to issue a challenge to those who have been elected. i spent 10 years as an elected official, mayor of my own hometown and a member of our state legislation body and senate. it is also time for those who we elect all across the nation to recognize that things -- they would not be there but for selma and the voting rights act.

therefore, they owe an obligation to be vocal and constructive and not to be caught in the trappings of power. the vestments of power. so with that, thank you. >> we heard four hithings. i want to reckon that reverend he has to fly- back and leave us early but today would not have been complete without him here. reverend jesse jackson. [applause] >> thank you. to reverendch sharpton for convening us. give me a big hand -- give him a big hand, won't you please? on your feet for reverend sharpton. [applause]

thank godot help but so much again. it means so much to have this life. another big hand for reverend joseph lowery. [applause] in closing, i really must run our freedom allies may not be our quality allies. freedom is the end of indecency and barbarity. the gap is not so much between black and white but have and have not. but when you look at reverend lowery and mrs. abernathy and reverend vivian, there is a new staff today. from virginia to texas, you could not have the atlanta falcons and the carolina panthers had we not one.

.- won you could not have the olympics in atlanta. are free butus, we not equal. how many of you have a relative, u ws somebody who is facing home foreclosure? raise your hand. church foreclosure? student loan debt? somebody in credit card debt, stand. .omebody looking for a job the reason i ask those questions is we need now a targeted economic development plan. and i'm convinced reverend we need ton

build an urban infrastructure bank that we might rebuild what we have lost and make it happen. this president should be on mount rushmore. our struggle is to making the what he should be. god bless you. thank you so much. [applause] >> reverend jackson. we heard specifics going forward into the action plan. august 28, naacp plan. the chair lady. >> thank you, reverend sharpton. we are partners in that. but as you know, you also have to do something in your own house. at the naacp we have developed

a five game changers. very quickly, as i travel around the country are always asking the question, what is the naacp doing and what has it done for me lately? i am here to say that the association is alive and well. once we have heard all this history, now the work begins. so i brought some resource materials with me and i have ourin being -- marvin bing, regional director, here for any additional information. but last year we published reclaiming our world leadership. this is not just talking about the problems. we are putting solutions .orward around redistricting we have information on that for you. the naacp economic opportunity diversity report for the hotel industry. it tells you where you are putting your money, who is giving money back to the community.

we have this for you. this,o released incarceration and under educating our children. this is for you to have here in the state of new york. we are talking about strengthening public education in our nation. there is a new phenomenon going around the country about environmental justice and climate change. yes, it impacts communities of color. have notar too long we been engaged in this conversation. that is why the naacp produced this -- putting profits before people. this is talking about coal power plants in urban communities that are killing our people. our state conference president in connecticut was challenging hartford, connecticut, a coal power plant. what are you doing to make sure that these omissions are not killing our neighbors?

the criminal justice system. disproportionately, african- american men and young women are prisonarehoused in our system. the naacp has worked diligently in two states, in connecticut and just recently in the state of maryland, to eliminate the death penalty. [applause] we are pleased that in the last election the association, working with its technology, registered almost 500,000 new voters to go to the polls. we have a voter empowerment training workforce that we can put out and help you. because we still have to go to the polls. it is not every four years. we need to go back for the midterm election. to save the day. i started out talking about healthcare. i am a health care advocate.

the black church and hiv and aids, the social justice imperative. -- aidsk church, aids is knocking at our doors. and it is asking the question, who touched me? there has to be a prophetic word from the pulpit in response to this phenomenon. who touched me? the church must respond. also, to many of us are sick and tired of being sick and tired but we are sick and tired because we are carrying a lot of weight. obesity. the naacp and childhood obesity. we have an advocacy manual we have put out for your youth to deal with your young people. boystoo many of our young are being stopped on the highways and byways of this country not knowing what to do when they are stopped by the 5- 0. , the 411 onmphlet

the 5-0. you want to know what the naacp is doing? we are alive and well. , asks the melanie sisters and brothers to stand. those of you, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the march on washington, how many of you here by show of hands are under the age of 50? raise your hand. raise your hand. ,his post-joshua generation now is the time for us to stand up and be counted. i was born in may 1965. in fort pierce, florida, right down the street from my sister. i did not have the opportunity to march with martin in the south or protest with malcolm in the north. but i believe i have an inherent responsibility as i lead the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization to give something back to our nation. [applause]

so we are calling on this joshua generation to stand up and be counted because, as i always say, courage cannot skip this generation. too many people die to allow us to be in these positions. reverend sharpton, as i conclude my comments, what i want to say to the family who is assembled here and those who may be listening, it is time for us, as we think about that internal flame that is burning in front of the crypt of dr. martin luther king junior in atlanta, georgia, we have to pass the torch. do not bury the flame. [applause] it is time now for us to pass the torch. .o not bury the flame peace and power. from the national action

network. >> people are always asking me, what should i do, how do i get involved? you have heard a lot of information today and there is a lot of stuff folks can do. but i do not want people walking away thinking you have to conquer the entire civil rights movement. there are people in your own house were not registered to vote, in your own family, in your own town. those are the people you need to be focused on. because if you can get those people and i can get some folks and she can get some folks then we all do our part. we can make a difference. local districts, local mobilization is the most important part of what we are talking about today. ensuring that your own network are engaged and they know what it is they need to be doing.

there are governors races coming up in 2013 that people need to know, they have to go out and vote. the midterm elections in 2014, you can still register people right now so that they can vote in those midterm elections. there is a lot of stuff that happens federally, a lot of stuff that happens on the national level, but it is coming down into the local districts that we must implement and push people to do what is necessary for our community. was 39 years old when he died. so my call to the young adults who are in this room, those who are watching, brothers and sisters i work with allover, what will the history books say about our contribution to the issues that matter in our time? it is our job to stand up and do what we heard others talk about today. they did it with less. we have more, but we are not doing enough. it is our time, our generation,

and our moment is now. have a rap song we all love, and it goes a little like this -- "started .rom the bottom, now we heare is started from the bottom, now my whole families here." we started from the bottom. when four little girls were bombed in birmingham. ,ow we claim we are on the top a four-year-old baby can get shot in the bronx in the park by our youth. so well we think we have done so .uch, we have so far to go and the only way we can get there is at least. being stopds,. being lazy, locking our doors and ignoring the problems of our community. nobody cares about our children -- the question is, do you care, do we care about our four-year- old babies? if we say that we do then we

ast get our hands dirty, get little scratched up, and get out there. believe me, the national action network is there. [captions copyright nationalcable satellite corp. 2013] [applause] >> i want to thank for people really fast. 1, 2, 3, 4. that is it. let's go. >> i direct my question to ms. campbell. what are some of the things that we the people can do on the ground in the coming days to pressure the justice department and other institutional authorities to combat the governor of michigan's actions in disabling the democratically elected officials? >> good question. >> let me say this.

one of the things we need to do on whation is to focus is going on with this budget on capitol hill. and is going on right now is going to have catastrophic impact. we really need to be pushing back on that. when it comes to what is going on with the labor movement, i was in that session today, a awesome, powerful session. we know that when they attack voting rights they also attack workers rights and attack women's rights. we know we cannot change the governorship today in michigan but that ought to be on our agenda. we need to also -- we know what is happening in our inner cities as well with the takeovers. we need to look at what is going on. the governors races in new jersey and virginia, if you -- you have races going on in detroit. we need to get to michigan very soon. we know what happens. we were excited about november and then you look around -- the

enemies never sleep. so we can't either. you have to keep moving on and organizing. >> another direct part of that is the federal lost and found, including the detroit chapter. we need to get the federal courts to enjoy and the governor -- enjoin the governor from the emergency takeover. we need to support that suit. >> in the spirit of queen mother we deal with wall street? .f a os -- they owe us >> anyone want to take that? i do not necessarily know what strategy for reparations, but the question would always be, what would reparations -- where would reparations go and who, how do you develop the capacity to handle what could

possibly even be given? one of the issues that makes that almost implausible is because sometimes a lack of mobilizing and galvanizing that takes place in our community, not only can it talk about reparations but also strategies and programs that can help, that participate in transforming our community. if you get money with no plan and no program it means nothing at the end of the day. we have to develop opportunities and mechanisms of strategies that can be effective even if preparations do not come at the end of the day. >> i think we have always acknowledged the spirit -- whatever way that we deal with reparations we are owed. if you take something from me, even if i never give it back i will never let you forget it. you took it and you only -- owe me. this is number three. i am only doing four. >> two issues that we dealt

with, new jersey is the creation -- prison industrial complex. we still have in new jersey the highest african-american rate of prison incarceration. it was as high as 63%. in terms ofece is violence, where camden city has suffered 67 murders, the highest it has ever been. new york isn't -- newark is no better. ,ow can we collectively because there is a collective problem in terms of leadership, how can we collectively begin to start bringing us together? i wish we had seen more of that. the christian churches and your other various organizations together to deal with this dynamic issue. >> the only thing i want to say is we talked about coming together around agenda but we

are also working together in -- we know we need to be organized together in new jersey and virginia and some of these local key races in 2013. that is a right now moment to impact what you are talking about. we need to be there together and showing that you do not need to wait until midterm elections or presidential elections. these elections in 2013 are critical. i think also we need to do a multi-city tour together like the unity tour and use new jersey as the model. you can set that up and get that to us. we will be ready to do that. [captions copyright nationalcable satellite corp. 2013][applause] if you are a member of the press, let another person -- the press should not ask questions on c-span. you are going to get an interview, so you will get --

that is not fair to the audience. go ahead. -- thent to talk about question is this. >> you said you wanted to talk. >> we have seen knock come and and we have martin seen a larger and mohammed dialogue. why can't your organization get with the muslim movement because it is a universal thing? why can't we all sit down and come to some understanding where we can fight this battle together? >> the answer to that is that we .ave and will continue to when we did the million man march we get it together. wait a minute. >> you asked a question. we are all sitting down with each other and do what is strategically necessary together.

there is no division between any of us. thenat is your question, you need to join either them or us. thank you. 1:30 is the telecommunication opportunity workshop back at the convention site and then the youth panel. tonight is the fashion show. you for hosting this historic gathering. nowhere have i seen in generations of black leadership come together like this. you witnessed it today. see the four points they laid out for the black agenda. let me thank you reverend joseph ,owery, reverend vivian

reverend jesse jackson, and certainly the one who i think needs to be raised up, we talk about dr. king but there would not have been dr. king without dr. abernathy. [applause]thank you, and god bless you. [captioning performed bynational captioning institute][captions copyright nationalcable satellite corp. 2013] >> next, a look at the life and legacy of former british prime minister margaret thatcher. after that, the dedication ceremony to honor gave zimmerman, who was killed in the tucson shootings in 2011. then, weekly addresses with president obama and south carolina senator tim scott.

>> on "newsmakers," congressman luis gutierrez, a member of the subcommittee on immigration and border security and chairman of the hispanic caucus immigration task force. he talks about efforts to make an immigration bill in the house. sunday at 10:00 a.m. and 6 p.m. eastern on c-span. >> over the last, certainly over the last four years i am worried about this administration. it is part of a long-term trend i outlined in the book. it is using more and more state power to impose a particular worldview, a worldview i call liberalism and -- we will go to the definition of that. as a christian i am worried when the state hhs agency wants to mandate that catholic institutions and catholics have to pay for aboard fastens --

abortifacients in their insurance program, and i'm worried when the supreme court takes up gay marriage. i'm worried about things i see universities. i see more and more the state imposing a particular kind of agenda. it is really a worldview. this is bigger than politics. bigger than republicans and democrats. it is a particular worldview, and that is what i'm investigating. ash onauthor of afterwards. sunday night at 9:00, part of book tv this evening on c-span 2. >> now, a discussion on the life and legacy of former british prime minister margaret thatcher. this is 40 minutes. >> taking a look at margaret thatcher and her legacy.