captioning sponsored by wnet >> sreenivasan: on this edition for sunday, may 9: the u.s. aims to get more shots in arms as covid-19 vaccinations plateau. the death toll rises after a bombing outside a school in afghanistan. and in our signature segment, highlighting the legacy of an overlooked black community in richmond, virginia. next on “pbs newshour weekend.” >> pbs newshour weekend is made possible by: sue and edgar wachenheim iii. the anderson family fund. bernard and denise schwartz. the cheryl and philip milstein family. thsylvia a. and simon b.

barbara hope zuckerberg. the leonard and norma klorfine foundation. the peter g. peterson and joan ganz cooney fund. the estate of worthington mayo- smith. we try to live in the moment, to not miss what's right in front of us. at mutual of america, we believe taking care of tomorro can help you make the most of today. mutual of america financial group, retirement services and investments. >> for 25 years, consumer cellular has been offering no-contract wireless plans, designed to he people do more of what they like. our u.s.-based customer service team can help find a plan that fits you. to learn more, visit www.consumercellular.tv. additional support has been provided by: and by the corporation for public broadcasting, a pvate corporation funded by the american people. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like

you. thank you. >> sreenivasan: good evening and thank you for joining us. the united states aims to have 70% of adults receive at least one dose of a covid-19 vaccine by the 4th of july. that number is now at 57.7%. just under two million doses are being administered on average every day. that's down from an average of more than three million per day a month ago. more than 57% of adults in the united states have received at least one shot, and 43% have been fully vaccinated. the biden administration's coronavirus response coordinator said today the u.s. is “turning the corner.” >> we're at 58% today, so we've got a path ahead of us, which will involve getting people even easier access to the vaccine, making sure that people build their confidence, those who have questions about the vaccine, that we answer their questions, and making sure that we do what we've done from the beginning, which is do this in a fair and equitable way. >> sreenivasan: new covid cases in the u.s. are steadily declining and deaths from the

disease are also down significantly as the vaccination rate increases. globally the virus is still surging. there have been more than 157 million cases of covid-19 and three million deaths. india marked a fourth consecutive day of 400,000+ new cases. more than 4,000 people died in the past 24 hours. while there is no national lockdown, several states have imposed restrictions, and the northern state of uttar pradesh and the city of new delhi extended lockdowns and curfews until may 17. israeli police and palestinians clashed again last night in jerusalem during protests that began over jewish settlers' attempts to evict dozens of palestinians from an east jerusalem neighborhood. demonstrators threw rocks and water bottles at police, who responded with stun grenades and a water cannon. painian medics said that 64 protesters were wounded and 11 were hospitalized. israel's supreme court was

scheduled to issue a ruling on the east jerusalem eviction dispute tomorrow, but postponed it citing the current "circumstances.” last night was the holiest night of ramadan, and tens of thousands of muslim worshippers gathered to pray at the al-aqsa mosque. prayers at the mosque, islam's third-holiest site, were held peacefully. but early this morning, palestinian militants in the gaza strip fired a rocket at southern israel which fell in an open area. in response, israeli aircraft struck a hamas military post. no casualties were reported in either attack. scotland's national party won control of parliament in final vote tallies yesterday, and the party's leader said she will push for a second referendum on independence. nicola sturgeon, scotland's first minister, said the election results show independence from the united kingdom is “e will of the country.” >> i support independence. the u.k. government oppose independence. that's legitimate. but the only people who have the right to decide that questn are the people of scotland. and the way to do that is in a referendum. >> sreenivasan: scotland, wales,

england and northern ireland make up the united kingdom. in the first independence referendum in 2014, scots voted to remain part of the u.k. by 55% to 45%. in a letter today, british prime minister boris johnson invited leaders of all the governments to come to london for talks. the u.s. navy says it seized a ship carrying thousands of assault weapons, including machine guns and rocket- propelled grenade launchers, in the arabian sea. the "u.s.s. monterey" intercepted a stateless vessel as part of an going mission. sailors discovered a huge cache of weapons which included almost 3,000 chinese-made assault rifles and dozens of russian- manufactured anti-tank guided missiles. an unnamed u.s. official told the associated press the ship originally came fr iran and may have been delivering the weapons to houthi rebels in yemen. iranian officials did not respond. iran has died providing the houthis with weapons in the past. yemen's civil war, which began

in 2014, has long been seen as a proxy struggle between iran and saudi arabia, which backs the yemeni government. today's weapon seizure is the latest of several which occurred in the arabian sea over the past five years. the suspense over where a giant chinese rocket would break up and fall to earth ended very early this morning. china's space agency reported that parts of its long march 5-b rocket landed in the indian ocean near the maldives. the agency said most of the rocket's debris burned up during reentry to the atmosphere. the uncontrolled debris from the rocket was seen in the night sky over jordan, oman and neighboring countries before its final reported landing in the indian ocean. rocket boosters usually fall back to earth under controlled conditions after separating from modules. in a statement yesterday, nasa administrator bill nelson said that china “is failing to meet responsible standards regarding their space debris.” the booster measured 100 feet tall and weighs 22 tons, and is one of the largest rockets in the world.

the rocket was launched on april 29 to bring the main module to china's new space station. last year some of the debris from china's first launch of a 5-b rocket landed on a village in ivory coast. here in the u.s., spacex successfully launched 60 internet satellites from cape canaveral before dawn today. the falcon nine reusable rocket the falcon nine reusable rocket booster carrying the internet satellites into orbit made its record-setting tenth flight. after separation, the rocket landed successfully in the atlantic ocean and was retrieved. spacex has launched mo than 1,400 broadband satellites and has approval for thousands more. last month the company launched its third mission carrying astronauts to the international space station. for more national and international news visit pbs.org/newshour.

>> sreenivasan: the death toll in yesterday's bombing in kabul, afghanistan, rose to at least 50, and the number of wounded is now more than 100. the bombing targeted a girls school in a minority shia neighborhood in kabul. afghan officials said many of those hurt or killed in the blasts were girls between the ages of 11 and 15. at funeral services today, grieving family members blamed afghanistan's government and western powers for not doing more to end violence against ethnic and religious minorities in the country. for more on the violence and the u.s. and nato troop withdrawal from afghanistan, i spoke with newshour special correspondent jane ferguson. jane, first, what do we know about this bombing? >> it was, it seem a series of bombs. there was one massive car bomb that exploded around about 4:00 p.m. local time just outside the gates of the school. it's not specifically a girls school, but the boys and girls studied at different times. and in the afternoon, it was the slot for the girls. so, these girls were coming out, and it's believed that after

that car bomb, there were at least two other explosions in the area. there have been 50 confirmed dead, over 100 injured, but some of those injured are also in critical condition. so, the death toll could rise even higher than it already has. we also know that the taliban have condemned the attack and are denying any responsibility. now, that's not unusual for the group. they have, of course, this deal with the united states that they signed that, sort of, insinuates, or at least it had some parts of it, some of the parts that we don't-- that have not been made public, are believed to have set, have basically tied them to not attacking major cities or big spectacular attacks like this. >> sreenivasan: put it in the context of the troop withdrawal that's happening right now. is this something that ends up making afghans concerned that perhaps if the united states leaves by september 11, as we said we were going to do, that they are in for greater

instability? >> afghans are deeply concerned, and have been for a very long time now, knowing that the american troops would be leaving. but what's happening is, as the united states has committed to drawing down no matter what, you're seeing the more domestic side of this war really starting to ramp up. and that is what concerns people the most. what happens after america leaves? what they could leave in their wake, and what afghans fear the most, is the potential for civil war that can take on an ethnic slant, that can be reminiscent of different warlords and militias fighting one another. the whole point being that america is leaving, but there's no plan for peace in afghanistan when they're gone. >> sreenivasan: you've reported from the region multiple times. and the fact that this is a school and the victims are predominantly young girls, young girls and the education of women has been a source, a contentious source of debate in the afghan

government and in afghan society. >> it has. women have had some gains over the last 20 years. but there's no denying that education has been the absolute bedrock of those gains. young women, there's a whole generation of young women in kabul in particular, who have come up through the local education system, and it has completely changed their lives. these are young women that are planning to have roles in society. the attacks against women are not just in schos. you're also seeing a campaign of assassinations against professional women as well in the city. so, there are many different groups fighting one another in afghanistan. none of them are sparing women, and many of them are targeting women. and it's a really concerning sign for what their perspective is on the future of afghanistan and what kind of afghanistan they view as on the horizon. and these young girls are not

the first to be attacked. schools have been attacked in the past in that very area of kabul, that same hazara district, an education center was attacked just in october of last year. and so, there seems to be also a real pushback against those who are trying to better themselves, those who are trying to really enter civil society and have careers and be a part of afghanistan's future. >> sreenivasan: is there an ethnic dimension or a targeting to this attack? >> it's very likely that there is. now, i just mentioned that there was an attack in the same neighborhood last year. you know, this is a predominantly hazara neighborhood. the hazaras are an ethnic group that has often been targeted by the extremist groups, whether it's the taliban or isis. now, isis have targeted this group even more so, they've targeted weddings. they've targeted areas that are hazara dominated, partly because the group is largely shia.

and so, it does have that sectarian element to it. and when you think about it, hari, what you really have here is a shia group whicis so heavily pushing for the education of its young people. it shows that the group which has been discriminated against for generations in afghanistan since long before america entered this war, really wants to push its younger generation up socioeconomically. they want to enter into levels of government and to levels of the economy. and this is a pushback against that real ambition of the group. >> sreenivasan: jane ferguson, thanks so much. >> thank you. >> sreenivasan: last year, as the country faced a racial reckoning following the death of george floyd at the hands of a minneapolis police officer, states, municipalities, and cities began to ask what racial justice looks like in their own backyards.

in virginia, one decision that dominated national headlines was the call to bring down confederate statues that lined the most prestigious street in the state's capital city, richmond. but some in the city say that is only part of their story, one that until now was mostly overlooked. newshour weekend's ivette feliciano recently visited richmond to find o how one community is organizing to expand the state's narrative and secure the legacy of a historic black neighborhood. this segment is part of the series "chasing the dream: on poverty justice and economic opportunity in america." >> reporter: here in richmond, virginia's historic jackson ward, one of the first black urban neighborhoods in the nation, knowing where you stand, knowing what this area represents, is important to many residents. and uncovering and sharing its history has become the work of two sisters, enjoli moon and sesha joi moon. >> when i hear jackson ward, the

first thing i think of is just blackness and the beauty of it. it is a place that historically, but also in the contemporary sense, is just always has such pride in its people and its culture. >> i think it's about sser known truths, under-told truths. and so, why that hasn't been a part of the national story, we don't know, but that's one of the main initiatives of jackson, is to help everybody understand. e in four black americans can actually trace their roots to the rivers in richmond. >> reporter: and it's these lesser and under-told truths about the city that motivated the moon sisters to start the jxn project, a multifaceted effort to accurately place richmond's black community in the pantheon of american history. enjoli, a creative director and curator, and sesha, a ph.d. researcher and director of diversity, equity, and inclusion were born and raised in richmond, virginia. and throughout their lives jackson ward was a place that helped inform them about black history and culture. >> unfortunately the stains of

the confederacy have just kind of been centered when you speak about richmo. through the project, yes, it's about a local origin story, but what we found is that it is really a part of a national narrative, or at least it should be. we, too, were a harlem of the south. we were a little africa. we were a black wall street. >> reporter: established in 1871, the ward was created to concentrate black political power into one district. this concentration ultimately allowed the neighborhood to grow into a thriving center of black entrepreneurship. nicknamed the “harlem of the south” it was registered aa national historic landmark district in 1978. >> when we were thinking about, well, what's our purpose, we said, is historic preservation through restorative, truth telling and redemptive storytelling. >> reporter: and their redemptive storytelling began with the name of the ward itself. there were clues that the neighborhood might have been named after stonewall jackson, the confederate general.

and through sesha's research exploring the origins of jackson ward that supports much of the project, they may have an answer. >> we've recovered significant primary artifacts that would suggest it is more than likely named after stonewall jackson. and so, cool. i mean, it's disheartening, but it's reflective of richmond. it wasn't a surprise. it, like, of course it is. >> the confederate general, you know? >> of course it is. why would we have thought anything else? but that's when we also looked at ourselves and said, okay, well, then let's recontextualize it for the only jackson worthy of the honor, and that's giles b. >> reporter: that's giles beecher jackson, a formerly enslaved person who became the first black attorney certified to argue before the virginia supreme court, and the jackson that many residents already believed was the namesake. to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the ward's founding and giles b. jackson, the jxn project launched a series of year-long initiatives. the first was the city of richmond officially recognizing

the ward in honor of jackson. last month the day was marked by a gathering of local residents, living relatives of giles b. jackson, and historical tours around the ward. we headed out with historian and tour guide gary flowers, who has been running tours of the ward for over five years. >> we're standing in front of what was formerly the leigh street armory. following the american civil war, militia were formed in case the confederates came back. this is the last building in the south that remains of the colored militia. now it serves as the home of the black history museum and cultural center of virginia. >> reporter: along the way, we saw the church that was the home to the first african-american congregation pastored by a black minister in virginia in 1867, as well as the many black-owned financial institutions that supported this historic community. as flowers puts it, the reason so much of jackson ward's story

has been lost to history is where it is located: richmond, virginia, the former capital of the confederacy. people have heard of harlem in new york, they've heard of what was called black wall street in tul, oklahoma, but not as many people are familiar with the history here in jackson ward. why is that? >> there's been a willful suppression of history in jackson ward, known as the virginia way. in more southern states, there was brutality against people who rose up or dared to be dignified and self determining. the virginia way was something different. it was perhaps, we should ignore them and then the story will never get out. >> reporter: but one entrepreneur who defied the virginia way was maggie walker, not to be confused with america's first black self-made millionaire, madam c.j. walker. maggie walker helped to grow what would become a prominent mutual benefit society in the first half of the 20th century.

>> between 1902, 1920, mrs. walker having resurrected the independent order of st. luke, could afford to live in a mansion. her husband, armstead walker, who built the armory, was the leading black contractor. so, together, they were like a jay-z and beyonce. >> reporter: power couple. >> of richmond. true power couple. >> reporter: in 1903, maggie walker became the first black woman to found a bank in america. she went on to run several more businesses. and in 1904 she helped to successfully shutdown the segregated trolley system in richmond. her statue, the first dedicated to any woman in richmond, virginia, now sits in this plaza in jackson ward, and that night it was part of the larger celebration honoring the 150th anniversary of this area. throughout the neighborhood, quiet street corners and even train stations lit up to

showcase significant sites and images of historic residents. >> and if we are bold enough, if we are focused and if we're intentional, i think that we can start to redefine what, yes, richmond looksike, but redefine what the blueprint that we provide for the world looks like as well. >> richmond right now is front and center, center because we artearing down monuments, as they should come down, but when we set out for the jackson project, we really had to make a decision. what is our goal? is it to take down these oppressive streets, or is it to juxtapose it with the intersecting history where we force you to tell the truth? and we landed on the latter because we did feel like this could be an educational experience. >> reporter: the moon sisters say the jxn project is long term, but some short term goals are to highlight the district's prominent historical black figures, and to get more black representation on city commissions and boards.

in fact, in 2019, historian gary flowers was among the first of three black richmonders to be seated on the public arts commission in its 30-year history. and there are also plans to install 15 honorary street designations. ward's judah street, named after an enslaver of two people. the street could also become abraham skipwith alley, after one of the neighborhood's earliest black homeowners who also bought his own freedom. >> we don't understand the full story of the united states. we don't understand, period. right? and that means in each city, town, state, we do not understand. and so, we have to begin to unearth that so we can get to the fullness of it. and i think once we have a clear understanding of what the history is, it will make it easier to have a vision, a clear vision for what a more just and equitable future can look like. but it's impossible to do that when you are looking at half

truths and certain falsehoods historically. >> this is pbs newshour weekend, sunday. >> sreenivasan: finally tonight, an animated excerpt from storycorps for mother's day. kenneth and olivia tan, on the greatest lesson learned from their grandmother and mother, crescenciana tan, lovingly known as lola. >> lola was my first roommate when i was a kid. she would keep the light on every night because she would be up praying and the light would still be on in the morning. >> i was told that when she was little, she was the top student, but my mom did not finish high school becausey grandfather passed away early. so she did all kinds of work to support her family. and when she had her children, she had to provide for us. there was nobody else. there was no such thing as

vacation. and when lola got older, she lived with us, bringing up her grandchildren. >> yeah, it was, i think, 2014, and you called me, i were caring for lola at the time, and, so, i wanted to come home to help care for lola because she had always been the one who took care of all of us. you know, i think i learned from lola that there's a difference between your job and your work. your job is something you leave behind at the end of a day, but your work is everything you leave behind at the end of a lifetime. lola didn't have the most glamorous jobs, but i think her work was all of us. >> it's her love for us that i remember most. it was that so much of hugging or saying i love you, but it was all the things she did. you are right. we are -- we are her work.

>> sreenivasan: that's all for this edition of “pbs newshour weekend.” for the latest news updates visit pbs.org/newshour. i'm hari sreenivasan. happy mothers day. thanks for watching. stay healthy and have a good night. captioning sponsored by wnet captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org >> pbs newshour weekend is made possible by: sue and edgar wachenheim iii. the anderson family fund. bernard and denise schwartz. the cheryl and philip milstein family. the jpb foundation. barbara hope zuckerberg. the leonard and norma klorfine

foundation. the peter g. peterson and joan ganz cooney fund. the estate of worthington mayo- smith. we try to live in the moment, to not miss what's right in front of us. at mutual of america, we believe taking care of tomorrow can help you make the most of today. mutual of america financial group, retirement services and investments. additional support has been provided by: consumer cellular. and by: and by the corporation for public broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the american people. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you.

ramin setoodeh: have you ever wanted to learn more about your favorite hollywood stars? pete davidson: you're so elegant and, like, wonderful. i always thought that you were british. ramin: variety studio invites you to listen in as today's biggest actors get real about their work. george clooney: i've succeeded and failed as a director, and the failures are kind of the way you learn. zendaya: wl, i'm excited to ask you some questions, too. ramin: with george clooney and michelle pfeiffer; zendaya and carey mulligan; and glenn close and pete davidson. ♪♪♪ ramin setoodeh: welcome to "variety studio: actors on actors." i'm ramin setoodeh. as you can see, we're not in our studio this season, but we still have a great lineup for you with three must-see virtual conversations. ♪♪♪