tavis: good evening. from los angeles, i am tavis smiley. tonight we bring you the story of peggielene bartels, a ghana native who was named to kingdom of a small village called otuam. she continues to leave her village walls and retaining her position as a secretary in washington. the new book about her experiences called "king peggy." we are glad you have joined us. a conversation with king peggy,

coming up right now. >> every community has a martin luther king boulevard. it's the cornerstone we all know. it's not just a street or boulevard, but a place where walmart stands together with your community to make every day better. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. tavis: in 2008, peggy bartels got a phone call that she had to think was a prank. her cousin called to say that her uncle, the king of a small village, had passed away and that she had been chosen as the new king. weeks later, she began her new

duties only to find a litany of problems and political realities. she continues in her role as a secretary and travels frequently to ghana. the new book about this story is called king peggy: an american secretary, her royal destiny, and the inspiring story of how she changed an african village." king peggy and honor to have you on this program. let me start by saying i have been to 16 african countries. the first one i went to, and it is still the one i regard as having the friendliest people, ghana. i am sure i will get hate mail for that. but to the people are the nicest people. >> they are really beautiful people inside and out. we always welcome people to our country. we are humble people.

we love people to come visit. tavis: i love going back as often as i can. i have not been to otuam. now that i have the hook up knowing that king, -- the king, that might be on my stop. you were born in ghana. you stayed there how many years? >> i was there for all of my years as a teenager. then i went to london because i was with my mom after her divorce. i was very close to my mom. she was afraid, i may not be able to function. so she said you have to go out there and experience things for yourself. i am going to educate you. what you want to do? i said i wanted to be a caterer.

i went to england and my brother had a friend who used to be an ambassador. i came by here and we went to see him and -- he helped me to get a job at the embassy. i have been there over 15 years. tavis: how often were you going back to ghana? >> when my mom was alive, i used to go there every other year. since then, i have never been home. since to see passed away, i stopped going. before then, every other year. tavis: you were born in a place you had not been back to in over a decade. the phone rings one day and what to you here? >> it was four o'clock in the morning. the phone rang and it was four o'clock in the morning and usually my brother track -- tends to call me at that time.

i said that was my brother. i was not going to take it. i woke up grouchy. when i picked up the phone and i heard my cousins say nana. i said nana? that is a name given to a person of stature. i said, what do you mean? i said listen, it is 4:00 in the morning. i am going to hang up on you. he said, don't hang up. i realized she was serious. what do you need? nana, your uncle has gone to the village and he is not coming down any time soon. that means my ankle is dead and he is not coming back. -- uncle is dead and he is not coming back. your name came up and you have been chosen as king.

tavis: you went in through that very fast. so let's back up. speaking of the culture, there is a props -- process by which the new king was selected. it involves the pouring of libations but as there -- there is something that has to happen for that person to be selected. tell me that story. >> before they do that, they gather with the elders of the family and then day look at the data of all of the young ones. they have high quality morals, the intent of not being a bad person or stealing, knowing how to relate to people. then they will sit down and make sure that this person is from the royal family. it is like if they have three sisters, all three of them will

come in with all of the answers. after that, they will pour a libation into the shrine. they pray to our ancestors to guide them. tavis: what has to happen on the ground to know whose name is the new king? >> i was told that when they went to the shrine they have to pour the libation and they mention your name. they wanted to choose this person as a team. -- king. if it falls to the ground, it is not meant to be. i was the only female. why they added me, i have no idea. my family had never chosen a family before -- a female before. they looked at each other. the third one, they said that as

it. i was chosen. tavis: it took them three times to believe this woman was the king. how rare is this, and a woman being lacking? >> very rare. this is a new position. at the moment, i was the third one. now they have one in the central region, which is me. tavis: what is the role of a king? >> my officials responsibility are to make sure that there is education. f the water is not of great quality, to help them and make sure everybody is under control. that is the most lacking is supposed to do to make sure his or her town is up to par. tavis: how does the keeping of a

village -- king of a village to engage the elected officials? ghana is a democracy. how do you engage with the elected leadership? >> you are not supposed to mingle with politics. you have to be neutral. if a politician is coming to ask you for a favor, you have to be careful. tavis: you have to get water, there should be some issues connected to the state. >> you can sisley -- solicited for funds. you can go to the minister to talk to him about your people needing water. you normally have to go to the ministry to ask for help. but they can also welcome help. tavis: your village is about

7000 people. what were the greatest challenges, some examples kings might have? >> when i became that kings, there was no running water. -- the king, there was no running water. most of the time the children go out of the town to the city and most of the time they come home pregnant. coming home pregnant with no child. and also the infrastructure, the library. english is the official language and they do not have enough books to read. they do not have computers. these days, you need to have a very good computers for the children to be able to mingle with the world. that is the challenging part.

the water was not good. and also the elders were really embezzling funds. this was the most to challenge. i faced a lot of male chauvinism. tavis: since this is so rare in the culture, how have you dealt with the sexes and and patriarchy? >> with the help and might of god, i made them be aware that i really have the strength of the mail. and i can compete with them. we had a meeting and i put everything across the way i want it to be and i was able to help. tavis: you, remarkably, you still hold your job at the embassy in washington. you fly back and forth. >> we are entitled to vacation every year. i take my vacation in september.

there will be a festival in the town. i go in september and stay for a month. i come back home to the united states. even when i am home, i work with them by calling them and discussing some things. i have a regent that takes care of business. tavis: how you manage all of this when you are working full- time and responsible for a sizable village in another country? >> let me tell you this, it is something that god has blessed me with because i do not get tired. any time that i get down time, i do not want to sit doing nothing. i have to make sure everything is in order. i call my regent or i call some of the elders and we discuss it. more or less, i am on the telephone 20 four/seven. it helps me a lot.

skype, my brother tells me to get this. i say i am not going to let them see my face. tavis: don't they want to see the king? lay the law down. what was the response when you went to your boss at the embassy? >> i was having difficult whether to accept it or not. i said i need to talk to you. he looked at me and said what have you done? are you arguing with somebody? i said i did not argue with anybody. he offered me a seat and whenaie a king. he looked at me so seriously. why are you looking at me like this? are you ok? are you tired?

i am ok. i am going to be a king. i think he was surprised that we do not have many women who are kings. for me to come in the home late at night. i said i was not tired. i am telling you the truth. i had to ask permission to go home for my coronation. i went to my office and within a few minutes my boss called me again and he said, are you ok? i said i am ok. [laughter] ok, boss. he asked me if i was serious. not a queen but a scene? -- king? then he said, you would be a good king. tavis: what was the coronation

like? i know ghana is big on ceremony. what was it like? >> it takes about three days. your family gathers with a lot of food and drink. drumming and dancing. the art with you in a room for 10 days. coaching me with how to have at a kid, how to walk, how to eat, what not to do and what to do. then your family members and the town people are out there with drums, drinking, and normally it is a big thing for three days. tavis: to the customs becking is supposed to adhere to, what are some of the things you can no longer do or things a to have to do differently because you are the king? you mentioned being in public. what are some of the things you can no longer do?

>> when i am in ghana, i cannot speak in public. i cannot go into a restaurant. if i am walking and somebody says, what are you doing? i cannot say a word. i will smile and wave. tavis: you cannot eat or drink in public. " about a private? >> i might. [laughter] because my brother, i used to cuss at him in the room. he would say i am telling you what you are doing. i think it is better because you do not want to disrespect your family. you have to be dignified. there is a notion that maybe there are so many people with

evil eyes, and maybe they will be jealous of you and somebody might choke you while you are swallowing something. that is what i was told. tavis: say you cannot get poisoned by somebody. >> for instance, if i am sitting down in public drinking water, once i leave the water and come back, i cannot drink it anymore. tavis: it has been four years. how is this working out for you? >> it has been wonderful for the fact that i have been able to help from the baptist church in maryland, they have been able to help bring about 3 new water. and she spent $7,000 out of her own pocket to help us with water. and the baptist church of

landover, md. took 20 people educated them at a university level. this has made me happy that i am a good king helping my people. tavis: today you have on your official a tire. are you in this most days at the embassy? >> oh, no. i put on a regular african dress. i would not be able to function and they would not be able to send me the way they want me to be. they would look at me as a king, how can we ask her to type are letters? i was thinking of how i was before it became a king and the humble and do my secretarial duties like any other woman in

office. tavis: how do your co-workers treat you? when i walked in here and do something, they say who do you think you are, the king? that is how i get treated. >> you know, my ambassador treats the kings very well. he respects me a lot. he respects the tradition and he respects me a lot and calls me nana. and i give him the respect and my co-workers, i also treat them with respect. i was with them before i became a king. i've always wanted to be humble. my role, i try to do it in a way that i block my mind when i am in the office. i was chosen to help my people. i have to be humble to be able

to relate to my co-workers. i do not want them to think it is going to my head. they know the culture. they know what it is about. they give me that respect. tavis: this is why i say they are the nicest people. i cannot think of an american who could be a secretary and the next day be named a king and go back to the job and continued to work it. do the job well and be happy doing it, find joy in doing it. i am trying to process how it is that you are still doing this job as secretary and loving what you do when, in your native country, you are royalty. >> i was a secretary before it became a king. while i am here, it is helping me to help my people. that does not give me the chance to disrespect anyone. i have to look at myself as a

secretary. lori helps me to help my people. i send them money like christmas gifts, easter gifts. when i was in my palace, if i was not earning a salary, i could not -- tavis: you lost me. a as a secretary, when i was decorating my palace -- [laughter] that just doesn't fit. how is the palace? >> it is wonderful. after my coronation, it was a mess. i remember during my coronation i was sitting down and they were talking and then i saw the painting coming down. it fell on our head. i said you expect me to live here? they said you have to try. how had to help them change it. tavis: so, what to the young

girls in the village think about their future, about their life, and now that a book at a ki -- look at a king who is a woman? >> they know they need to concentrate on education. i am happy americans are here to help us. they should be serious as it. they looked at me as a role model. i know is tell them that you have to be serious about what you do and become something. he not be aching or a queen but you can become a doctor, at -- or aay not be a king queen but you can become a doctor. i advise them to become serious so they can be called to be something someday. tavis: you mentioned that you do not have children. you tell the story in the book,

you were at one. married. i will let you tell the story about why you are not married anymore and what kids had to do with that. >> i was married and i love to have about 10 children. we tried all we could with the modern technology. we could not do it. i was very sad about it, my husband's family had a family business. they wanted him to help the family business. at the same time, it dawned on me that if you had a child, there is no way you would leave me to go back home to be with the family business. i was sad about it. for some time, my mom told me that if god can give you -- cannot give you, stop. or else you will bring a child that is sick unto the earth.

leave it alone and prayed to god. that is what i did. when i had this call and i accepted it, then i said this is what got house for me. that is why i did not have a child. now i have 7000 people. tavis: is your ex-husband alive? what did he make of the news that his ex-wife was the king? >> i did not give him a divorce yet. my eldest went to him and send your wife is going to be a king. oh, you know what you're getting yourself into it? [laughter] tavis: i love the sense of humor. i love the humility. i love a good story.

to be sure, this is a good one. it is called king peggy: an american secretary, her royal destiny, and the inspiring story of how she changed an african village." and is changing still. i am honored to have you on this program. i may need to in otuam this summer. >> i have a 501 c. you can donate through my 501 c to help the people. anybody who wants to help us. that is how we will use the money. and the book is out already. they can go out and buy it. tavis: i am delighted you said that. good to have you on the program. that is my show for tonight, until next time, keep the faith. >> for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org.

tavis: hi, i'm tavis smiley. >> for more information, visit our website at pbs.org. >> every community has a martin luther king boulevard. it's the cornerstone we all know. it's not just a street or boulevard, but a place where walmart stands together with your community to make every day better. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> be more. pbs. >> be more. pbs.