and i would like to thank the center for african and african-american research for cosponsoring tonight's event. before we begin, i would like to mention some up coming events that may be of interest to you. next monday the 25th, thomas frank will join us at the theater to discuss rendezvous with oblivion reports from a sinking society. tickets for that are $5. and next thursday the 28th, we will discuss prosperity, one family and the fracturing of america. if you would like more information on our full event series, visit us on-line at harvard.com/events or pick up a flyer from the table on your way out. after tonight's talk, we will have time for questions from the audience. we're pleased to have c-span's book tv taping our event. when asking questions please know that you will be recorded and please wait a moment for the microphone to come over to you before asking your question. we will conclude tonight with a book signing here at the front of the room. please form the signing line through the middle aisle. the book is available for purchase at the registers and are 20% off this eveni

so there's two ways of african descended people. the first are french africans, who really even by a 1800 are tri-racial so they started coming to that area in the 1720s and were trappers and it was not the only african-american successful multilingual african-american descended trader in that region. but then after the revolutionary war, after this was given to the american people by the british government -- well, they didn't want to but had to -- then you're talking but indigenous people. so this ache complicated story. the frontier is not a -- there are people there, so this is also the heartbreaking story of genocide, clearance, violence, and for this wave of africa pioneers, they are part of that pioneering proexpect and that sometimes means they were fighting the war of 1812 which along the waubash river meant fighting native americans, right? and so their relationship to the land and their project was at loggerheads with the projects of mow indigenous people. that doesn't men there weren't some astounding things that happene

african or generation i was presenting african when. i represent afghani child. terry me deals with migrating and losing a home and losing loved ones a fate suffered by many africans. then and then being. thought to herself left mali as a young woman to escape an arranged marriage the movie mali blues follows her journey back it's a touching documentary showing how music can lend a voice to freedom. in her home village to broke a taboo by singing about female genital mutilation. to . i'm trying to do to fight the for the positive side to change the montel u.-t. of my generation because every single generation needs a somebody to any song to to take a part of the things we have to to be able to talk about i was touring. mali is wracked by social tensions corruption and terrorism but that often obscures its deep rooted cultural traditions. people don't know who knows africa is a woman who went to africa one sees life then you can see i have seen them have that in people haven't been eating their food the smell. the two bridges worlds and continents she's convinced

how dependent is china on african resources andrus. sure i mean in places like south sudan for example china made very considerable investments in the infrastructure in terms of oil extraction and so it had also to think about transportation lanes and to protect those investments by engaging in un peacekeeping which is actually quite interesting given china's take on sovereignty and on intervention. but having said that much of the resource extraction required is good transportation ling's and this may also drive the chinese investment in railway projects in east africa for example right out of my gate into cause i want to talk about the politics now of this all a lot of african governments will say to you today that they like doing business with china because there are no political strains attached china doesn't demand good governance in the countries that it does business with is that necessarily a good thing for africa. look this is that something you need to need to get a little bit. of the entire china if not politically should en

but it is concerning to me, as well, that when we see african american, african american, african american in terms of the data, in terms sts disproportional -- of the disproportionality, it's based on positive behavioral support, it's behavioral management, and it's not actually focused on i say ra, class and culture which is -- it's not race, class and culture. this year, they had -- all year, they read books by white female authors until i brought it up to the principal, and then, there was some changes made, but this was curriculum that's been in place for a long time. and last fall, their friend -- well, in their math class, a boy said black kids are dumb in the math class when there was a subthere. this is in a class that my daughter loves. the teacher has great classroom management. kids are coming in with stuff in middle school, and there's no consistent proactive way that the schools are making black students feel welcome, and i just wanted to add, as well, about the underreporting, i'm hearing from a lot of black parents that when their children with victimized, they are -- are v

her performance can be described as african tradition meets urban cool. her daughter is with her on this tour for her there's no question about combining kids and a career. to get here up the african women carry this image of the pole fals warrior inside them up again it's all business strong women it's all for that they do many things at once they welcome raise their children at the same time . but not just african women all women of european women have this strength as. well i want to show the strength that women have. aside from the show's a new zick contacts are also important. that. afro german presenter beric reflects on her experiences. the question of her own roots long preoccupied her. daughter on time was with a german parts of me and how do i fit them all together in. these a biography is that make up a life of the examination of various topics divisive topics maybe but all the more exciting questions. that come to. the divisive topic of the refugee debate takes a back seat here here inverts borg it's the african spirit that occupy center stage

this movement consisted of people of african descent. long before the great migration of the 20th century there had been another great migration one that spans the first half of the 19th century. this is a migration. tens of thousands of african-american pioneers who became some of the earliest settlers of the great west most of these pioneers had not come to cities there were no cities in reality. they flung themselves at the wildest edges of the frontier. highly visible, assertive and brave they scatter themselves across the land and hundreds and hundreds of farming settlements. you will have to read the book to find out more about these affirming settlements. when i started off this project a number of years ago. the assumption was a handful. of settlements that were home. at this point i had been able to count while over 330. and i'm hoping that more will be found. but there was a backlash. these were successful and highly visible pioneers in the backlash occurred over time but it was very effective in the settlements and in the fron

it is actually the oldest african-american resort community founded by african americans.t was founded as a place where african-americans could buy a plot of land for $25, build a cabin, and that is where they would come in the summer and spend their vacations. i went up there the first time when i was just six months old, so it goes way back in history. everyone from duke ellington, zora neale hurston, langston hughes, count basie all come there and stay there because they could not stay in hotels in denver during that period of history. so over time, after desegregation, a lot of the african-american institutions fell into disrepair and were sold off into different parts. and now we have developed a wonderful program that serves our community in so many different ways. 6000 inner-city kids every summer come to the ranch. we also give to about 200-300 wounded veterans every year. in the winter, though, when the ranch is pretty much shut down, one of the things that we identified -- my wife identified this -- that there are programs, one is called together we rise that we

it is actually the oldest african-american resort community founded by african americans.t was founded as a place where african-americans could buy a plot of land for $25, build a cabin, and that is where they would come in the summer and spend their vacations. i went up there the first time when i was just six months old, so it goes way back in history. everyone from duke ellington, zora neale hurston, langston hughes, count basie all come there and stay there because they could not stay in hotels in denver during that period of history. so over time, after desegregation, a lot of the african-american institutions fell into disrepair and were sold off into different parts. and now we have developed a wonderful program that serves our community in so many different ways. 6000 inner-city kids every summer come to the ranch. we also give to about 200-300 wounded veterans every year. in the winter, though, when the ranch is pretty much shut down, one of the things that we identified -- my wife identified this -- that there are programs, one is called together we rise that we

descent i'm french but my tummy comes from africa i can understand why people of african descent all around the world and i think it's important to say a true going to south africa how they can relate to that success and how no have how did you have the will to to share that moment of joy you know that it's not because you i think in that you've got you can abuse french at the same time so i understand that i would be angry if someone from the far right political landscape was said that those cases are african because in the french context it means something different but from someone who is from african descent trying to share you know heavy trade you know come on come encourage a common belonging to the. over genes with the african continent isn't it something because we don't have so many opportunities to see peoples african descent descent being fed a great ice as a national hero so i understand you know what he what he wanted what do you did want to say it so to try and i want to take your point and push it a step further you mentioned contacts and i think that's what's so impor

french and african only french. it's actually done i think that we need to be sent to them and the way that they define themselves what's problematic is to impose an identity from one that doesn't and to label someone against his or her own will and that's what you can of experience of my know which is unsettling quite responsive to question that's not not only a catch as to another country but also united because that's we are truly fair and . ok you being white you know that if you can. i think this person would agree with you on twitter they write yes you can be french and african at the same time but that doesn't cover how white french people will treat you it's a fact that immigrants are marginalized and face layers of obstacles in society and ironically football is one of the past for many to come out of poverty and then they go and win the world cup. and i comment on that story well. if i could just i will comment. ok sorry just a short remark it's true that football all over the world has been the past for t

well we've heard from nelson mandela's wife aggression michelle and i listen if we can south africans have been speaking and the theme today seems to be that over leadership everyone who's spoken so far has said nelson mandela was a great leader they said when he became president his priority was focusing on his people he wanted each and every south african regardless of race to have a good life into a place within a unified country they also say that he stayed down after his first term something with some presidents past and present refused to do on the continent of africa at the detriment of the people and also the theme we're also talking about is that of human rights they saying that nelson mandela wanted not just africans africans people around the world their rights to be respected and he said that the people should learn also that good it does overcome evil and people around the world who are feeling oppressed disillusioned feel trapped in some way shouldn't feel like there's no way out and hoping nelson mandela's teachings will inspire more people around the world to help whil

french and african only french. it's true then i think that we need to be sent to them and the way that they define themselves what's problematic is to impose an identity from one that doesn't and to label someone against his or her own will and that's what we kind of experience of minor which is instead of being quite responsive to question that's not not when you attach us to another country but also united because that's we are truly fair and. actually you are right you know if you can. i think this person would agree with you on twitter they write that yes you can be french and african at the same time but that doesn't cover how white french people will treat you it's a fact that immigrants are marginalized and face layers of obstacles in society and ironically football is one of the past for many to come out of poverty and then they go and win the world cup. and i comment on that story well. if i could just i'm going to measure. ok sorry just a short remark it's true that football all over the world has been pa

president xi jinping has been using the run up to the brink's meeting to visit some african states to secure investment opportunities showing beijing's increasing interest in the continent that's been alexandra de missy directs founding director of the china africa advisory i think that china is currently increasing activity is in africa why are they so interested in the continent yes carol you're right china is increasing its interest in africa it's it's nothing new actually we know that china has been quite active starting in the year two thousand with the foundation of the folks at meeting the forum in china africa collaboration in beijing at that time and since then no we are turning to the eighteenth year we see that china is china's interest is not only in natural resources many people believe but it's also that china sees a tremendous opportunity in africa in developing new markets and there are a lot being there they must charge asian of african countries and this is visible in chinese actions for example the countries that president xi jinping visited on his tour this time we

>> against african-american employees, african-american women, for example, were typically hired in menial labor. these are women who had high school diplomas, college degrees , who had vocational training, and compared to their white counterparts they are being hired in what we call dirty jobs. they are discriminated against and not allowed to hold jobs in sales, clerical work, or as supervisors. >> you are from baltimore and one of your favorite sons, the late supreme court justice thurgood marshall, what role did he play? >> he provided the legal precedent for civil rights and making legal games. his efforts allowed for the implementation of the 1964 civil rights act that creates the equal employment opportunities commission, but also in the civil rights act, there is title vii which outlaws employment discrimination based on gender, race, country of origin, and religion. this subjecteach at umass amherst and talk to african-american students, male and female, do they understand what was happening in the 1950's? >> i think they have some inkling of what is going on, but when i get is an

were enslaved africans and selling them to the i was way before we got there and it's actually quite unfair to judge the past by today's standards and today's models so familiar it is part of the history but it really got to be shown in the full history of what was going on at the time not just to be a scene to european issue against the slave trade when the slave trade was very predominant across the entire continent that signing so. from a look at the history of but we've got to put it into context actually the fifty million people who are not a ransom per thing one could go on for what we know and redesign and find here that the historians of the time are all consensual around that figure so i think it is you need to get your facts straight it all depends what the plan is going to be saying because you've got to put things into context of what was happening at the turn now you're the guest is just going on a complete. whatever whatever point he was trying to put forward whatever argument he was trying to put forward has actually been lost and he's actually learnt now you're the gu

what does a filmmaking tells about african society today and how africans are viewed by wide audiencesahiu, welcome to hardtalk. it is a pleasure to be here. what you get out of making films? what is the purpose? i have made my purpose afrobubblegum, the purpose of fun and frivolous films, so we can reframe africa so the pictures of ourselves are not only beautiful and poor ignorant but also stunningly joyous and radically hopeful. you we re joyous and radically hopeful. you were born and bred in nairobi and grow up surrounded by women, strong women who use a grow up surrounded by women, strong women who use a were grow up surrounded by women, strong women who use a were actively pursuing happiness. why do you feel it's important to reflect that kind of joyful life it's important to reflect that kind ofjoyful life in your films about africa? so often i feel that africa is not betrayed as a happy continent. not betrayed traders someplace that is glorious and thriving and wonderful that is my experience. —— it's not portrayed as. my experience of africa has been joyful and i want to add

you know, how are your african-american males doing? how are your african-american females doing? how are your hispanic females doing? how are your -- i know people don't like to be broken up like that but you have to get that data which is what the federal government is not doing a better job of, of requiring that type of data. because before all kinds of forgets just got lost in the averages. the average is 60%, that sounds okay maybe 70%. the problem is is when you do the averages if you look deeply, the african-american kid, their proficiency rate in some of the poor neighborhoods was 20%. the average might be 60. they were 20. so that's what is a typical conversation. when you can present to a community that this is part of the american dream, talk about the way david does, that we had schools that were made for the industrial age. we need to be nimble and agile and focused, and really helping boys learn different than girls sometimes. we need to be teaching, i've got a school in new orleans, i'm so proud the kids are speaking chinese. it's amazing. i think it speaking fluent

how dependent is china on african resources andrus. sure i mean in places like south sudan for example china made very considerable investments in the infrastructure in terms of oil extraction and so it had also to think about transportation links and to protect those investments by engaging in un peacekeeping which is actually quite interesting given china's take on sovereignty and on intervention. but having said that much of the resource extraction required is good transportation ling's and this may also drive the chinese investment in railway projects in east africa for example right out of my gate into cars i want to talk about the politics of this all a lot of african governments will say to you today that they like doing business with china because there are no political strains attached china doesn't demand good governance in the countries that it does business with is that necessarily a good thing for africa. look this is that something you need to need to get a little bit. of the entire china if not politically should energie

not just african-americans. in the school district, that was predominantly african-american, it was 19%. so it was even worse. but here's another dynamic that feeds into all of this. in the namesake school district in kansas city, kansas city public schools which has gone through a torturous situation with the desegregation case they poured a lot of money in. ill spent on buildings. what we've done is turned out several generations of poorly or undereducated people who now have children. that poor education that they got taught them that education in their minds wasn't having any major impact on their lives. they have unfortunately passed on that same attitude to their children. so we can continue to repeat the cycle. the real challenge for us in my opinion. and a major challenge for the democratic party if we would choose to take it is that politics right now the all about winning. about campaign promises, checking the box so we can run again and say i did what i said i was going to do. what -- and that may be

is nominees are 90% white. 2.3% african-american. now one way to look at this is to look at another republican president. so i said to my staff, find what president bush, find who president -- the makeup, the racial makeup of president bush's nominees. remember, african-americans don't expect a republican president to have anything like the number of nominees of, for example, president barack obama. not because he was african-american but because he was, after all a democrat. that's not the standard to which i'm holding this president. the standard i'm holding this president to is by comparison to republican presidents. the lies share of president bush's appointees were also white. i had no complaints then. i don't recall the congressional black caucus taking to the floor and saying, how come the lion's share of president bush's nominees are white? more than 85%. that reflected his party. and his supporters. 8.5% of president bush's ominees were african-american. bush's to 2.3% of nominee. that means president bush i'm looking at the

army for example, had set the quota of 56 african-american female nurses. 56. that's the the only number of african-american female nrses they originally wanted in the army nurse core. that is compared to the nearly estimate -- estimated 8,000 african-american female nrses who were -- prepared and have the appropriate degrees for serving as a nurse in the u.s. army. flip side is you have nearly 2,000 male nrs trained and had degrees ready for service who also continue to try to push the military to change particularly the army to change the way in which it accepted nurses. this, of course, was met with an outright negative as it came to male nurses. regardless about concerns -- regarding nursing shortages -- they persisted throughout the war as a result bit time question with get to -- late 1944, in 1945, grumbles started to become quite public about what to do concerning nursing shortages. it gets so bad by the time we get to early december and early january that -- on january 6th, 1945, it is part of his public announcement to congress president roosevelt ann

colony -- would thomas jefferson have embraced an african colony? and would he have done so to as thepeople of color american colonization society did? this is great theory, but i want to get down to brass tacks. someone -- brass tax. someone who is a free person talking with james madison and thomas jefferson. delegatesia house of before 1800 was debating deporting, right? so would jefferson have approved of an african colony? and why do you think his rationale would be? i know there was a letter in 1817 quoted where he says it is good for both blacks and whites. so i will leave that to you all. so we are talking about channeling. will you all channel thomas jefferson? [laughter] >> mr. jefferson. [laughter] >> it's a great question. i think the idea -- we use the word and quite properly, deportation. that is what colonization would be. i think jefferson had a fantasy, wanted to believe that that would be consensual. one of his concerns about the failure to resolve the slavery problem and to reach a final solution, which would be -- which would be

the district is 6.4% african-american. if my memory serves when a research the district years and years ago, the district was almost 30% african-american. 6.4% and that's about 3,600 african-american students. and if the math is right kak less than -- i just want -- it just bewilders me and others dot with that few amount of students, that we have these amount of numbers. and even though we have bemoaned the fact we don't have enough resources in this district kak we do have resources. we do have resources and we are not focusing the resources enough on the students that we are talking about to make sure we do not come up with these numbers year after year. and the fact that the commissioners brought up that we have reverted back to forum since before the initial resolution was passed kak i just feel that it is not necessarily about firing people. it is about a concerted effort that has never taken hold. prioritizing these schools, it is tier one schools. we can call them tier one. we need to focus the energy consistently.

what does her filmmaking tell us about african society today and how africans are viewed by wider audiencesnuri kahiu, welcome to hardtalk. thank you. it's a pleasure to be here. what do you get from making films? what's the purpose behind it for you? well, actually, i've made my purpose afrobubblegum, which is the creation of fun, fierce and frivolous films, so we can reframe africa in joy so that images and the pictures of ourselves are not only beautiful and poignant, but also, stunningly joyous and radically hopeful. you were born and bred in nairobi and you grew up surrounded by women, strong women who you say were actively pursuing happiness. why do you feel it's important to reflect that kind ofjoy for life in your films about africa? well, so often i feel africa's not betrayed as a happy continent. it's not portrayed as some place that is glorious and thriving and wonderful, and that's my experience. my experience of africa has been that — has been wonderful and joyful, and i want to add those experiences to cinema. but it doesn't mean that you're impervious to the fact that there i

african-american intellectual and cultural history. he has been a consultant to many documentary films and that in the 1990 pbs series africans in america and the reconstruction era. to my left and that is the charles ward professor of american legal history at harvard law school. a professor of history arts and sciences at harvard. formally a four-time professor at the radcliffe institute for advanced study. in 2009, she won the pulitzer prize in history. for the monticello and american family. a reading scholar of jefferson, she has also written thomas jefferson and sally hemmings a american controversy. and with peter, our third speaker, she wrote the most blessed of patriarchs, thomas jefferson and the empire of the imagination. she is also the author of a book on andrew johnson. otters fellowship of scholars and writers of you nor new york public library. guggenheim hello cheryl, macarthur fellowship and national humanities medal. national book award and the women of our and influence award from national organization of women. and

you mentioned narendra modi has also used the trip to visit several african countries before that and you jinping has done the same is there a sense of competition while china is barging in with huge unfair to infrastructure programs in africa does india fear to be left behind. well you know indeed officials have actually said this week that they're not in any race with china when it comes to getting access to african markets they point out that you know india's historical ties with africa would stretch back centuries but you know despite that talk there is no denying that india's attempts to expand its influence in africa is simply no match for china's deep pockets and street thought you know we have india india africa trade currently stands to prevent over fifty billion dollars and that builds in comparison to china's investments in africa which standard about one hundred seventy billion u.s. dollars. let's come back to you looking at south africa where your base not all is well there and in the biggest economy on the continent after years of stagnation of jacob zuma serum opposer n

why have we got the statue of a man who sold millions of africans into bondage and slavery ripped african babies from their mother's breast separated families killed maimed and murdered millions of africans but he gave money to charity so we should have a statue of him in our town square we have to look at the full history of the of the slave trade this was going on for thousands of years before europeans arrived africans were enslaved africans and selling them to the arabs way before we got the actually quite unfair to the past by today's standards and today's models so for me it's part of the history but it really got to be shown in the full history of what was going on at the time and not just to be a scene until european issue against the slave trade when the slave trade was very predominant across the entire continents at that signing so for me you look at the history of but we've got to put it into context julie the fifty million people who were not a ransom. for what we know and redesign and find here that day historians of the tie are all consensual around that figure so i think i

leader yes and communist party leader south african from his party leader just level. and and who was responsible for that on the i mean for london it was elective is i mean this is just this picture inquiry into secret services in so on i mean there was anyone arrested there when nobody was omitted. it was exactly the same type of letter bomb sent by the south african security services by boss as it was called very appropriately the bureau's state security council appointed leaders around the world and killing many of them is when the british government was supporting the south african government well they would claim they were supporting the south african government but in practice by default or actively by supplying arms and so on they were and for instance they opposed our international this is a conservative government opposed our international campaign to isolate white south african sports teams why was that important you may think where does sport fit into that the big picture because it's in the end the economy and all the people police states alive the aparthe