so, the event was of course the attica prison uprising of 1971. the causes, the meaning and truth and consequences its deadly suppression. to focus on the truth our special guest tonight is doctor heather ann thompson, a detroit born and bred scholar, teacher, activist who served on the history faculties of unc and most recently perfectly the university of michigan. the author of many important and award-winning articles on criminal justice and mass incarceration from "the new york times," time magazine, the atlantic and a previously offered a major book on politics, labor and race in modern detroit. the last ten years she's been researching and writing with the new acclaimed book "blood in the water: the attica prison uprising of 1971 and its legacy" which takes us back to the point of the deadly events of 1971 and the response by the government and to accomplish this, she interviewed surviving prisoners and hostages as well as law-enforcement veterans, former government officials, medical examiners, journalists, the list is astonishing. includin

indeed, conditions in places like attica are worse today than in 1971. legacy is repression, a real punitive moment. but, at the same time, attica was a story of 1,300 men who stood together against tremendous odds who asked to be treated as human, and that legacy is also with us. today we see prisoners again speaking up to humanize the conditions behind bars, to be clear that containment for serving time does not mean a license for abuse or deprivation. so i think it's a mixed legacy. >> reporter: the book is blood in the water, heather ann thompson. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> woodruff: on the newshour online right now, the u.s. consumes well over four billion avocados per year, part of a booming global love affair with the fatty but healthful fruit. but like with all great booms, there are unexpected consequences. read more on our web site, pbs.org/newshour. and on our facebook page, find nine things you didn't know about christmas trees. that's at facebook.com/newshour. >> sreenivasan: finally, an editor's note. tonight when we introduced t

. >> 1971, attica like so many prisons in new york, but not just in new york, really the nation wereursting at the seams there was real intensification of policing in inner cities across the nation but particularly in new york city. buffalo, rochester and attica was filled with 2400 men, overwhelmingly black and puerto rican but also white men and the conditions were horrendous. they were, you know, one roll of toilet paper to last a month. two quarts of water to do everything in. wash, clean your cell, drink. medical care so bad that prisoners were not only dying in attica but were permanently disfigured from lack of care. and this is the context that the men in the yard start talking about civil rights in the prison, human rights in the prison. and of course many of these guys had also come from the streets that had been very active, particularly rebellions in philly in '64 and harlem in '64. rochester in '64 and, and they began to ask for help. initially through the system, writing letters to their state senators and, and begging the commissioner of corrections to do something. bu

buffalo, rochester, and rochester, and attica was filled with 2400 men. overwhelmingly black and puerto rican, but also white men. the conditions were horrendous. one roll of toilet paper to last a month, 2 quarts of water to do everything in, wash, clean yourself, drink. medical care so bad that prisoners were not only dying in attica but were permanently disfigured from lack of care. this is the context that the men and the research talk you about civil rights in the prison and human rights in the prison. many of these guys had also come from streets that have been very active particularly rebellion in 64 and they began to ask for help initially through the system writing letters to their state senators i'm back in the of correction to do something. but nothing was really done. in fact what was done was more repression. anybody who is caught having the letter asking for help would be thrown in the cell for indefinite time and you couldn't get out. it's in in that context that people start talking across political lines and racial lines. >> that's a look

. >> currently attica p capacity. >> reporter: mary waited 13 hours to buy tick frts her children inharlotte. >> it's pres frnents for the ne five years. >> reporter: he paid others to stand in line for him, hoping to score 60 tickets and potentially make thousands by reselling them which upset a few people. >> i understand it but at the same time you know, we live in -- it's a free world. >> reporter: others simply happy to score a pair to the hottest show in town. >> one in a lifetime story, history and as a retired school teacher, this is the place to be. >> reporter: the face value tickets range from $100 to $500 a piece. if you're not successful, let's look at the second-hand market. stubhub going past the first week starting prices, starting around 750, 900, even 1,000 for the cheapest seat in the house. >> it's like the super bowl. the super bowl of broadway. >> it is. in new york, everyone will tell you don't ask me for hamilton tickets, i can't get you in. still on broadway. >> we need to rally for two tickets. and i hear you know the entire sound track. >> anyone have an ex

." >> attica! attica!hallenge me, we all go down. there was one napoleon. >> the point is, how do you afford it? even with the student aid and folks back home. >> he won list only oscar for portrayal of lieutenant colonel frank slade in "scent of a woman." >> whoo-ah! >> you don't memorize the lines going in? >> no. >> what is it that you do? >> different levels, i think you approach different levels differently. you have to look at those lines they don't feel like the same lines but extensions of your wishes, your thoughts, your coming out of spontaneity. saying them, hearing them for the first time, it's all -- >> it's magic. >> it is magic, yeah. >> magic he does so well. >> i know. incredible run. >> i love these moments when you realize that if they hadn't stood by, you know, if frances ford coppola hadn't stood by al pacino, we wouldn't have al pacino. you can watch the kennedy honors. the broadcast airs december 27th. >>> a touchdown by an running back energizes more than his team and fans. ahead ho

medical care so bad that prisoners were not only dying in attica over permanently disfigured from lack of care. this is the context that the men in the yard start talking about civil rights in the prison, human rights in the prison. and, of course, many of these guys had also come from streets that had been very active, particularly rebellions in philly and 64 and harlem and 54, rochester in 64. and they begin to ask for help initially through the system, writing letters to the state senators and begging the commission of correction to do something. but nothing was really done. in fact what was done was a great deal more repression anyone who is caught having a letter asking for help with be thrown into key lock which meant your throat and yourself are in different parts of time. you couldn't get out. it's in the context that people start talking across political lines, start talking across racial lines. >> that's a look at some of this

in 1971 attica prison uprising and that history of racism in america.booked tv in prime time, each night this week. >> this week on c-span, electors vote for president of the united states and coverage in illinois, pennsylvania, michigan and virginia at 8 pm eastern. tuesday night at eight, jerry greenfield, cofounder of ben and jerry's ice cream talks about responsible business practices. >> the idea that we couldn't sell enough ice cream from the summer in vermont that forced us to look for other markets. >> wednesday night, former vice president dick cheney and secretary leon panetta on thefuture of the defense department under president trump . >> i see the challenges are very great and we have unfortunately over the course of the last many years done serious damage to our capabilities and to be able to meet those threats. >> living in that. there were a lot of flashpoint and the new administration is going to have to look at that kind of world and obviously defined the policies that we need in order to deal with that but then develop a policy to confront that kind of world. >> first

the 1971 attica prison rights and stamped from the beginning. the beginning of racist ideas in america. >> british prime minister teresa may takes questions from members of par him on the uk's exit from the european union. we have live coverage tomorrow. probe pressure granted 78 pardons and 153 computations today. later, a conversation of policing, criminal justice sentencing reform and civil rights. live coverage from the brookings institution. >> you're watching booktv on c-span2. >> hi, i'm the executive director of the national book foundation, tonight i've been invited by bob tv to host oevening offerings and talk about the national book foundation the national book awards. the foundation was started in 1950 to host the national book awards and this year we celebrated our 67th they whittle is down to a long list of ten titles in each category. we award a nonfiction, poetry, fission, and young people's literature. then the bring it do you down to five and those are the finalists. vine the to new york to join news november for in the dinner

you can track it on our facebook page and you can donate attica heme saves hemsavs d.c..org and we have to be in b big.g. >> oh, yeah. >> he ha himself today as a superhero.upo >> little does he know he'sw already a superhero.ro amazing. amazin it's going to be fun. that's why wisdom not here. he has a big. >> winners could win fourin f tickets to see sesame street live. live. >> the prize has a retail ret value of $72 provided by vd star entertainment.ntertainment. going to the fox5 d.c. fox d facebook page starting nowng n through 10:59 this morning andna enter for your chance to win. wn one winner selected by random drawing on december 16th.th all entrants must be 18 or be o older. now complete rules and onlinele entetr ry are available at www.fox5dc.com/contests./cte >> that frappuccino cozy wouldyw match gary's outfit today. tay got to get you one today.ay >> the fruitcake -- didn'truitce sound all that bad. >> okay >> macha is off.ff it's like nice greentree. like i >> what about on a frozenceabouf drink. >> i don't know about that. >> carmel andon't k hazelnut ana dried fruit. >>

eastern, poocks on the vietnam war, the divide between red and blue america, the 1971, attica prison upriding and a history of racism in america. book of there in primetime each night this week. >> sunday, january 1st, "in depth" well feature a live discussion of the presidency of barack obama. week taking phone calls tweets e-mail and faint comments, our panel includes white house correspondent, my up close view of three presidents and raise in america. princeton university professor author of democracy in black. how race still enslaves the american soul, and a pulitzer prize winning writer, the author of "barack obama, the story." watch "in depth" on sunday on booktv on c-span2. >> in 18962, john glen became the first american orbit bit the earth. in 1947 the first astronaut elect -- 1974 the first astronaut elected to congress, and in 1998 he became the oldest person in space when he flew on a shuttle mission. john glenn died this month and on saturday, his memorial service was held at ohio state university in columbus. among those speaking at the event, his sons, current ohio sen

he left with the boat picks i stood there for about 20 minutes and i finally took it all in attica readyo leave and i turned around, and on the beach i spied the route 66 bar, in spain. i thought to myself, if you like a ton of bricks. i get it, i get it. they sent the horse. they sent cattle. they sent all other european traditions to us and we sent them back a legend of a highway. at that moment i realized, this is an international road, a legend, and i lived on it. i grew up on it. when i was a little kid, i was so into old west history and i would read true west and the office during slow times and then i would look up and i would go, nothing ever happened in kingman, arizona. this is of the dumbest place you could ever live. history is what happened in tombstone, arizona, dodge city, kansas, deadwood dakotas. nothing happened here. fast-forward about 10 years ago i got a call from a writer and he said, i read about your article of your fathers gas station in arizona highways. i would like to interview. i said sure. he goes, his first question, that very first thing he asked me is, w

boths on the vietnam war, the divide between red and blue america, the 1971 at attica prison uprisingnd the history of racism in america. book tv in primetime each night this week. >> sunday, january 1st, in department will feature a live discussion on the presidency of barack obama. we'll take your phone calls, e-mails, tweets, and facebook posts, our panel includes -- an author of the presidency in black and white. my up close view of three presidents and race in america. princeton university professor, author of democracy in black, how race still enslaves the more than soul and associate editor of the "washington post," author of "barack obama the story." watch in depth live from noon to 3:00 p.m. eastern on sunday, on booktv, on c-span2. >> michael o'reilly of the federal communications system, on january 20th your life changes. how will it change? >> guest: well, first of all, thank you for having me. it's a pleasure to be back on c-span and all the good work you do. the change in administrations will bring a lot of change to our activities at the commission. i like too say that

we work a lot with the education guidance counselors looking attica rear aptitude tests to form pathways for them. find out what they want to do with with their lives much like vivian is saying, not we are telling them what they have to do with their lives, but what they want to do and getting them into the correct vocational program training. we shall we are working and using the pell grant. we are using the post secondary courses. this is giving them a taste of what it would be like to do some of these classes on the outside. traditionally in pennsylvania, not transferred inmates from institution to institution for different programs and we are looking at pulling that back and tweaking that a little bit. when they obtain a diploma or g.e.d., it's a program not in the prison they are in, we are transferring for vocational programming to get them what they need when they are out there. >> thanks, terri. i'll turn it over to you now to talk about how can we, you know, tap into how the federal government can be more intentional about applying rational equity lens, thinking about gender and

the 1971 attica

policing and inner cities across the nation but particularly in new york city, buffalo, rochester and attica was filled with 2400 overwhelmingly black and puerto rican but also white men and the conditions were horrendous. one roll of toilet paper to last a month, 2 quarts of water to do everything, wash, clean yourself, drink. medical care is so bad that prisoners were not onl only dieg but were permanently disfigured from lack of care and this is the context that they start talking about civil rights in the prison, human rights and the prison and of course many have also come from street that had been very active particularly rebellions and 64 and harlem and 64 and rochester in 64 and they began to ask for help initially through the system, writing letters to their state senators and begging them to do something. but nothing was done and what was done was a great deal of repression and anyone that was caught asking for help would be thrown into your cell for an indefinite period of time. and it's in that context that people start talking across political lines or racial lines. >> that they