james baldwin was my uncle. just as a bit of an opening, i was considering myself lucky, especially looking back on it. i was lucky because i was a black kid in new york city, didn't have a lot of money and got to spend the summers in france. you don't know it cool when you are too in most drowning and many olympic phobia for the next two years. but you look back on it as you get older and people ask what it was like. most of us grew up with the family. they have a really cool uncle. he was just a pool or uncle appeared he had the courthouse in france, it was warm. there were pear trees in his yard. great, awesome. cats running on over the place. even as you get older, you don't realize what is in front of you when it is rare. as you get older growing up lack of the jewish in america. i lived all over the country and nobody ever gets it right. i must be algerian. i must be middle eastern. but on the right costume. but my uncle had a lot to do with me understanding my identity growing up in the sense that if my m

and i'm not going to do my best james baldwin impression, because i won't do him justice.at least not watching a few videos. intercepted memo, classified. as follows, in part, it will be remembered that napoleon bonaparte of corsica, a province of france, is the last gentleman emperor of the french. the course cans, who are an exceedingly high tempered people, are understandably proud of this and have never imagined that bone part would ever have any competition, indeed, if it had not been for the legend, we might have had far more trouble than we have had with this somewhat unpredictable island. i it has come -- it has come to our attention that a certain daniel of english, province of harlem, is now in the south of france. he -- [inaudible] at least two languages and he speaks more than one. there's a -- [inaudible] at work around the clock deciphering the code. its cover, as the americans would put it, is that he is traveling with his mother. we have our belgian experts at work on this aspect of the problem. [laughter] this daniel has been seen lately in monte carlo whe

james baldwin. when i saw his book on the bookshelf, bless you. it was the first book i have seen by an african-american writer and his big old popeyes were staring out at me and i didn't read him right away, didn't read him for a few years but he was the one. i realized you could write the way black people talk, back when i remember it, and biographies to be honest with you. >> amelia ehrhardt. >> that was my favorite. i thought what an idiot she was. i thought she was brave but also that helped me. >> there were not many women biographies you could find. there was amelia, louisa, abigail, clarence, that was it. what book made you a reader? >> i really liked, a book that comes up a lot, harriet the spy. that was one of my favorite books because it was realistic fiction which i always liked, i tried to lion the witch and the wardrobe and the hobbit and those things that my sister was into but i was never into those, i like the realistic fiction and there was a sadness within me that harriet the spy spoke to, a loneliness, being on the outside look

james baldwin. when i saw his book on the bookshelf, bless you. it was the first book i have seen by an african-american writer and his big old popeyes were staring out at me and i didn't read him right away, didn't read him for a few years but he was the one. i realized you could write the way black people talk, back when i remember it, and biographies to be honest with you. >> amelia ehrhardt. >> that was my favorite. i thought what an idiot she was. i thought she was brave but also that helped me. >> there were not many women biographies you could find. there was amelia, louisa, abigail, clarence, that was it. what book made you a reader? >> i really liked, a book that comes up a lot, harriet the spy. that was one of my favorite books because it was realistic fiction which i always liked, i tried to lion the witch and the wardrobe and the hobbit and those things that my sister was into but i was never into those, i like the realistic fiction and there was a sadness within me that harriet the spy spoke to, a loneliness, being on the outside look

james baldwin said the architects of injustice cannot fall through the innocent it's the innocent thatconstitutes the crime. with racial strife threatening o two separate communities acrossp the nation i believe we can no longer afford to remain ignorant of ancestors violence that gave birth to this violent president. i want to thank you all for listening and for coming and iia am hopeful this might generate a conversation and i think we've opened up for questions and again thanks to the history center and to c-span for covering the event and all of you ar for coming and listening. [applause]e rais [inaudible] >> i'm miked up whether i stand here or not, right? [inaudible] >> i get it. it's like jerry springer. [though better yet, like oprah. i have to get back up there ok okay. [laughter] thank you again. [inaudible] but the political party [inaudible]t it was i but it was unleashed and that part of history doesn't talk about it. this is about how they are portrayed. but today they are demonized whether you believe in christianity, male, female [inaudible] >> i'm going to try to pick

james baldwin said the architects of injustice cannot also be innocent. is the innocent that constitutes the crime. in 2016 with racial strife threatening to tear apart committees across the nation i believe they can no longer afford to remain ignorant of how our ancestors violent past gave birth to this file and present. i want to thank you all very much for listening and for coming and i'm hopeful this might generate some conversation i think we are going to open it up for questions. again thanks to the atlanta history center and thanks to c-span for covering the event and thanks to all of you for coming and for listening. [applause] i'm afraid we can't leave hiram parks bell up there. >> please raise your hand and i will bring the microphone here. >> can i come down there? all right, that would be better. then i'm not mike? i get it, like jerry springer. [laughter] or better yet, like oprah. what's that? i had better get back up there. i'd rather be a man of the people but all right. racs fan, i'm back. >> thank you again. i am told that you can't rewr

baldwin. he conveyed and mounting frustration and anger that he seemed to try to tempt the downh each new cigarette he led. in his baritone, shades of jamesearl jones, farmer counters baldwins concert in northern negro ghettos are very important. farmer, the fact of the matter is most of our victories legislatively are spoken to thei south and not to the north. the 17 euro drop off in a hardened stick couldn't care less if his second cousin mississippi can buy hot dogs. he says what about the rats that might make with what about the cockroaches asked buckley, why don't they kill those rats course is there a law that says you can't kill the rats? i've got rats and i put traps all over the place. they are still there. i never been able to get rid of them. farmer, in harlem if you get one rat, tumor come back to carry its carcass away. buckley, why doesn't that happen in other cities? why don't they do away with the refuse? it's a municipal function farmer. when you have an entire family, that's the states duty with the garbage can is in it? buckley, look, not suggesting the municipal lysing the garbage collection. farmer, you are in favor o

he argued james baldwin was all wet.aldwin was, buckley judged too pessimistic what could be accomplished in america. farmer cut a striking figure, radiating dignity and composure as he defended baldwin. conveyed mounting anger he tried to tamp down with each new cigarette he lit. in entrancing baritone, shades of james early jones, that baldwin concerns about negro ghettos are very important. the fact of the matter is, most of our victories legislatively spoken in the south, not to the north. 17-year-old dropout youth in harlem street couldn't care less about his second cousin in mississippi buying a hot dog. i said man what about the rats that bite me and cockroaches. buckley, what about if they kill the rats? i'm so tired of that argument. i got rats and i put traps all over the place. they're still there. i have never been able to get rid of them.th farmer, you know in harlem you kill one rat, two more come back to carries his carcass away. buckley, why doesn't that happen in other cities? is there special refuse the

appealed to individuals, families, churches, fraternities and sororities, who handed over gems like james baldwin'sets flew out the door-- 5,000 of them in 18 minutes, one day. on this journey you have been to get to this point with this museum, what has been the biggest surprise for you along the way? >> i think i've been stunned by the excitement and the way people really care. i mean there are times i'll walk in an airport and people will just sort of give me the thumbs up, or i'll walk down the street and church ladies will come to me and say they're praying for me. so i think the fact that this means so much to so many people has been the biggest surprise for me. >> ifill: as with other smithsonian museums, one building cannot begin to hold its collection. conservator antje neumann has helped preserve the collection at the museum's facility in a washington suburb. >> there's always the balance between preservation and exhibition, and allowing the public to see the national treasures, and then also balancing that with preserving it for future generations. it's lovely to have a place to highligh

their children to any school they want else i cleaned people depth discovering new rights and james baldwin was west. baldwin was too mess mystic about what could be accomplished in america. farmer cut a striking fig, radiating dignity and composure defending baldwin and he tried to tamp down with each knew cigarette he lit. in his baritone, shades of james earl jones, he countered that theerns of negro ghetto ares form. farmer, the fact of the matter is most of our victories legislative is spoken to south and not the north and the 17-year-old dropout youth in a harlem street couldn't care his is if cousin in mississippi could buy a hot dog him said what about the rats that bite me. buck lee: why don't they kell the rats? a law you can't kill the rat? i'm so tired of that argument. if have rads and put traps all over the place and still there. never been able to get rid of them. farmer e.: in harlem if you kill one'd two more come back too carry his carcuss away. buck lee: why don't that happen in other cities a superb refuge in harlem? do away with refuge. it's a -- farmer when you have an

right -- james baldwin.ith so many black men and women who are being gunned down and arrested they are not even , armed. do you think that strategy or tactics would work today? bobby: the laws have changed. i'm not telling you to use that strategy. don't even go out there with that. the laws have changed. they are waiting on you. if those right-wingers out their push laws in the state legislatures all growth the country, stand your ground, so so-called patriot people can shoot you down, and they get away with it. you see what i mean? that is what that is about. you have open carry in texas but leave that alone. leave that alone. peaceful protest. we do not need guns like we did in the beginning. and remember, there were only 50 elected to duly political office in 1965 all across america. from the lowly city government and part-time government, and how many political seats are there that you can be elected to in america? my demographic research told me this. there are 50,000 political to inone can be elected

when i read between the world and me, i was like, wow, this reminds me of james baldwin.r me, it was nothing like i seen before and it was a message of bringing people together. and it made me, like, just get inspired. when i see good art like that and it reminds me of what my purpose is and that is to bring people together. >> let's talk about the album itself. you have amazing contributors. you mentioned stevie wonder. what was that like? >> to guess, stevie wonder on a song. >> yeah. >> like his song "happy birthday" which is one of the songs that got dr. king's birthday to be a national holiday. i used to play that as a little kid. and didn't even know exactly. i knew it was about dr. king but i didn't know it was like going forwards that message. so for me to have him on a song called "black america again" where i have james brown talking and, you know, we are talking about rewriting the black american story. >> yeah. >> it was just like -- >> a heavy moment. >> i can't believe this. i just have him sitting there in the studio singing and deciding what we are about t

when i read between the world and me, i was like, wow, this reminds me of james baldwin.cky you. >> my fourth time seeing it. >> lucky, lucky you. >> for me, it was nothing like i seen before and it was a message of bringing people together. and it made me, like, just get inspired. when i see good art like that and it reminds me of what my purpose is and that is to bring people together. ,,,,,,,, ♪ >>> we begin this half hour with movie musicals. they were hugely popular from the early days of cinemas and early '50s before their decline. >> oscar contender this year have critics singing its praises and putting the focus of a possibly revival of musicals made just for the big screen. ♪ ♪ city of stars are you shining just for me ♪ >> reporter: they fall in love pursuing their dreams. ♪ >> reporter: it's an homage to the bye gone era of hollywood's golden age. >> it's more like the hollywood classic musical where people just sang to express how they were feeling in these extreme moments of joy or sadness or something like that. so, yeah, it absolutely feels like the sort of

james mattis, secretary of defense. two nights later, saturday morning, alec baldwin, unwatchable, terrible, preposterous.sad. >> occurred to me when jill stein started her recounts and press is running around whether this is a challenge to his electoral total. suddenly trump's tweeting illegals voted for her by millions, illegal millions. next day he tweets if you burn the american flag you should be imprisoned or maybe your citizenship should be taken way. press runs around like little terriers finding cases that you can't do with that. he is playing these people. that is what performance artist was. he is disrupting them and won't let anything stay stable in the media. martha: this is fascinating, bill. we have never seen anything like this? >> i think dick cheney had a similar take. didn't use the laid city gaga reference. donald trump tweets because it works for him. a way to bypass the media not respond to their questions and have them respond to his. for example on the flag, when he says people should be locked up, the press goes all crazy you can't put people in jail. what he is really doing sayin

in the composure as he condescended baldwin but it was a frustration and anger that he seemed to tap down with each new sticker that he went. it was shades of james earl jones and the concerns of the northern veterans. the fact of the matter is most of the victories were spoken to the south and not to the north. they couldn't care less if the cousin of mississippi could buyu a hotdog he said what about the wrath of my what about theheme. cockroaches? why don't they kill them is there a wall that says youi'm can't? i'm so tired of that argument. in harlem if you kill one you would come back to carr. the carcass away. buckley, why doesn't that happer in other cities are there specials in harle harlem why dot they do away with the refuge. farmer. when you have an entire -- look, i'm not suggesting the municipal lies and garbage collection. you are in favor of the collection then? i'm in favor of socialized garbage.eryone lau everyone laughed and the attention was eased that he wouldn't lebut hewouldn't let gs insistencenothing . he suggested he's being melodramatic. there were moments in the program as when they discussedef the nature of the goals o

baldwin. he's known as "mad dog" or the warrior monk. he's the chosen defense secretary. the president-elect revealed his pick of retired marine corps general jameso tell you this because i want to save the suspense for next week. we are going to appoint mad dog mattis -- [ cheers and applause ] as our secretary of defense. >> how about this for a resume? the four-star general has served 44 years in the military. he is known for some colorful language, apparently 11 years ago he said "it's fun to shoot them, you know, it's a hell of a hoot. it's fun to shoot some people." but he's credited for his leadership in the battle of fallujah and cherished words of encouragement to his troops. he wrote this letter to marines one day before beginning the 2003 assault into iraq. he wrote in part "you are part of the world's most feared and trusted force. engage your brain before you engage your weapon. fight with a happy heart and strong spirit, demonstrate to the world there is no better friend, no worse enemy than a u.s. marine." with me now, staff sergeant richard ammandor, he served three deployments under general mattis and has called mattis the real d