amy: jonathan barry-blocker, and you for being with us visiting professor at the , university of floridais grandfather, the late reverend ernest blocker, is a survivor of the 1923 rosewood massacre. 100 years ago this month. next up, we speak with the former head of the naacp ben jealous. he has a memoir out, "never forget our people were always free: a parable of american healing." stay with us. ♪♪ [music break] amy: from the soundtrack of "rosewood." this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman with juan gonzalez. as we turn from the 100th anniversary of the rosewood massacre in florida to ben jealous, former head of the naacp for years, then head of the people for the american way, and soon to be head of the sierra club. he has just written a new memoir that is out today, "never forget our people were always free: a parable of american healin" welcome back to democracy now! it is great to have you with us. congratulations on the publication of your memoir. i want to go back to your grandmother and her grandfather who was born into slavery. you ar

. >> reporter: two generations late e jonathan barry-blocker, a deskren denlts of a rosewood survivord his grandfather was separated from his family during the terror. some family members were never reunited again. burying his painful memories by refusing to ever speak about what happened. >> i didn't learn his connection about rosewood until i was 13 when the move came about. >> i was born and raised in rosewood. this here is my home. >> my father sat me down and informed me that people may ask questions in light of this movie, and i didn't know why. he said, well, your grandfather was involved in it. >> colored folks own all the land around here, all the businesses too. >> reporter: the 1997 mean "rosewood," this movie, the first time blocker learned what he said had been haunting his grandfather. >> it wasn't a forward counting of events, but the gist was someone lied, someone destroyed a whole community of lives, someone actually caused people to lose living violently and suffer violence, and i just thought that was unconscionable. >> reporter: blocker said his grandfather applied

. >> professor teaching in the classroom and on the airwaves and every day, professor jonathan barry-blockerh. great to see you. >> thank you. >> we'll be right back. hey! that's mine. i'll buy you a pony. advanced hydration isn't just for kids. pedialyte helps s you hydrate during recovery. ooh, we're firing up the chewy app. can't say no to these prices! hmm, clumping litter? resounding yes! hmm,salmon paté?tter? ve that for me! essentials? check! ooh, we have enough to ! we did it, i feel so accomplished. pet me, please! okay that's enough. now back to me time. luv you! great prices. happy pets. chewy. if your moderate to severe crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis symptoms are stopping you in your tracks... choose stelara® from the start... and move toward relief after the first dose... with injections every two months. stelara® may increase your risk of infections, some serious, and cancer. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, sores, new skin growths, have had cancer, or if you need a vaccine. pres, a rare, potentially fatal

. >> reporter: two generations later, jonathan barry-blocker, a deskren accident of a rosewood survivorr. some family members were never reunited again, burying his painful memories by refusing to speak about whatever happened. >> i was born and raised in rosewood. >> reporter: the movie "rosewood" -- >> my father sat me down and said people may ask questions in light of this movie and i didn't know why. he said, well, your grandfather was involved. >> colored folks own all the land around here, all the businesses too. >> reporter: this movie, the first time blocker learned is what had been haunting his grandfather. >> it wasn't a forward recounting of events, but the gist was someone lied. someone destroyed a whole community of lives. someone actually caused people to lose lives violently and suffer violence. and i just thought that was unconscionable. >> reporter: blocker said his grandfather applied for compensation from the state but was denied because he couldn't prove he owned land in rosewood. fearing death, blocker's grandfather along with many of the other survivors never retur