tavis: we have to talk about marion anderson.here is something i want to come back to and have you unpack for me. i recall reading a critic that was critical of you and reviewing the liner notes, he thought the you should have been given more credit. it appeared to me that he was complaining about the fact that he gave so much love to your gospel heritage given who do have become. i am only raising that to ask why it is and how is. that to this day, you are so adamant about getting all of the profs necessary to your gospel of bringing. >> and those on my roots. i sing in languages that i speak. when i am singing a schubert song, i know what every word means. and strauss, wagner, things like that. i had the pleasure and privilege of studying in the learning something that is -- you are 5 years old and hearing your grandmother in the kitchen, singing herself through the day. she would sing as my mother and her sisters would sing themselves through whatever occupation they're taking their time. it was clear to me, hundreds of songs

i remember when marion anderson would sing, my grandmother made us be quiet and respectful before greatness. every once in a while a neighbor would come by and would excuse herself and come out with a pitcher of lemonade or ice tea. she had those tea cakes that i loved. most of the time children would say go on and play. you wouldn't listen to grown up's conversation. at that point we were all welcome. the stories were layered. seniors got something that the young parents and fathers learned, then teenagers and little ones. we all got something out of the story. they were layered. i try to do that in my writing. i try to layer so that the reader who is sharing the story with the young person will get something out of it or see something they can learn from as well. my mother loved to do poetry. i would sit in the hallow of her arm and begin resiting dunbar poetry. [inaudible] you as dirty as me. look at that mouth. him being so sweet and sticky, goodness. i would say momma, do it again, please. i would beg her to do it again, she would say, no, go to bed, now. i grew up listening to dunbar

itself of probably the worst scourges on it, and that would be for her to come out and stand for marion anderson so that she could sing on the steps of the lincoln memorial. she also stood up for the to ski e. merriman, whose heroically stood up for -- the tuskegee airmen, who heroically stood up for this nation. she also stood up for the founder of the food group in college. -- cookman college. i just give a shout out to both of those presidential ladies. thank you. guest: 8 grade point, philip. i absolutely agree. great point.n she said a great example for the first ladies -- set a great example for the first lady's i came after her. host: what about lady bird johnson? guest: had a tremendous legacy. she was very much involved in the conservation of the environment. the highway beautification project that was part of the 1960's, she was very involved in that. and again, also had of her time. we are very focused on protecting the environment today, but in the 1960's, lady bird johnson was putting her mark on that subject. and was very focused on raising her family. after they left the white hou

of probably the worst scurge upon it, and that would be for her to come out and stand up for marion anderson, so that she could sing on the steps of the lincoln memorial. she also stood up for the tuskegee airmen who heroically defended this nation and also stood up for education of black children at the collegiate level which joined hands with the founder of the college and it was just not something done at that time on behalf of the african-americans and the national well good. so i just give a shout out to both those presidential ladies. thank you. guest: great point, phillip. i absolutely agree. she was quite the -- she was quite the first lady, and in some aspects was ahead of her time. very active and very visible in this part of the administration and set a great example for first ladies that came after her. host: what about the following first ladies? lady bird johnson joo? guest: lady bird johnson was very involved in the conservation of the environment. the highway beautiful indication of the 1960's, she was very involved in that and also ahead of her time. very focused on protecti