amy: i want to bring michelle duster into this conversation.in, today, we are joined by two historic figures. yes, we're joined by reverend wheeler parker, jr., the best friend and cousin of emmett till , and michelle duster, the great-granddaughter of ida b. wells, the pioneering antilynching journalist who won a posthumous pulitzer prize two years ago in 2020. that was you we just watched at the white house, speaking at the signing of the act. your thoughts today? i echo what reverend wheeler said. it is jus amazing -- reverend parker. just the fact that finally in 2022, have justice, we have laws in place that were fought for so long ago. better late than never and hopefully going forward, there will be more justice for crimes that are hate-based and racially-based. amy: let's talk about your great-grandmother ida b. wells, this remarkable figure in u.s. history. talk about how lynching, with the original lynching that motivated her more than 100 years ago of her three friends. talk about what happened. >> in 1892, three of my great grandmot

including item b wells great-granddaughter michelle duster whom i am honored to introduce to mark this welcome to the white house and welcome to the podium and is my mother would say, god love you dear. [applause] >> and going to take a moment to take in this. it has been a very long time. thank you president biden for that introduction and for your leadership in assigning this bill into law. my brother, dan, and i are honored to be here and represent our great-grandmother ida b wells barney who once said our country's national crime is lynching. she was born enslaved in 1862 holly springs, mississippi the same state work 14-year-old emmett till was lynched 93 years later. she became one of the first investigative and most prominent journalists and civil rights activists of that's our time. she carefully chronicled the names, dates, locations, and excuses used to justify lynching. she wrote articles and pamphlets and gave speeches about the atrocity. and it was personal to her because three of her enterprising friends, thomas moss, will stuart, and calvin mcdowell who co- owned a groce