kevin young is a celebrated poet, essayist, and the director of the national museum of african-american historyture, idea that was first proposed 101 years ago by black veterans who hoped the country would remember

for performing arts the national gallery of art carnegie hall the high line the committee to protect journalists and the smithsonian national museum of african american history and culture my personal favorite museum in the country, by the way in addition to his phenomenal philanthropic work. he's also the recipient of 16 honorary degrees and university awards including harvard university's w e b dubois medal. finally are others featured speaker. today is a man that has shown perseverance and audaciousness while leading the tulane community through covid-19 outbreaks and category for hurricanes. through thick and thin his care for tulane students and our community is evident through his actions whether it is personally checking on students who were forced to spend the holiday season and quarantine due to covid exposure socially distance, of course helping that student evacuation process during hurricane ida, or even just a simple conversation while running into him at the commons. i'm honored to have him as a fearless leader of our community and a personal mentor of my own. please welcome to the stage elaine's very own president fitz. please also welcome to

of people asked me about this exhibit, why is it here? if you know your smithsonian landscape you know that right next door to the national museum of american history is the national museum of african american history and culture why isn't this there? a couple reasons, first they have a till exhibit and it's amazing. they don't need another one. more than that they know the demographics of their visitors. they know that people go to the african american museum to see a certain side of american history. those that don't want that side come to the american history museum, which tends towards the patriotic. the go america cheerleading. as you can see in the background of this picture the 200 foot rendition of the betsy ross flag. i have got to say, i love that they put this on at the entrance to flag hall! ble towhen it was here, and have moved to a different place now. when it wasn't flag hall, it was impossible to walk into the museum and see either the star-spangled banner in the background or the emmett till sign in the foreground without also seeing the other thing. it's as if to say, both of these are parts of american history. that seemed supersmart to me. i got to go for the d

your smithsonian landscape, you know that right next door to the national museum of american history. is the national museum of african-american history and culture, so so why isn't this there? a couple reasons first they have a till exhibit and it's amazing right so they don't need another one. but more than that. the smithsonian knows the demographics of their visitors they know. that people go to the african-american museum to see a certain side of american history and those who don't want that side of american history come to the sort of they come to the american history museum which tends towards the patriotic and the sort of the rah-rah go america, right as you can see in the background of this picture with the 200 foot rendition. of the betsy ross flag but i got to say i love that they put this sign. in the entrance to flag hall because it when it was here. it's moved to a different place now, but when it was in flag hall it was impossible to walk into the museum and see either. the star-spangled banner in the background or the emmett till sign in the foreground without also seeing the other thing is as if to s

african americans are the most forgiving people on earth. and if you walk through the national museum of african american history or cultured downtown or the civil rights museum with a lorraine motel where dr. martin luther king, dr. martin luther king was killed. that journey will confirm the truth of what you said. where do we go from here on this? um, i i think we first recognize. okay. first off to white people you got to recognize that we understand it's painful to talk about this. we've been in pain for a long time. okay over this and we don't enjoy talking about this. we'd like to get the point where we don't have to talk about this this anymore, but it continues. okay, so you may have to walk through the pain. it's not like anybody's trying to hurt you. okay, but but give us that you want to talk about american history. let's go back and tell the whole story. okay, let's not just give us a month that we're coming out of let's go back. tell the whole story. okay, that's one thing the other thing i would say though to black people and progressives and say this in the book. maybe we shouldn't. come out of our feelings all the time. okay, if

museum should not be controversial and it has been done before with regard to the african american museum, the national museum of american latinos. these museums represent progress. they help us better understand one another and of our shared history as americans. now we have a chance to build on this progress by creating a commission to study a similar museum to highlight the history and legacies of the a.p.i. individuals and communities in this country and of course this bill represents a significant step towards an america that celebrates and encourages the rich diversity of our people. with that, mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the committee on energy and natural resources be discharged from further consideration of h.r. 3525, and that the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: h.r. 3525, an act to establish the commission to study the potential creation of the national museum of asian pacific american history and culture and for other purposes. the presiding officer: without objection, the committee is discharged, and the senate will proceed. ms. hirono: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed a

national museum of american history in new york city within the past few weeks has removed a statue of him that was set out there for a long time of him on horseback flanked by an african and a native american. which was interpreted to be and probably correctly as an endorsement of roosevelt's imperial image. and the museum felt that that was so controversial and not in keeping with their commitments to equality that they needed to move it somewhere else. it's now in arizona's way to south dakota where they're building a presidential. i'm sorry north dakota where they're building a presidential museum and library for roosevelt and where that statue can be studied in context. so he has his popularity, but especially in terms of race. he's very conflicted and very difficult to. analyze today most people find something they like about tr the personality you guys since that if you took an outline, there's a quote from richard washburn child that you go to the roosevelt. do you go to the white house you meet with roosevelt you shake hands with them and then you go home. they bring the personality out of your clothes, right? they just kind of this magnetic figure. always wor

national museum of american history in new york city, within the past few weeks, has removed a statue of him that was set out there for a long time of him on horseback flanked by an african and a native american. which was interpreted to be, and probably correctly, as an endorsement of roosevelt's imperial image. and the museum felt that that was so controversial and not in keeping with their commits to a quality, that they needed to move it somewhere else. it's now on its way to south dakota, where they are building a presidential, i'm sorry, north dakota, where they are building a presidential museum and library, where the statue can be studied in context. so, he has his popularity but especially in terms of race, he's very conflicted and very difficult to analyze today. most people find something they like about tr. the personality, you got a sense of that if you took an outline, there was a quote from richard wash brain child if you go to the roosevelt, you go to the white house, you meet with roosevelt, you shake hands with him, and then you go home to ring the personality out of your clothes, right? he's kind of just this magnetic figure. or his work on conservatio