about three and half years ago, i talked -- i was having a cup of coffee with phil griffin.ing about doing something on television, to show how far we've come as a country, with race and then what lays ahead. and i said, i would like to do something up town and tape something with prominent people. he said, no, live. i said, live? he said, big people, think big, think huge. so, he said, msnbc is the place you've got to do it. this is way before "politicsnation." so i'm not sure if tonight was my idea or phil's idea, but i am sure that we are here, we're thinking big. msnbc is showing the world where we've come in 50 years and where we're on our way. we'll be right back. my asthma's under control. i don't miss out... you sat out most of our game yesterday! asthma doesn't affect my job... you were out sick last week. my asthma doesn't bother my family... you coughed all through our date night! i hardly use my rescue inhaler at all. what did you say? how about - every day? coping with asthma isn't controlling it. test your level of control at asthma.com, then talk to your docto

. >> we have a small one downtown that phil griffin gives, chris matthews and i do it every night.t you also represent one that didn't forget how to come back and help others dream. you started in louisiana. >> yeah. >> you had, like many of us, a difficult childhood. issues with your father. all of us -- well, some of us have, i have. and, yet, somehow you was able to discipline yourself and insulate yourself. tell us about how you dealt with this childhood, because maybe people watching think that you got to have a certain pedigree and a certain background in order to do something. you went past all of them dealing not only with problem of race but class inside of our race. >> yeah. >> and you still busted through. >> well, i appreciate that, wretched. i tell you, for me, you talk an where you come from. my -- i was talking to my sister earlier before i came. i told her i was going to do this and advancing the dream. we started talking about my great-great grandfather. i remember being about 4 or 5 years old. he was very old at the time. laying in the bed. i would visit my grandm

phil griffin, there it is. there's the "morning joe" helicopter.sts a lot of money. >> joining the table, the host of msnbc's "politics nation" and president of the national action network, reverend al sharpton. and in chicago, former senior adviser to president obama and director of the university of chicago's institute of politics and msnbc contributor david axelrod. good to have you all on board this hour. >> al, you have something big going on at the apollo. >> advancing the dream. 50 years after the march on washington and dr. king's speech, the march, laid out what we want from congress, tonight we're going to celebrate how far we've come. >> stevie is coming. >> stevie wonder. >> magic johnson. tyler perry and i did an interview with condoleezza rice, none of whom could have made it without dr. king and the movement and they're going to talk about their struggles, what they face, how they made it. and where we need to go 50 years from now. they're going to talk about what we need to do to make the dream real. >> we heard so many stories. con

you know about three and a half years ago, i talked -- i was having a cup of coffee with phil griffin about doing something on television to show how far we've come as a country with race. and then what lays ahead. and i said you know i would like to do something up town and take something with prominent people. and he said no live, big people, think big, huge. so he said msnbc is the place you got to do it. this is way before "politics nation." so i'm not sure if tonight was my idea or phil's idea but i am sure we're here we're thinking big, msnbc is showing the world where we've come in 50 years, and where we are on our way. we'll be right back. with the spark miles card from capital one bjorn earns unlimited rewards for his small business. take these bags to room 12 please. [ garth ] bjorn's small business earns double miles on every purchase every day. produce delivery. [ bjorn ] just put it on my spark card. [ garth ] why settle for less? ahh, oh! [ garth ] great businesses deserve unlimited rewards. here's your wake up call. [ male announcer ] get the spark business card from ca

phil griffin ran across the street. i've never seen him come across to our studio ever.great. it was like, she was totally unchained. like, she was free. it was like -- it was life was happening. it wasn't structured and where we stand. she just said what she wanted when she wanted and it was great. i got to tell you, i knew we would work well together. i just didn't know we would be such great friends. she is spontaneous and funny and insightful. she has great depth. you don't know someone till you sit with them. i could have eaten lunch with them every day and we would never run out of something to talk about. >> that is so cool. what is cooler is that it translates through the camera. they say the camera doesn't lie. >> yeah, i think you know what? i really like her. i think she is so funny and has ridiculous timing. i don't even know where it comes from. >> no one else does either. tomorrow at this time, though da talks about candidly about being a cancer survivor and how the whole wines day wednesday theme got started on "today." more on the new interview with amand

griffin king joins us this morning. >> goo. so on friday the state senate passed a bill that was crafted by san francisco's very own assemblyman philwhat this bill does is it declares that the warriors arena is an appropriate use of the waterfront. now, this is why this is important. technically, the people of california own all waterfront property throughout the state. and the state legislature is -- holds that waterfront property in trust. now, the san francisco port is allowed to do certain things here and there, but basically you can't build just anything on the waterfront. one of the most fundamental requirements for any kind of waterfront development is that it be water-related or maritime- related. so a cruise ship terminal would work. but hotels and condos, probably not. and the reason for that is to make sure that the public continues to have access to that waterfront property. so he said we are not going to debate. we declare that this arena is consistent with those purposes. we are going to declare that the arena is water-related so long as it does things like have parks and public access and allow boats -- some boats to