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>> to me at his home, a place where we come to see who we really are, not just someone else's reflection of who we are. >> a place of culture. it's a place of history. it's a place of knowledge. >> the schaumburg assignor to me as a depository of all the things that have documented our works as a people. >> for me that means it is a place of events power. >> the center is a public research library in a cultural institution. >> the study of the pan african world it is perhaps the best in the world. >> my schaumburg assignor. >> said black history and culture and intellect exist at a time when most people did not believe that he collected those

evidences. >> has expanded and grown to where it is now a world-class institution. >> it holds over 10 million items. >> there's no parallel anywhere that brings to light what we have people have done. >> black culture is our culture, the universal that animates everyone's a life happens here for all people. ♪ >> one of the center pillars of harlem. when i started finding out about red rooster in harlem the very first place i went to. researchers from around the world coming use what we have here. >> i could not have written about any of the books i've written without the schaumburg center archives. >> the schaumburg center is much more than a library. we encourage lifelong learning.

>> junior scholars program and saturday program with the students from fifth grade to senior year in high school to help them learn about black history. >> learning about my history is important because it teaches me who i am. >> will do nothing but uplift. >> so many talented and brilliant people have a walk to the corners of this amazing institution of the years from octavia butler to toni ravel morrison and james baldwin, ella fitzgerald, alton elite and harry belafonte who graced the stage of this room, the american negro theater. >> great books, great memories. it's a gift to us. community tried to find that space to reflect black experience. i just knew the environment of what i saw with these young african-american students was a place i needed to be.

>> what is my schaumburg center? on stealing here at the cosmic graph which holds that ashes. with his cosmic graph was dedicated people began. a jazz trio struck up. they started to dance on top of the ashes and i thought what a fitting way to kiss the memory. >> the center is a research institute and so much more than that. >> there is something going on every day. >> so many amazing people come here to talk about their creative crafts, to share what inspires them. the center's collection helped to tell stories even beyond our walls. >> the center is here in this exhibition-- we depend on the

researches to enable us to tell the story. 's thinking about the application of the past on the present is crucial for understanding the next step, understanding what we have to do to go forward. >> we, today, have a responsibility of making sure new artist and activists, new scholars and poets now that this place continues to be a resource and a source of inspiration to the work we must continue. >> the center is knowledge. >> the schaumburg center to me as education. >> the center's home, family. it is foundational scene at the center is inspirational. >> it's within everything i do. >> community, inside and out. >> the schaumburg center is here and we invite you and everyone of you to find your schaumburg center.

>> good evening. good evening. [applause]. thank you all for being so patient with us as we get our program started. we know everyone wanted to be here tonight so we wanted to make sure everyone gets to be here tonight, so thank you for being in the audience. on the associate director for public programs of exhibitions here for research in black culture. if you enjoy programs like this evening's, i encourage you to pick up our catalog of events located in the lobby with a picture of charles light on the front who is an artist you all should know. he also has a retrospective currently, so check out the art there. you can find programs listed on our website as well as on event bright.com. where you may have registered for this evening's program. one thing coming up this month

that you should see october 25, we have a brilliant scholar and historian discussing the history and unfortunately present nature of motor depression in this country. is chronicled in her latest book. how voter suppression is about-- destroying our democracy. you can register for that event. want to say thank you for our schaumburg society members who allows to bringing this and this another engaging conversation, film screening, musical performances mostly for the low cost of free, so all year round. come on, you know new york. if you are looking for other ways to support the center we could not have public programs if we don't have an audience, so we thank you for your presence, but if you're looking for additional ways to support the center you can do so becoming a society member and we start off our society membership at $35

and like i said: you make these programs possible. i ask you now to silence your cell phones and also turn off the flash on your phone. again, silence your cell phone and turn off the flash. it does get a little distracting to hear your phone go off as well as the flash, but we hope you take this conversation online if you're in social media or twitter or instagram you can find the schaumburg center on all those places. i hoped we would see kevin young, the director and if he appears i will have him come out and say welcome, but allow me to welcome one of our special guest this evening, first lady shure lane mcclay. [applause]. as you may or may not know she's the-- we hosted about gracie manson macleod so she's a

stranger to us here. she's participated in our series/tear so we thank you for joining us again for tonight's program. think you. tonight we have a brilliant conversation between the lines "for colored girls who have considered politics" this season we unearth and reveal stories of black women, some names you know and others not as familiar who have made history and left an imprint on american culture, but whose history are largely absent from the mainstream. we will hear from donna brazil, yolanda caraway, leah daughtry and minyon moore for the most influential african-american women in the united states politics. first, going ask you to please welcome to the stage our moderator rebecca cairo-- carol.

she's a cultural critic and editor of special project. she develops and produces and josé brought away of multiplatform content. her weekly conversation on race and culture for wnyc morning edition and is a critic at large for the los angeles times in a regular columnist. she's the author of several interview -based books about race in blackness in america and personal essay and opinion pieces have been published widely. her forthcoming book will be published by simon and schuster in 2020 and i highly recommend that work when it out because rebecca really is a brilliant writer. introducing tonight featured guest is no stranger to the schaumburg center. she knows them best. she's the co-author of tonight spoke. first a little bit more.

veronica chambers work includes several "new york times" best-selling-- the sellers. everything all right? okay. right on. we got to check on each other appear at the schaumburg center. that's what we do. veronica chambers work includes several "new york times" bestsellers. she's a proud contributor to the upcoming well read black girl anthology which is auditing of this month and editor at the "new york times" where she's currently working on stories that amplify the powerful connection between photography, history and memory. as i mentioned tonight she joins us as a co-author of a book we are celebrating for "for colored girls who have considered politics". i will let you know following the program we will have a book citing the four women as well as

veronica chambers. if you don't have the book, you can buy the book in our schaumburg shop. with that said veronica chambers. [applause]. actually before we do that i'm going to ask kevin young to join us to give you a welcome. [applause]. >> how is everyone today? we can do better than that. how is everyone? that's what i think. what a good day in harlem today. thank you all for coming out. on kevin young, the director here. i just got here from traffic so i appreciate y'all coming and come to this home that it was 93 years ago that his collection came here to the 135th street branch and help jumpstart what is now the schaumburg center. last year we were named as you probably know national historic landmark. that's exciting.

i think with a round of applause [applause]. since then, we have been really busy getting great collections from the manuscript of the autobiography of malcolm x which you may have heard about to james baldwin's papers and i like to think it bringing the sons and daughters of harlem home and that's important to me because harlem is a black cultural capital of the world and having that material here, it's been here for 93 years and we added-- add to it. it so important. it's also bringing things also called. and james baldwin was born in hall-- harlem and he got books right here from the schaumburg center. sonny rollins lived in many different places around here, but no more than a block or two from the schaumburg center. when we met with him we were packing up his papers. it was amazing to talk to him about what it meant to him to

have him back here. this means a lot to us. it means a lot to the people whose papers we have the pleasure of holding and i hope it means a lot to you. i want to welcome this evening the first lady of the city of new york. where is she? thank you. [applause]. we love having you. we had to do last year for book club on the stage and we want to do that again, just hint. we love having you here in thinking about schaumburg. on going to let you get started here with this wonderful colored girls event. as you know colored girls was named after for colored girls who consider suicide and as a poet myself and these are some

of our great thinkers and writers today, so please enjoy them and i will see you later. [applause]. >> now, please welcome veronica chambers. [applause]. >> good evening. it's my pleasure to introduce the colored girls. i'm going to bring them out on stage and to tell you little bit about them in this book. donna brazil is a veteran. [applause]. democratic political strategist. here she is. [applause]. she's an adjunct professor at georgetown university, author, television political commentator and former chair of the democratic party. yolanda caraway is the founder of the caraway group, a

nationally recognized public affairs agency. she's played a major role in achieving goals and objectives of the national democratic party. the reverend a leah daughtry. [applause]. nationally recognized preacher, speaker, organizer, leader, strategist and ceo of the 2008 and 2016 democratic national convention and minyon moore. [applause]. is a partner of the dewey prayer group former ceo of the democratic national committee and served as the assistant of the president of the united states and director of the white house office of political affairs under president bill clinton.

it was december, 2014 when i first met the colored girls. i had just been to dc for the white house christmas tree lighting and it was pouring rain and my daughter who was seven would not stop talking. aretha franklin came out and i shushed my daughter for the hundredth time. i said please quiet and she said i don't even know who that lady is and i thought epic fail. i tried. she knew ella m louis and dine out washington, but she did not know of aretha. huge gap in her education. a few days later i found myself in a conference room with donna brazil, minyon moore leah daughtry and yolanda caraway and despite my good education and awards to listen to them speak i felt like i was the shameful 7-year old. i felt immediately the gaps in my own education about leadership and policy and how we

have constructed what is called the american experiment. per the very first mimic them to the days here we typed that ends on the book i called the wisdom and the woods of these woman vitamin c. you could talk to any of these woman are text memo on have them on speakerphone when you try to pick up your kids from school and they will in the most beautiful way remind you that the definition of being a colored girl regardless of your color or even if you call yourself a girl is that you don't give up. you don't sit out the hard fight voting isn't something you do every once in a while. voting is a lifestyle. [applause]. one of my favorite doses of vitamin cd that i took straight to my parenting and my marriage, telling y'all truth now is dealt major in the minors. you ask any of them something,

start complaining about something and they say don't major the minors. imagine waking up in the morning after a hellacious week and getting an e-mail like this: we are hopeful people. we are forgetting people. we are people who believe in a second chance. we are constantly moving forward in faith and it doesn't require you to be christian to believe in this. working on this book made me a better mother, better citizen and better all-around, but that is the essence of vitamin cg, leave the people in the places you encounter a little better than you found them or at least try. it's my pleasure to introduce this evening's program with rebecca carol and the truly incomparable colored girls. [applause]. >> thank you, veronica. thank you. >> that was beautiful. obviously this book with a lot

of energy and momentum and very timely but before we talk about what's in the book let's talk about how the book came about and how you all work together and what that process was like and i know y'all were friends. i had the pleasure to be in the green room with them earlier in the energy, the vitality, camaraderie, so who would like to start? donna, which you like to start? >> of course i would like to start. >> i had an inkling. >> don always wants to start. i've been like this since i was a young kid, so i like to get things rolling. first of all, hello, harlem. , harlem. what a great honor it is to be at the schaumburg center to our esteemed sponsors, to kevin, thank you so much. st. martin press, who helped us

put words on paper to our agent gail and to the first lady-- where's the first lady? first lady of a great city of new york and to leo's parents who are here. [applause]. and to all of the brazil's here. [applause]. outside of new orleans this is where we are. i'm home. >> can i interrupt to say we are very very lucky to have the sicily tyson with us this evening. [applause].

[applause]. >> sicily tyson. [applause]. i love me ms. tyson. we started this process many many years ago. we have been eyewitnesses to some of the most amazing moments in history and some of the most historic figures in american politics, but 30 years ago minyan and i worked on a campaign. we learned one day that the leaders of the campaign wanted to put the quote unquote hierarchy of the campaign on one floor and everyone else on the bottom floors. as you imagine the hierarchy didn't look like any of us, but everyone on the bottom did and so that afternoon and i see my brother who is a part of that

journey as well-- well, guess what, we decided to go upstairs and find ourselves an empty room and turned it into a room that was open to everyone because as colored girls we shall not be moved to. we've been moving in politics ever sense. if it were up to us, on election day on tuesday november 6, we would make sure we change the face of congress, change the face of statehouses and get ready to kick out the men in the white house. [applause]. >> what else is there to say after all of that? about the book, the actual book. >> lets it down and write a book >> well, the book process came after this particular meeting we had. we had gotten invited by one of our friends who had observed

some of our dinners. we had gotten invited to california by a cable station. they thought we were very interesting based on the pilot she had given to them-- the treatment if you will so we went out there, for black women and love a great hotel in california we went out there and thought we would have a nice hotel, nice meal on them so we went out there and go into this big executive conference room and it's really like what are all these people doing here, but anyway we go in and they asked serious questions like you are about to ask us, sitting around the table, but we have a tendency to start talking to each other and forget the people in the room so one of the executives in charge said we want this. we want this to be a series and we all looked at each other. what y'all talk about you in a series? where's your lawyer max we came

out of the room and said that's interesting so we got a little lawyer and went into a contract with them. then we started getting the script itself and of the script as donna termed it became a work of fiction and we had a very dear friend had told us and he actually helped us think about it because we have the type of women i don't think about ourselves like this. he said you have done too much history. you know too much in a good way and for you to go out-- we let them read the script and for you to go out with this script and people don't know you and know your journey, i think, it would be an injustice for you all so we kind of pull back a little bit. we came to the book process and then we were introduced to the lovely veronica who is just a beautiful soul who wrangles 500,000 women to try to just-- it was like wrangling 500,000 women, the four of us. i must tell you openly and publicly she was the best person

that could have done this because any other person would have let us go a long time ago. we love her for that. that's how we got to the book. >> this is your first book certainly together and how did you start thinking about outlining it or what is the first anecdote or how did you think we will introduce ourselves at the doppler what was the best way to pull people into it because it's a book about politics and politics are as we were discussing earlier too many very offputting and i think it's so critical right now for politics to not be offputting and that is-- that has fallen somewhat heavily on the shoulders of black women to be constructing is not lost on any of us, i don't think. so, talk about how you thought to engage the reader, not just with your friendship and knowledge in history, but in a way that really, donna, you said

would change the course of history. >> so, i think our process was we had veronica come to our dinner. we spent a lot of time with veronica, so she got to observe the interaction between us. did a lot about reporting. we did a lot of writing and anecdotes and stories and issue was really the weaver that sort of war over all of our stories, all of our recollections that pushed us and prodded us about things that we may forget, but it was also helpful because she is not in the political world, so she was able to bring us back when we were getting overly complicated or started talking about the party rules and we will just spend an hour on the party rules, but she helped bring us back to what the average voter or reader might find interesting or engagement

or the questions they may have your four alas, we have been in it so long certainly for me we've been ended a long time so it's an interesting dynamic between getting lost in the party move and recalling where my people of brooklyn and what the issues are that concerns our people in brooklyn and all the other parts of brooklyn and what is important for them and how you weave those things together and i think for all of us is part of our value to the process because we are so connected to our community. we do understand the issues that are facing a. we can explain that in a way that people get it, to the folks in those rooms and at the same time we can say what's happening in those rooms and take it back to the people in a way that's engaging that they can grasp what we talking about. >> and i think we really wanted to do a handbook. we wanted to talk about our experiences with some a great stories in the book of the last 30 years with all the great

people with known and worked with, but we wanted to write a handbook for young people, not just an bad people but young people who wanted to get into public service and hopefully that's what we've accomplished. >> i think there are a lot of folks who would argue or consider that public service in politics are two different things and how would you respond to that? >> i would say they are one in the same because your whole life is obviously-- can be dictated by politics, but when people say public service that means you are actually working on behalf of people and theoretically that is what politicians are supposed to do. >> so, you have arrived at my point which clearly we don't have the happening. >> but, we don't have as holding them accountable, either. you can't expect to elect anyone and let them go. you have to stay engaged in this

>> to stay vigilant for sure. >> you do. you can't just elect people and walk away and think they are going to do it they are supposed to do. you have to hold them accountable. >> i think after think about when you go to the polls you are hiring an employee and there is no job i've ever worked out where the boss hires me and i never see the boss again. that the boss never comes and check sense is where you doing. this meets my standard or it doesn't. we have to think about elected officials in the same way. i hired you to do a job. on going to be checking on you. i'm going to make myself a nuisance and if you're not performing at the level i think you ought to then i will have to get rid of you and get someone else. >> that's what you do. >> throughout the book we talk about our service in and out of public office because we have worked for politicians. we have elected a hell of a lot of politicians.

we raise money for politicians. this morning i raised-- we were on the phone early, $33000 for the democratic party. we care. at the same time i was raising hell because i am bothered by the fact that there are people down in georgia and florida without rights who are using old trees to write out hell because they have no food there's no grocery store and donald trump might go to one part of the panhandle, but there are other parts that no politician will never go to and some party is missing in action otherwise known as fema to give them help, so we are called to serve. it's not about us. it's about our calling to serve a much larger purpose and throughout the book we talk about the times in which we haven't called. we have been answering the call. >> i agree, certainly, in theory

what you are saying and devils advocate a little bit we are at such a critical point in time right now that to make politics or the vote, to bring that analogy of we are hiring someone to our communities and to then leave that there, how do we keep pulling that person in to the world of impairment-- empowerment because i think you can say that to someone all the time, but there we leave that conversation and look at what's happening in the country. >> i think that's what is part of it, but i also think we elect people based on our emotion and not based on our-- not based on education, healthcare and a so she read a quote that we say all the time, voting-- yeah, it's just not an activity.

it's a lifestyle so when we are talking to young people and i'm sure there is plenty in here, they had to seek voting as essential as they see eating because it changes so much. we have to get away from being hyped up. i understand when president obama was elected we were all proud and wanted that, but then it died down. that shouldn't be because the result of that was trump. the result was all the policies in place that he put in place to help them and to help us have been dismantled by a group of men who don't care, so we have to translate-- for all of us that consider ourselves educated that love our children, that love, we have to make them understand this is serious serious business and its not like you get up here and listen to a song from duty. that ain't going to work no more >> doesn't it also very much matter whose voice elevates that

message? from whom we hear that especially now? >> absolutely. that's why we must be in the arena. when they say there is not a seat in the room for you, it matters that we have representation. we have to be represented. i do want people making decisions for me. >> i love that quote. i love that history, but i think that if we can get in the room we can't bring a chair. >> you can always get in the room. >> what i think-- >> i have been known in my sisters will attest to it i have pushed my way into a couple of rooms. on not as diplomatic two-- as my sisters to my writer left.

when we met i was working on a campaign, a highly paid person and i went on strike as i did not like the attitude of some people who didn't believe we deserve to have resources and they say we not going to give that money to the black caucus and i said fine i will go home. , on strike. they all call me and say why you on strike and i say because they disrespected-- disrespected us. they respected as i came back to work. >> and you got your check. >> i got my check. >> i appreciate that, i do and a lot of us have taken that same kind of moxie and gusto and lived our lives especially as black women, but at the end of the day and a lot of the young folks are taking that approach, but even as a grown woman with kids who is educated i still feel like there are giant swaths

of politics that i'm shut out of the hat-- in a matter how doors i try to bust down so i'm wondering do you think it through this book and the things you've written are we had a time where we can sort of reevaluate politics as we know it? >> i actually-- i think we have to first demystify this idea politics and what politics is and what it is not. politics is very simply the process through which someone decides who gets what when, where, why and how, very simple. there is politics in church. there is politics in your sorority. there is politics in your community board. there's politics at your pta meeting. we navigate politics everyday in our daily lives. >> politics and your job. who got a raise, who got the corner office, it's all

political, political decision someone is making, so if you understand that then the idea of electoral politics becomes the-- because demystified because if i can navigate this one and that when and who sits there and who ushers when it was in the kitchen and i often say this, i'm a child of the church, fifth-generation pastor dating back to the days of the slave and if i can navigate the church , the democratic party and got nothing on the church and because i honestly because i understand how church works i wasn't afraid of the party. i was afraid of electoral politics. i already knew how to maneuver. it's all about relationships. it's all about how you navigate the relationships. what is your goal? is the same thing we do every single day so we have to get out of the mindset ourselves that it's a thing that only certain

people get to go into. if you can deal with your pta you can run for office. >> we are seeing that now with all of these amazing women running for office around the country. they are not running with the help of the democratic party. they just raise their voice and said we are going to run. >> laurent underwent an illinois is a nurse. these are women who just decided i can do better than the man that's in there now, so i'm going to step on out there and train on the skills i learned navigating hospitals and patients, navigating my children in a classroom and i'm going to transfer that skill set to another arena. what we have allowed is for outside forces to define the politics for us and there's a

reason they want you to think it's complicated. there's a reason they want you to think you can do it and that's to keep us out of a process that we have been navigating for hundreds of years >> early on in the book, you described being introduced to politics as if you had come alive. >> which was striking. >> that you have been written by a bug that you are not aware existed and didn't fully understand that politics could become the great passion of your life. what did it feel like, that feeling of coming alive? >> my first experience-- i grew up in register, new york, and my first experience working on a campaign was working for bob kennedy when he ran for senate in new york states. i know i'm dating myself. i'm old, but a friend of mine asked me i guess in the ninth grade she said why don't you come down and volunteer for bobby kennedy. i said that's interesting.

okay, i will do that. you know, just something to do after school and i got so into it i had to take the bus after school from one side of town on the way to the other side of town and i went in and i stuffed envelopes, made phone calls and by the end of the campaign they had me knocking on doors and i actually sounded like i knew what i was talking about. i had never ever done this. when he won i felt like well, i did when. taiwan. ever since then i have volunteered to work on campaigns , on my teenage years in the way i got involved in a lot of them was just by volunteering. >> and that sense of discovering some kind of-- >> i wanted to be a psychiatric social worker and i went to to help people i'm a but then i found out through politics there are different ways of helping

people and i learned a lot about myself that i didn't know. i found out i was a very good organizer, that i had good political instincts, but i was passionate about issues and it followed me and i grew up through the ranks, gus. >> each of you have moments where you fell you are bitten by the bug or that this was something that made you feel alive? >> i think i did. i grew up in chicago and chicago is a very active city. there was not a campaign that we want involved in, but i remember reverend darrell took me to one of these high-level meetings and at that time i was still the purse holder wasn't like i was in the meeting. i was in the corner in the meeting, but i was listening. they were meeting with harold washington about this historic election and it was every leader in chicago and it was one of the most powerful setting i never

saw my life, but i was struck by the fact that herrell said to them when we really want you to run and he said well, you are patching it big enough because it was most african-americans and he said if you are willing to help me raise money, if you are willing to build a correlation for me, it register new voters than i will consider running. he actually made them give him a game plan because a lot of times there are elected officials start without any base under them and you see the ones that lose, but that's because there's no preparation, so when he decided to run a couple of my friends chance the rapper father, we all marched downtown. we call that the letter l, and we has the front desk whose organizing young people and they looked like we had five heads and they said we don't think we have anyone and is so we said we

will do it. and we became his youth coordinators, so we took the victory lap. i was able to invite him to my church because he saw how hard we worked and that's how i got involved in politics. i volunteered for a candidate i felt was worthy. >> because it appealed to you or because you felt you should. >> because it appealed to me. i was going to operation push every saturday and we were talking about breaking down barriers, open doors and he became one of the symbols of breaking down barriers in chicago. >> i grew up in the segregated south and on the night that doctor king was murdered, i think, i heard that call my grandmother, francis, called us into her room to tell us what had happened. i will never forget, after we finished praying for doctor king she told us to pray for his

attackers that we had to pray for whoever murdered him and of course with my big mouth i said why and i was eight years old and my grandmother told me and she told my siblings, because god is a god of love and doctor king loved his people and he loved his country so we had to pray. that was that moment. you are a child and i just wanted to continue doctor king's work. i wanted to march. i got involved in my campaign at the age of nine for a playground in my community. i-- he reversed himself. so, that was my moment. that was my moment i knew i would be involved in politics

and at the age of 21 when i met mrs. king and she encouraged me to work on the king holiday and work on the 20th anniversary march i knew i would never look back. >> did you ever reconcile that moment of praying for his assassin? >> honey, i pray for everyone now. i pray for donald trump. it just so happens my knees hurt [laughter] sometimes i have to get up from praying because he takes a lot of prayer. we are not like you pentecostals we don't stay in church three or four hours. i have turned this conversation because i want to talk much more about my praying. i have not been to church lately and i will tell you i'm disappointed. my archbishop who i love, former archbishop, i'm having a hard time with my church that doesn't

mean i love-- that doesn't mean i don't love the lord. i knew the lord before i was catholic. i'm trying to get myself ready. after the third hour i get my water in my wine, what was jesus first miracle. y'all know his first miracle was turning water into wine. on a christian. him and his mother got the market-- party started. i'm a christian. [laughter] i love your church and i love your parents, you know that. >> we not four hours every sunday. this is the new pentecostal church. we got 90 minutes. come on now. >> maybe you need a guest preacher. [laughter]

>> she was speaking of me, not yourself. >> baby. >> we will have to spend some time on our knees before we do that. >> for me, i was raised in an activist household and activist church, so the involvement in politics or whatever level was really an outgrowth of my understanding of the possible and what my responsibilities as a christian, so my earliest recollection was at reverend jackson in new york in brooklyn with my dad who was the chair. we were at a&p supermarket boycotting a&p because they were not hire black people. i was six. that's the first time i met reverend jackson and he seemed to me and possibly calm with a huge afro, but i was six, so he was a constant in our lives and in the life of our church we

would always advocate for social justice policy or we were famous for marching across the bridge or challenging mayor cox or kill remember him? so, those were articles of faith -- faith for me and my understanding of the gospel called me to one to speak a more just society where we live now and not just wait till we get to heaven. so, that meant that i'm looking for the grace of god, the mercy of god, the justice of god right here on earth and that led me to social justice movement, so we were part of that in electoral politics. sometime there were as boycotts and marches. we went to buffalo, new york, when he was right for mayor. we organized buses and went to buffalo. it was cold up there, but the first time i got involved in electoral politics because i

wanted to end it now because of something that my church was doing. that was when i was in college. i was at dartmouth in new hampshire. its mighty cold up there. reverend jackson was running for president. it is white. it's definitely white. dartmouth was the last to admit women so it has a particular culture and that was then, 1976, so i walked into a very conservative environments. i went to school with laura abraham. >> , note to ask you about that. >> laura has not changed much, but that was when the book hit me personally and directly because it was not connected to my church. it was not connected to my foundation and i discovered that i had an interest in a love for this elect oral politics. reverend was on campus nsp to

help manage his campaign for the 84 campaign in new hampshire and i discovered i was good at it. that i was very organized and i was a good organizer and a son that was the start of my elect oral work. >> the note was i grew up about 40 miles south of dartmouth, so i know of that area. but, that you went to school with laura ingram, but in this very white space and you know you said she has not changed that much, but it's funny and we laugh at it, but she has a show with a huge following, huge platform. how do you reconcile folks like her who are sort of it feels actively working against us?

>> of course, i'm christian. i pray. look, there will always be people who are at cross purposes with you and in my head the more righteous your cause the stronger the opposition and that is what she represents to me. she did at dartmouth and are still doing it. they are in the opposition to what is righteous, to the saving of our lives, to the caring for our communities, they just hold on ideology. now, if it wasn't them it would be someone else because that's my christian tradition. of the enemy always fights again what he knows is the strongest and some of it out of that lesson i learned strength. if you don't have the opposition

, you don't learn how to be strong. you don't learn how to fight. they help whole-- honed my skill >> you know harriet tubman would say to her, when you hear the dogs barking, keep going. >> that's a bunch of barking. >> keep going as that's a distraction. right-wingers are distraction and they will keep you off your game every time, so you really have to have a purpose for attitude about change and you got to have courage. doctor angelo said without courage of nothing and that's what propels us, all four of us, just that little bit of courage and if we don't have it we back each other up and get plenty of courage of their. >> the three of us are still on the rules committee of the dnc.

we still care about the rules. reverend jackson said you got to know the rules in order to know how to break the rules, so they got to come past as to change rules. we don't win every fight, but we are at the table when they are talking about equal representation and diversity and how the delegates are selected, so they know it's the three of us and there's more of us. we are a firewall. >> we will look at you. arizona said they could not find native americans. i said go back. californians said we cannot find lesbians. i said really? go back. and by the way the fact that we call ourselves the colored girls means everybody in the rainbow. we have sat and represented and we never never will labor. >> on that note timing i feel like leah is talking about

honing our strength and being for that community you are making choices that will affect or impact our community. the obligation to our community in these roles in particular is heightened, is it not connect yes. >> does that ever feel burdensome? [laughter] >> i think sometimes we are tired. >> we answer the call. we make sacrifices. >> i would not say burdensome. >> some days it's like lord, you still have our number. in the book, dorothy was the greatest. she would call you ms. brazil, she would always call you ms. brazil, you know ms. moore,

ms. carraway and i would say yes i need to park on the tarmac. i need three spots and i need for tickets and seats up front and would hang up. click. see, this is the hidden part of public service that no one will ever recognize, these early-morning calls, late night calls they get from your leaders but you have to understand we were trained by the best. we were trained by selfless leaders that did not see themselves-- we didn't get swamped through the stewards with these attitudes that if the referent calls or ms. tyson calls that we go what do they want now. no, we go what you want, is there anything you-- we can do for you and that's public service. >> i think very germane to black culture. >> yes. >> absolutely. >> we lived in the same building

i took a break from washington and when i went that she allowed me to live in her apartment she moved upstairs i lived in her apartment and you know every morning i had a little dog back then and i would go out to walk the dog worrying the first thing my hand touched, which might have been just anything. 7:00 a.m. and doctor height would be in the lobby on her way to work dressed impeccably. [laughter] lipstick, matching shoes, gloves, the whole thing at 7:00 a.m. and i try to sneak out the back because i was you know looking like i was going to walk the dog and she would always ms. a daughtry and i was like and she call me over and ask about my dad, house brother herb

and into giving my instructions for the day. after she would do this. [laughter] and i'd say yes and she say any time you thought about getting tired or you thought about the weight you thought you needed a break, doctor height was in the lobby at 7:00 a.m. and most times she was coming home later than me. >> or ms. tyson who's still representing with dignity and respect and honor and you think we get tired? oh, no. we don't have the luxury. >> she will make us drink her green juice before we get tired. >> when david jenkins called and said he was at south africa and bill lynch would call and said need you to come over and teach people about registration and when you saw the long lines in

south africa with people waiting to vote for nelson mandela, that's why you answer the call. called as 20 years ago when i had one of the highest-paid jobs, finally six figures and he called and said my leader and i knew that was a mistake and i said to you and he said i'm going talk to norton gephardt and i need to go to the dnc. we did it. newt gingrich predicted the republicans would gain over 44 seats and they came within five seats of losing the house because we went out because charlie wrangle called and said we have to do this so i think this is the level of service we have had. >> and i think we came of age in an era where serving people was an honor. >> yes. >> and whatever you can do to help the people and that you have the skills and been blessed with the skills to help and you get to help and you get to help

make a difference it's an honor and so you-- yes, your body gets weary, but your spirit doesn't. >> every day we celebrate the holiday because i tell you i licked a lot of stamps. [laughter] i just want to add one thing in this is about the way we came up when we came up and how we were trained. and that we learned how to do everything with nothing. we had no money. we had no staff, i mean, it would be nothing for me to get it home call from jackson 5:00 a.m. and i need a press conference at 11. i got my behind up and got ready to get the press conference ready at 11. we learned it to do things as i went along a link to the dnc and other places i would do anything we were so much further ahead than the rest of the other

folks. it was amazing. >> we were talking earlier about the temperament for politics or the skill set and its operating one. so, the one that it's not for? 's-- >> i don't know everyone has the temperament to be in elected office. .. >> any number of ways to serve. you may not -- and some of us don't have the temperament to be the out-front person and to be diplomatic all the time. i'm one of those. >> [inaudible] >> but in the background. but there's a role, the point is, there's a role for everyone. if you want a role.

>> dr. king would just simply say service is power. and i think we have to get, we have to -- i think leah said this earlier, we really do have to the demystify politics and let people understand that this is about, it really is about service. it's about how you serve yourself, how you serve your community, how you serve your family are, how you have a voice in terms of your tax dollars. and, you know, it might sound like it's in the mushy middle, but the truth of the matter is it impacts everything that we do in life. so we can't afford, as african-americans in particular, to even detach ourselves from it. we just have to pick our lane, you know? we don't all have to go to the polling booth. i mean, we have to all go to the polling beaut, but we don't -- booth, but we don't have to work at polls, it's just basic, you know, do five steps, bring five

people, you know? for the young people that tweet, tweet five people right before we leave here tonight, say are you registered? do you know where you're registered? do you know if your name is still on the rolls in it's that simple. [applause] >> i also think, i think one of the most important ingredients is i humility. >> yes. >> because you're not going to win every time. >> yep. >> it's the hard to achieve some of your goals. when we saw what was happening in 2008, it was the really a historic year. for the first time in american history, we had a viable african-american, a viable woman seeking presidency. that was a great moment. and look what, you know, we saw the results. obama was elected. but hillary stepped up to help not just with his campaign, but to also serve in his cabinet. so humility is another great trait that i think goes along with public service. >> before we open it up for questions, i want to ask you each to tell me one favorite

anecdote from the process of writing this book. >> from the process of writing the book. >> yes. >> oh, god, i'm going to have to cuss. [laughter] i mean, i want to thank veronica, because she caught up with all of us. i was traveling, i was husband, i was -- hustling, i was writing something else, i didn't want to be bothered with them, they didn't want to be bothered with me. thank the lord, praise the lord, let's go. [laughter] >> i think because they said i have too much the ink, they'll say yolanda has nine chapters, and we only two. i said that's because i followed instructions. [laughter] [inaudible conversations] >> that's just the way it went. yolanda thought she was doing her autobiography -- [laughter] we love her for it. ya was close -- leah was close second. me and donna shared the last two

chapters. [laughter] to your question, i think for me -- and i'm going to go back to veronica -- the prose in the book, beauty in the book is all her. >> yeah. >> she was able to weave these voices -- >> yes, she was. >> she also did something very unique to the book. she would list history on top of it when we didn't give her everything she needed, she knew enough about us to though that this would fit in this chapter. so that was the most beautiful part, to see the prose. you know i love her prose. i'm trying to get her to write something with me, but i ain't never going to write another book, so you don't have to worry about that. [laughter] >> i think for me it was when book was done or almost done, and we were reading it back through. >> yeah. >> and, you know, conversations, some of which were funny, and minyon would always say, do you want to say that? you sure you want that in the book? [laughter]

and yolanda most of the time would say, yes -- [laughter] and we'd say, veronica, take that part out. [laughter] she'll thank us later. and then we were arguing about one particular thing the other day, and i said, well, i don't know -- >> no, what she's trying to say, dear people -- [laughter] is i was their checker, and i would say, oh, do you really want to say it like that? but they didn't check me. they just let mine go through. [laughter] >> that's not quite it. [laughter] it was a matter of, you know, her personal preference. i was dot going to dictate -- not going to dictate to her whether or not she should share her personal preferences. [laughter] it's many there. >> we had this process where we dropped somebody from an e-mail -- [laughter] >> ooh, that's cold. >> yeah. and i felt a chill. [laughter] >> here's thing, we talk every day or we mail every day.

that's how we mainly are communicate. and so this is probably the most time we've ever really spent -- >> right. >> like all in one place together. even when we're working on conventions, we're each in our places. we're talking and ex-thing, but -- and texting, but we're rarely in the same room. so when somebody gets on your nerve and you drop them from the e-mail chain -- >> you can tell. [laughter] >> you can tell because all of a sudden your e-mail just goes silent. i must have if pissed somebody off -- [laughter] >> for two or three days, what did the can i do now? >> what did i say, did i cuts them out -- did i cuss them out too? [laughter] >> you can't do that, because that just extends the chill. >> you know, i wrote a book, and it was published a year ago, and it caused us -- how can i say it, yolanda?

you're the other diplomat in the family. it did have a ripple in our relationship. i felt as the chair of the party who became chair for the second time as a result of the hacking of the dnc and the depth of one of my -- the death of one of my young staffers that i had to say, i had to talk about what happened to the dnc. not what happened to the clinton campaign, not what happened to this, that and the other, but, of course, that got in the way. and, you know, we went through a process. and to show you how healthy our friendship and our dethe sire to remain -- desire to remain good, solid, wonderful people is that, you know, we were able to come together and talk about it. so there's a chapter on this. and it was hard. it was hard to read that chapter. i wanted to lead it. there were times i wanted to walk away too -- >> chapter 24, if you're interested. [laughter] >> but, you know, in any relationship there's strains, and there are times when, you

know, things don't go the way. but i just want to say publicly that, you know, here we are, we're together. >> have you adequately sell wrap ited each other -- celebrated each other? [applause] >> oh, hell, i celebrate them every night. [laughter] i'm going to celebrate them again tonight. [laughter] >> thus says the lord. [laughter] reverend. [laughter] jesus said when two or more are gathered -- [laughter] there are four of us -- >> trying to get ordained. >> well, i'm trying to go to the church. >> you're always welcome many the house of lord. >> should we with open it occupy to questions? -- open it up to questions? is we've got two mics at the top of the stairs. >> so i'm going to ask you if you have questions to keep it to

a question. [laughter] very thoughtful people up here, so i want to make sure that everybody is being thoughtful about their questions. and, again, questions not comments which are question-comments. thank you. >> that's hard to do, but first of all, just want to thank you for an exciting conversation. and, donna, i've read your book. thank you for that. >> thank you. >> my question, and i will keep it short, an important question, what is the role of in this electoral college? and how do we move forward from -- this is 21st century. what is its role now? >> there is no role -- >> because -- [laughter] this is the thing that could and has been affecting how our politics is moving forward. >> it's a relic of the 19th century, and it comes directly from our period of enslavement.

it is time that we change it. there's a movement now to have direct elections of the president, and and we'll see how far it will go. right now only blue statements have signed on. we need some red states. but it is a relic of the past. and i say that as somebody who managed a campaign that ended in a tie the supreme court decided and one who has chaired a party. again, the candidate who won the most votes did not hold the office. and we also had foreign if interference in our last election. so we have to do something, because there's an electoral lock against the majority of the american people, if you look at it. so we need to review. but you can't do it if you don't go out and vote and get people to participate. >> that's right. >> thank you for your great question, ma'am. [applause] >> hello are. how you ladies doing? the queen mothers. >> hi. >> i was out there in brooklyn with y'all saturday. >> oh. thank you. >> but i was, i had to do a lot

of things saturday. i used my metro card, like, seven times -- [laughter] >> do you have a question, sir? >> what i just wanted to say to you ladies, thank you for the selfless are service and the tireless work that you've been doing -- >> thank you. >> -- all this time. you're leading by example. >> thank you. [applause] >> thank you, sir. >> i just want to also let the audience know that ron ca chambers -- veronica chambers is here to respond to questions if you have anything specific to the book. >> thank each of you for coming tonight and organizing this wonderful event. in particular to you, that comment you made about if the dogs are barking, keep on walking. i felt like, goodness, that was a flash of light. what do i do, where do i begin to sustain is the soul, it seems like? i just feel beat down, so my question is with so many different problems, you know,

where do you begin? how do you choose a platform to run on? like, i'm trying to figure out how do i, you know, everyone's mad about so many different things, and then i'm concerned about my community, i'm concerned about students. where do i begin? i feel like i don't know, and i'm not doing anything because of that problem. >> well, i don't think you have to take everything and try to accomplish everything. you take one thing and try to do that well. if it's education -- and i would say look inside your self and whatever -- yourself and whatever drives you, whatever that passion is. because a lot of people will start things, and they'll never finish it if they're not passionate about it. so if it's an education lane, then get with educators or get with young people. go to one of these than profit organizations and help them out. if it's the political lane, if you're thinking about running for office, then contact one of us. we easy to find. you know, we'll help you, we will help you lay the groundwork because we believe in preparation because we think it's, you know, it doesn't have to be your time.

if you're prepared, you can just get out there and do it. so whatever your lane is, whatever you believe you are good at -- and sometimes you grow at. you know, i wasn't good at politics when i started it, i just had a desire to do the it. and all you have to do is take that desire and run with it. >> and i'll say in the book there's a chapter called dear sister candidate that lays out -- >> 25. >> yes. chapter 25. [laughter] that lays out some steps for how you engage in public service, what are the things you ought to think about, who needs to be in your squad -- >> that's right. >> -- when you step forward. so it's a little bit of a step by step manual. >> and just really quick i'll add i work in education now, my issue is more financial just in terms of, like, systematic racism and how it impacts people of color, black people in particular, and how that also has so many different issues, social apathy in the community. it's, like, how do you tackle that? everyone's dealing with that. i'm always the only black woman

many these positionings of leadership, and it's exhausting. there has to be other people that are just as qualified, if not more than i am, so where are they? and i know they're living on side of town that nobody wants to drive through because they can't get these positions. so anyway, i'll contact you guys. [applause] >> you know, it's -- but i want to say to the sister, in 2018 we should not be if the only one in nowhere. >> yeah, really. >> that is just an absolute fact. so we do need to talk. >> yeah. because one is talking, two is window dressing and, three, that's how you start inclusion. >> yeah, that's right. >> so before you ask that question, i wanted to say thank you to rebecca carroll for moderating tonight. [applause] >> yea. she's got to leave us. >> she is going to have to leave us at this time, and i'm going to ask yolanda to go ahead and take her seat so you can join in in the q&a.

thank you, rebecca. >> thank you, ca. [applause] >> please, your question. >> thank you. [inaudible conversations] [laughter] >> thank you all for sharing your expertise, experience with us. ms. brazile, i've had opportunity to be the at the national league of cities conference, and you have addressed rooms of 2-3,000, and you could hear a pin drop in the room. and my bringing that up is because at conference that's held in washington every year, it is so sad that there are hardly any people there from new york and especially people from color, of color in a room of 2-3,000 people. now, greatest representation of people of color are from the south, and that is a great place to go and learn how to be involved politically. you can get a room at the hotels four people, $100 a night, just

share to learn, to learn the great stuff that's going on in cities around this country. now, i also wanted to -- >> did you have a question? >> yes, i do have a question. i do. [laughter] i'm in local politics myself, and one of the greatest frustrations is learning how to balance the humility with the often experience of suppression and oppression as a black woman in politics. and also the need to walk with an air, an attitude of entitlement. how do you balance all of that? >> i don't know -- >> veronica, we really want you to answer that. [laughter] >> i think she's asking you guys how do you balance the humility of service with the confidence

that it takes to feel that you're entitled to be in all of these places that you enter. >> good question. >> well, i don't think we really have egos, big egos. >> yeah. >> and we just -- [laughter] well, except for that one. [laughter] >> hell, yeah. [laughter] >> it's not an ego. it's not an ego. i mean, look, balancing your life period is tough. but you have to know what you stand for and what you will not stand for. >> yeah. [applause] and what does reverend say about your -- >> must match your dignity level, and if it does not, you will rise. >> there's nothing wrong with confidence. >> yeah, exactly. >> right in and we live in a time especially for black women where we are daily you're

dismissed and diminished. so we've got to remember there's nothing wrong with us walking into a room with confidence especially when that confidence is justified. if you know what you're doing and you've got skill set, you're not faking it, you're not baking it, you're not shaking it, you're going in there because you know how to do whatevers you are called to do -- whatever it is you are called to do, hen your confidence is justified. walk in it. adjust your crown and keep on moving. [applause] >> but i will add to your crown, you must know your -- i will add to this, you must know your room when you walk in. >> yes. >> because your room can dismantle your crown if you don't know who's in there. and, you know, i often -- and they will tell you this -- i am not, i probably walk more humbly than i probably need to, but it's where i feel comfortable. but i can tell you the one thing you can do when you walk into these rooms, make sure your allies are in there. make sure you know who's in the

room that's going to side with you. because i know a lot of times i walked into the white house roosevelt room, me and this guy, we had a partnership. he would say something that was wrong, it's two left shoes. then they would always look at me and say what do you think minyon? i agree with ben. but that's because we had set it up before we went in there. so you almost, i mean, even as an elected official, you count your votes. that's what auntie maxine used to take us. >> and i think the more successes you have, the more confidence you'll have. >> yeah. >> it builds. it grows with you. >> and i always tell people that i like to prepare myself. i mean, i read 5-7 newspapers. i get up in the morning, sometimes 3, 4 in the morning, i start with european newspaper, asian newspaper before i go to sleep, and by 6 or 7:00, i am well versed. and if then i give my, then i get the sports section.

[laughter] but you have to be, you have to prepare yourself. >> yep. >> and if you're involved in politics, public service or even the media, you've got to be ready to get hit -- >> yep. >> -- but you better be ready to get back up. >> the last thing i'd add, sister, is once you know the room and you count your votes and you've prepared and got confidence, don't play it small. playing small does not serve you well. >> that's right. [applause] >> and also as an elected, it doesn't serve people who you represent. our people need so much in terms of confidence . we've sent you, walk in the room, i come as one, i stand as 10,000. i'm not going to diminish myself, because when i do that, i diminish the people who sent me. >> thank you. [applause] >> they need to see me be the representative that they sent me in the room to be. sometimes that means i've got to fake some confidence i don't have at that moment, but i'm not

going to let my people be diminished because i have chosen to play small in the moment. i'm there for them. i'm there to speak for them, so i'm not going to be the afraid, and i'm going to suck it up and act like i've got some confidence even if i'm scared to death. those people in that room are not going to know it. >> that's right. >> thank you. [applause] >> good evening, ladies and schomburg community. i'm so happy to be in this room. it's a couple of things. so malcolm x said there was really no difference between the republican party and the democratic party, and we're right here at the schomburg, 133rd and malcolm x boulevard. when she was talking about lin very muching in the front of democrats and republicans, we've so many parents, mothers sit in front of congress talking about gun lawses, democrats and republicans, nothing has changed. why aren't the democratic party still a viable party for the african-american community and anybody that's seeking any kind of policy change merchandise the

governmentsome. >> because it's one vehicle by which we can get the public policy goals that we want instituted implemented. i'm not saying the democratic party is perfect. remember, service the dixiecrat party. we fought our party. and the fight started long before us. when fannie lou hamer went to atlantic city and didn't have a seat, she fought to get that seat at the table. jesse jackson fought to change the rules. yolanda served on the fairness commission that made sure those rules get rid of winner take all. so we represent what the party can become, but the party best not ever go back to the what it was. >> that's right. [applause] >> i agree with what you're saying, donna, but that was like 20 years ago, and the party of ron brown is not the party of today. >> okay. >> well, i think that right now in this country there are two major parties, so you can choose

sit it out because you don't like either, or are you going to try to make some change in one. so for me, i don't love will have everything the party does. some things i think are just nonsensical, i disagree with. but it is the party, as donna said, fannie lou hamer couldn't be seated. fifty years later i'm running the convention, right? there's progress in that. [applause] but beyond that what you see now as you see all these african-americans and people of color, latino, lgbt the folks running for office, a lot of them are are running without the support of party, without support of the institutional party, but they're running, and they will change the party from the outside in. >> that's right. >> but you've got to be in the game to change it. [applause] if you're not, you have nothing to say. i said jesus is not on ballot. so if you're looking for perfection -- [applause] you're not going to find it. but you're going to vote

forking? something. >> right -- for something. >> right. >> so pick the one that is closest to your own values and then do the work to change it so it gets closer every day to what your reality is. >> thank you. [applause] >> and we haven't mentionedded tish james. she's running for attorney general. [applause] >> tish needs our help -- >> and we need an attorney general who will fight for us. for all the issues we care about. >> we are short on time, so i'm going to ask that you keep your questions short, and i'm also going to ask if you all could keep your responses just a little shorter -- [laughter] maybe direct your question to someone in particular, but we will have a book signing afterwards, and at that time should they have time you can ask questions while you're getting your book signed. >> thank you all for being here. my question is about scalability and and resources and political leadership. so i currently have an elected

role on the school board here, but i'm wondering if anyone -- i know we're short on time -- could share an example of when you took a leap in your career? i realize there are sometimes when it's best to listen and learn and other times where you may not be prepared for a position or were maybe thrusts into a position. so so i've enjoyed hearing about how you started your careers, but i would love to hear about any pivotal moments that really served as a catalyst for your careers. thank you. >> i took a big leap in 1985. i had worked for the dnc since early '80s, and i was the executive director of the fairness commission which was the commission to change the rules for the next presidential election. and i was a little mipfed about -- miffed about some of things that went on during that time, but i had a plan. after we got the rules changed because of reverend jackson in '84, the day that the we issued

report, i quit and i went to work for the rainbow. and i talked to a lot of my advisers, a lot of people they trusted. a lot of people said to me, because i had been through -- i hadn't worked that angle before. i had mostly worked with white people. and they were a little concerned, you know? they thought jesse did well in '84, and he was probably going to run again in '88. but i just thought that was such a tremendous opportunity for me at that point in my life. i was in my mid 30s. to do something different and to really make some kind of change so, you know, i didn't listen to what most people said to me. i took leap and i went to work for them. >> and i did just the opposite. she went to the rainbow, i really did not want to go to the white house when they first asked me to come. and i look back on that period, because i got literally three

calls. i first got a call from the chief of staff, and i told him flat out no. then i got a call from the vice president, and i couldn't exactly say no, so i just said, okay, sir, thank you so much. that's really great. uh-huh. [laughter] then he said i'll have the chief of staff call you back. by time i was coming to my sensibilities, but all of that was driven by fear. but when my faith kicked in, i knew i could do the job. and it was like, okay, here i am, little girl from the south side of chicago, i'm getting ready to go work at the white house, what in the world do i know about working at a white housesome and that was my mentality. and until i got out of my own way, i didn't realize that i could probably do that job -- we could probably be president, but don't take that nowhere. [laughter] i mean, because we know enough about the process. but i already did have to get out of my own way, and that way was fear. >> uh-huh. i have the opposite. i believe i was one of those

kids that just wanted to climb up every step of the ladder, and when i found myself at that top step becoming campaign manager and after what happened in 2000, when i finally got myself back together, i went back to work as an intern for minyon moore because i said, clearly are, i missed a step. so for me, that was a pivotal moment in my life. it has really been immensely helpful to be able to go back and trace my steps and to see what i missed and to make sure that when i climb again -- and i'm never going to become another chair of the party again, that's over. but when i climb again, i know how to fulfill my destiny, i think, in a better way. [applause] >> all right. hello, good evening. my name is raven brown, and my question today surrounds local elections. so for me, i think that younger

generations, they come out to vote during the national elections. >> correct. >> and i feel as if local election affects us more, and what my question is, is how would you go about engaging the younger generation, especially those who live in more vulnerable communities? like are i, myself, am from bronx, and i know that a lot of people in my neighborhood are not engaged in politics, so how would you go about engaging the younger generationsome. >> i say part of it is helping people understand what the impact of the local elected officials are on their day-to-day lives. many many ways, that's -- in many ways, that's much more tang the. this is about where your trash get picked up, will there be a streetlight or a stop sign, how late the businesses can stay open, what kind of businesses, what zoning is. will there be a liquor store next to your church, next to your school?

those, whether snow gets involved. all of -- shoveled, all of those sorts of decisions that impact our lives as new yorkers are made by our community board, are made by our council people, are made by our mayor. so i find that often times you have to make the connection for people about why it's important. and talk to them about it. what's the thing that you're concerned about? you're concerned about, you know, your cell phone, there's no tower because somebody decided that the tower ought to be on the other side. so your signal ain't strong, right? those are basic decisions that are happening at the local level. and i think when people can understand connection to my life, what this is going to do for me, because in the end that's what people want to know, how is this going to the impact me. and you can make those basic connections for people. people are hutch more interested -- much more interested, oh, so that mean the trash man going to come more than once a week? that means that, you know, i own

a home and i've got to have heat on certain months. somebody made that decision. it wasn't me. so sometimes it's hot outside, i still got to have the heat on because that's what the law says. >> do you have five friends? >> yes. >> you can lead your five friends to the local elections. remember what i said, i got started when i went down to harold washington's campaign. nobody told me to do it, i just wanted to get involved. but the fact that you stood up and asked that question, it says you're a leader. >> amen. [applause] >> so when you leave out of here, i want you to give me your number, first of all, because i know you're getting ready to organize your friends to do exactly what you just asked us how to do, because you already know how to do it, it's in you. >> that's right. >> thank you. [applause] >> our last question. [applause] >> good evening, ladies. >> good evening. >> thank you so much for this beautiful conversation. and, ms. caraway, i thank you so much for bringing the fact of

dr. king, that really resonated with you at a young age. i myself idolize dr. king's vision of future generations living out their dreams. so my question is how can a young mom pursue, achieve her business dreams? >> her diss dreams -- her business dreams. well, you're talking probably to the right person. i don't know -- [laughter] we need to talk offline. but i just, i always wanted to be a business person. i loved political stuff, but i was a kid who grew up, i sold amway, i had lemonades stand, always had a gig, made christmas ornaments and sold them at church. i knew at end of the day i wanted to work for myself. i kind of figured out i used this political thing to catapult me into starting my own business. never had a business plan, don't have a harvard mba.

i start thed working out in my bedroom. my friends laughed at me when i finally got an office because they couldn't believe i had all that stuff in my bedroom. my bed was the conference table, and everything else was lined up against the wall, and i'd roll out of bed every day and start working. but if you're passionate about it and you have what they call entrepreneurial spirit, you will just, you'll keep at it until you make it work. there's no easy way. >> thank you. >> but you need -- i think you really have to know what it is you want to do and figure out how you get there and go after it. >> thank you. >> i had four businesses when i was a child. i had a bait and tackle shop because everybody liked to eat fish, i had a recycle business because everybody drank cold beer or cold drinks -- [laughter] i had a landscaping business because everybody needed their grass cut, and my brothers had to do something other than look at me.

[laughter] and perhaps my most profitable business that i was the ace check-cashing queen. so every time the eagle landed on the first of the month, i was there to help people get their checks cashed, and i got a percentage. [laughter] [applause] i tell my nieces and nephews, i'm so -- can i mean, you know i can make apps right now? every night i come up with a different the idea. [laughter] so if it's in your heart, you can put it to paper, and then you can figure out some branding and some marketing, you got it going on. and by the way, when we sign your book, i'll put my information there, because i can help you crystallize. [laughter] >> i would add that you're in a library. use the resources here. there are great books about marketing, about promotion. they have great resources, the new york public library, about

grants and entrepreneurs and seminars. and so go to your librarians, tell them your dreams. they can point you in the right direction. >> call it the eagle landing. >> well, with that said, we are closing this out, but i just want to the make sure you all herald what they said this particular, that everyone has a temperament in politics and to be in service for the public. there is something we can all do. also that service does take work. i think we forget that volunteering and being on mows and doing all that really does require work. it may seem like people are where they are because of who they are, but they have put in some work. it requires work, but it requires your best work because without your best work, we don't have the best people up here and out there serving us. so with that said, i want to say thank you to -- yes? >> before you go, because i don't think we did proper service to the this. and in the book, we talked about a lot of our sheroes.

and, obviously, we have one sitting here who we absolutely worship, but we also have the daughter of one who also was a mentor to us, dr. shabazz. her daughter is here, and we'd like to make sure that everybody knows how important she was. [applause] >> yea! [applause] >> her mother taught her find the good and praise it. >> that woman who was asking about business? this is a pioneer in business, toni faye. she is a pioneer. she was before any of our time at time warner. she is a pioneer in business, so find her. >> thank you, schomburg. >> thank you. [applause] >> thank you, yolanda, donna, leah and minyon for joining us this morning. please make your way into the

long son hughes -- >> we going to take a picture? [inaudible conversations] >> here's a look at some of the authors recently featured on booktv's "after words," our weekly author interview program that includes best selling nonfiction books and guest interviewers. new york magazine's rebecca traister looked at how women's anger has been used to create transformative political movements throughout history. trump 2020 campaign media adviser and fox news guest analyst gina loudon offered her thoughts on current political climate. and journalist beth macy reported on opioid crisis in america. now, in the coming weeks on "after words," republican senator ben sasse of nebraska will argue that the the country lack ares unity and will offer his thoughts on how to repair

it. pulitzer prize-winning reporter jose antonio vargas will discuss his life as an undocumented immigrant. and this weekend vice president mike pence's daughter, charlotte pence, shares important lessons she's learned from her father. >> one of the things i talk about in the book about hi -- about my dad encouraging me that the he tell the a lot of people and has told me this phrase speak your dreams. and he always tells people that when, especially when kids come to him, and on the campaign trail this happened a couple of times where they would come and say, oh, you know, i kind of want to go into politics maybe. and you can tell they're always a little bit anxious about saying that. and he always says say that, you know, speak your dreams. that's first step, to tell people that you want to do something. and so i think that, you know, over years and growing up my parents saw me as a storyteller from a very young age, and so they always, they always encouraged me to not only speak

my dream dos, but also they were kind of speaking them to me. >> "after words" airs saturdays at 10 p.m. and sundays at 9 p.m. eastern and pacific on booktv on c-span2. all previous "after words" programs are available to watch online at booktv.org. >> c-span launched booktv 20 years ago on c-span2. and since then we've covered thousands of authors and book festivals, spanning more than 54,000 hours. in 2002 we followed the late senator john mccain throughout chicago for the promotion of his memoir. >> we have a fundamental disagreement on policy. now, if you stick to that, then you can walk over and shake hands with somebody afterwards after fight is over, and you move on. but if i stood up and said, you know, this guy, trent lott, is trying to, you know, he's a lowdown -- he's destroying, you know, in other words, if i get personal in my comments about my

leadership, then they're unforgiving and understandably so. it's, many politics -- in politics we should have agreement to disagree as vehemently as we want to but not characterize those differences personally. if all of us abided by that the, i'll tell you, washington would be a heck of a lot nicer place to work. >> you can watch this and all other booktv programs from the past 20 years at booktv.org. type the author's name and the word "book" in the search bar at the top of the page. [inaudible conversations] >> hi. my name's andy aiken, and welcome to this informal event for kurt schlichter. i'm going to just briefly tell you about the groups that are sponsoring this. there are two groups, trump