>> From the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. [ Silence ] >> Good morning, everyone. >> Good morning. >> Good morning. >> Helena Zinkham: Welcome to a wonderful special program. I'm Helena Zinkham, Chief for the Prints Photographs Division, here at the Library of Congress. Am I loud enough? The librarian is giving me pointers, thank you. The experience. It's a great privilege to welcome all of you today in commemoration of the March on Washington for jobs and freedom held exactly 50 years ago on a hot Wednesday in August, the 28th, 1963. We'll start with wonderful special remarks from the Honorable John Lewis, Congressman from Georgia. Thank you for your presence today. And then I hope you'll take a moment to look at the exhibition. We're launching it newly, photography that celebrates a day like no other down in the Graphic Arts Gallery. But one thing you can do today and only today is to have the opportunity to see some of the great treasures of the Library of Congress related to African-American history, life, and culture on display in the Whittall Pavilion and the Coolidge Gallery. A. Phillip Randolph, Martin Luther King, Thurgood Marshall, and of course, the speeches by John Lewis, himself, original typed and revised as given. We have both from the Fourmen Papers [phonetic]. We'd like to hear from you as well and so in the Whittall Pavilion there's a comment book. We invite you to leave your recollections or thoughts about what the March means to you today and going forward. We look to the past because we want to always make a better future and that's what the Library of Congress is for. We have souvenir buttons for you from the March 50 years ago. That's your treat for participating in our activities. And there are plenty of librarians among us today. My good colleagues from staff, we're marked with flags We Shall Overcome brochure. We love to be asked questions. That's the lifeblood for a reference librarian and curator. So please take us up on the offer and we'll talk about the collections with you. There is, of course, among the many librarians only one with a job title Librarian of Congress. So please join me in bringing to the microphone, Dr. James H. Billington, the one and only, the Librarian of Congress. [ Clapping ] >> Dr. James H. Billington: Thank you very much and welcome to everyone but it is an extraordinary pleasure and honor to welcome Representative John Lewis this morning. He is, as you know, an influential leader, statesman, one of the best known members of the original Freedom Riders, a planter of and at 23 the youngest speaker at the 1963 March on Washington, an advocate for human rights, a courageous and iconic figure in the Civil Rights Movement, a hero in short. At a very young age, John Lewis was keenly aware of the obstacles that African-Americans face while growing up in the South. When Mr. Lewis tried to get a library card from the local Pike County Public Library in Troy, Alabama, he was refused because of his race. Nearly 50 years later he returned to the Pike County Library for a book signing of his book, Walking with the Wind, where he was finally given a library card. [ Clapping ] He had a librarian as life's companion. He is a great friend of libraries and of all things that lead to knowledge and hope. During the height of the Civil Rights Movement from '63 to '66, Representative Lewis was Chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committees which he held forum and became a recognized leader. Despite more than 40 arrests, physical attacks, and serious injuries, Representative Lewis remained a devoted advocate of the philosophy of nonviolence. His dedication to the highest ethical standards and moral principles has won in the admiration of colleagues on both sides of the aisle in Congress. In fact he's often called the conscience of Congress. You know Franklin Roosevelt was once asked how he was able to get along with an important world figure that -- with whom they had a lot of problems? And he said, you know the answer is very simple. Humility, humanity, and humor and all of that is embodied in this great hero as well. Representative Lewis is the first member of Congress to ever write a graphic novel in addition and the Library of Congress is happy to already have in its collections a signed copy of his 1st volume of an autobiographical trilogy entitled March. For many years, Representative Lewis has been the favorite author here at the Library's National Book Festival featuring his autobiography Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement in 2004 and in 2012, first account of the bloody Sunday in his book Across that Bridge: Life Lessons and a Vision for Change. John Lewis is the recipient of numerous awards from emanate, national, and international institutions including America's highest civilian honor granted by President Obama, the Medal of Freedom. Representative Lewis has and I need hardly remind this audience, dedicated his life to protecting human rights, securing and promoting civil liberties, and building what he calls the beloved community in America. It is not often that a nation celebrates the anniversary of a large march on a capital city that is entirely peaceful, nonviolent, devoted to building not destroying, having people join hands rather than take up arms. So when the church bells ring at 3 p.m. this afternoon they will remind us that he is still helping us cross that bridge towards the beloved community yet to come. Ladies and gentlemen, what a great honor it is for all of us to welcome U.S. Representative of the 5th District of Georgia, one of the most admired and beloved figures here in this library on Capitol Hill and in all America for bringing us all together. Ladies and gentlemen, Representative John Lewis. [ Clapping ] >> John Lewis: Good morning. Thank you. [ Clapping ] Thank you. [ Clapping ] Good morning. >> Morning. >> John Lewis: You're a beautiful handsome group. Let me just take a moment to thank the librarian of Congress, thank you my friend. Thank you my brother for those kind words of introduction. [ Clapping ] And let me thank all of you for all of your great and good work. I'm so pleased to be here on this special day. [ Background sounds ] It's almost too much. It is almost too much. I remember coming to Washington, D.C. the first time, May 1st, 1961. The same year that President Barack Obama was born. To go to something called the Freedom Rides. Just think back in 1961, African-American and whites could not be seated together on a Greyhound bus or a Trailway bus. After leaving Washington, D.C. to travel through Virginia, through North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi to New Orleans. In 1961, we were arrested, jailed, and beaten when we tried to enter a so called white waiting room or use a so called white restroom. We saw those signs that said white waiting, colored waiting but in 2013, those signs are gone and they will not return. [ Clapping ] The only places our children and their children will see those signs will be in a book, in a museum, on a video. We live in a different country, in a better country, and our people are better people. Then I came back here in 1963, 50 years ago, had all of my hair and a few pounds lighter. [ Laughter ] To meet with President Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Junior, A. Philip Randolph, James Farmer, and Whitney Young. It was in that meeting in June of 1963 that A. Philip Randolph spoke up and said Mr. President, the Black marshals are restless and we're going to march on Washington. President Kennedy didn't like the idea of bringing hundreds of thousands of people to Washington. He said, Mr. Randolph, if you bring all of these people to Washington won't there be violence and chaos and disorder? And we would never get a Civil Rights Bill through the Congress. Mr. Randolph responded and said, Mr. President, his baritone voice. He said Mr. President this will be an orderly, peaceful, nonviolent protest. We left that meeting with President Kennedy. We came out on the lawn at The White House and we spoke to members of the media. And we said we had a meaningful, productive meeting with the President of the United States. A few days later, we met in New York City at the old Roosevelt Hotel and invited 4 major white religious and labor leaders to join us in issuing the call for the March on Washington. So between July 2nd, 1963, and August the 28th, 1963, we organized and we mobilized hundreds and thousands of communities for people to come to Washington. Religious leaders, labor leaders, student groups, and just every day ordinary people made a commitment to come to Washington. We could call up someone in New York at midnight or 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning and ask how many buses will be coming from Philadelphia, from Boston or from Buffalo or Detroit or Atlanta or Raleigh or Durham. As a matter of fact, one Saturday night we had a benefit at the Apollo Theater to raise money to bring a train out of New Orleans coming to Jackson to Birmingham through Atlanta through the Carolinas through Virginia to Washington to bring people. And on the morning of August 28th, 1963, I will never forget. The 10 of us came up to Capitol Hill. I'd never been to Capitol Hill before. We met with the House leadership, both Democrats and Republicans. We went over on the Senate and met with the Senate leadership, both Democrats and Republicans. We talked and we talked and then we prepared to march. We came down Constitution Avenue, the 10 of us, and we saw hundreds and thousands of people moving toward Union Station. And we said the people are coming. The people were already marching. They were almost saying there go my people. We're supposed to be their leaders. Let's catch up with them. [Laughter] So the only thing we did, we locked arms and started walking. And a sea of humanity pushed us toward the Washington Monument on toward the Lincoln Memorial. The music started and the speeches started. Some of you may remember there was some concern about some of the words I had in my speech and we had to make some changes with a little portable typewriters set into the left of Mr. Lincoln. And when I got up look to my right and I saw many, many young people standing. And I looked to my left and I looked up in the trees, I saw many young men up in the trees trying to get a better view of the Lincoln Memorial and the podium. And then I looked straight ahead and I saw hundreds of young people and some not so young with their feet in the water trying to cool off. And for a brief moment, I have what I call an executive session with myself. [Laughter] I said this is it and I started speaking. I had been reading a copy of The New York Times and in my prepared speech, from reading the copy of The New York Times I saw a group of black women in Southern Africa carrying signs saying one man, one vote. So in my prepared text, I said something like one man and one vote is the African cry. It is ours too. It must be ours. Some people took the position that the only qualification for being able to register to vote you should have a 6th grade education and you should become [inaudible] literate. Those of us in the student nonviolent coordinating committee took the position that the only qualification for being able to register to vote should be that of age and residence. So we said one man, one vote. And then later in the speech, I said you tell us to wait. You tell us to be patient. We don't want to be free gradually. We want our freedom and we want it now. And then down in the body of the speech the librarian and all of the wonderful people here, the curators will tell you that you can read it and see what I had planned to say. [ Laughing ] And it was individual like A. Philip Randolph and others, the Arch Bishop of the Diocese of Washington threatened not to [inaudible] vacation if I didn't change the speech. And some other were saying, John, it doesn't sound like you. Dr. King came up to me. He was my friend, my inspiration, my hero, my leader. Said John that doesn't sound like you, can we change that? Mr. Randolph said, John we come this for together, for the sake of the unity, for the sake of stand together. Let's change that and let us stay together. I couldn't say no to Martin Luther King, Junior. I couldn't say no to A. Philip Randolph and I changed it. There was a little line in there said if we do not see meaningful progress here today, the day may come when we will not confine our march in Washington but we may be forced to march through the South the way Sherman did, nonviolently. They said oh no you can't say that. That's too inflammatory so we deleted that. [Laughing] And so I said if we do not see meaningful progress here today, the day may come when we will march through Danville, Virginia, Cambridge, Maryland, [laughing] Philadelphia, Harlem, Atlanta, Jackson, Mississippi. And then at the end I said wake up America, wake up America but I was satisfied. But when Martin Luther King, Junior, stood up to speak. I've heard Dr. King speak on so many times. He not only delivered a speech but near the end, he delivered a sermon. He transformed the marble steps of the Lincoln Memorial into a modern pulpit. And when he got there and said I have a dream today, a dream in keeping with the American dream, he knew he was preaching. And when he said let freedom ring even from Stone Mountain, Georgia, from Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, he knew he was preaching a sermon. And when the March was all over, President Kennedy invited us back down to The White House. He stood in the door of the Oval Office. He was beaming like a proud father. He was so happy that everything had gone so well. He shook our hands and he said to each one of us, you did a good job. You did a good job. And when it got to Dr. King, he said and you had a dream. Because of that a speech of Dr. King, because of that March, we are in the process of laying down the burden The more I say it [inaudible] it doesn't matter whether we are black or white, Latino, Asian American or Native American. It doesn't matter whether we are straight or gay, democrats or republican, we are one people. We are one family. We are one house. We all live in American house but we also live in the world house. Enjoy this day. Embrace it. Reflect on that speech from Martin Luther King, Junior. Thank you very much [ Clapping ] >> Oh thank you so much Congressman John Lewis. The friends of the Law Library of Congress is proud to be a sponsor of this important exhibit. And I am honored and humbled to speak after Congressman John Lewis on the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington. When asked to speak, I thought about what dreams meant to me in Vietnam where I was born. Dreams and fairytales are not about you can have everything. Instead they can be downright depressing telling you why you can't have anything. Why you must suffer and why you must accept your place in life. Coming to the United States in the late '70s and enduring a post-war angry and frustrated America, I thought because I was not lucky enough to be born in America and white I should just accept my place as a second class citizen. It was not until the 6th grade when Mrs. Samson [assumed spelling] made me memorize that I Have A Dream speech and learn about the Civil Rights Movement that my mind opened up. And I realize America is a land of opportunity and equality. And based on merit and the contents of your character, all things are possible. And that it is possible to have a President Obama, a Congressman Lewis, and that even an immigrant like me could have a chance of serving in Congress one day. I want to thank Dr. Martin Luther King for having a dream. And I want to thank Congressman Lewis for withstanding the indignity of being arrested 40 times and spilling your blood in Selma, Alabama. And I want to thank all those who marched, suffered, and were persecuted for the greater cause of civil rights for all. And I want to thank you for making America a great and inclusive nation. And I want to thank each of you for helping America meet its potential and its promise. And that America is a land where you can dream. Dream big. Dream loud and dream the impossible because in America, all things can be possible. Thank you. [ Clapping ] >> Good morning, Congressman Lewis, Dr. Billington, Bridget Freed [phonetic], widow of Leonard Freed [phonetic], one of our featured photographers in the show, colleagues, curious, concerned, and creative citizens. It is truly a pleasure to share this moment in this inspiring space with you. And on behalf of David Mao, Law Librarian of Congress and myself, I want to thank each and every one of you for being here with us this morning. The Library of Congress has kind of three purposes this morning that I just want to briefly highlight for you. As you've already seen, we provide a forum where heroes and people who continue to be our heroes and to make history throughout their lifetimes can share their personal reflections and experiences with us. We also serve as a place where the record of humanity is preserved and kept and made accessible to everyone. Everyone can come and use our collections, reflecting the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of humanity. And last but not least, we heard a reference to literacy and a literacy test. And we know that that was an incredible injustice but we also know that it is critical if one is to be a responsible member of the world community that one reads. And one is able to read and understand and the Library of Congress plays a huge role in literacy. We've recently launched a prize for literacy and we also sponsor every year on that same national mall that hosted the March, the Incredible National Book Festival. And we hope that each and every one of you will join us in September 21st and 22nd to celebrate books and celebrate the ability to read and share ideas. Now of course the March on Washington was a huge team effort and so successful. And on a much smaller scale, what you will see today in the exhibition that runs through March 1st, is also a reflection of a team effort. I would like to thank the friends of the Law Library, The John J. McVekus Foundation, and others who have provided financial support. And of course, the many library staff who worked to bring this exhibition and today's special showing together, Helena Zinkham, Marisha Battle [phonetic], Verna Curtis, Kim Curry, David Taylor, Robert Newland, and of course, William Jake Jacobs who could not be with us today because of a medical situation. Verna and Marisha will be at the exhibition to help you navigate through it and provide any information for you until 2 p.m. today. And we hope that we will see you here all day but also for our numerous public programs and for your own research. And to just give you a preview, next year we will be celebrating the Civil Rights Act of 1964. And this exhibit, A Day Like No Other in many ways is the beginning, is the opening of the window to what will be a phenomenal display of the rich collections of the Library of Congress. So enjoy the day. Thank you so much for being here and thank you Congressman Lewis for continuing to be our hero. [ Clapping ] >> This has been a presentation of the Library of Congress. Visit us at loc.gov. [ Silence ]