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[ Austin MLK Jr. Birthday Celebration on January 13, 2023]
HAVE THE PLEASURE TO PRESENT TO YOU, DR.I AM HAPPY TO JOIN WITH YOU TODAY IN WHAT WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS THE GREATEST DEMONSTRATION FOR FREEDOM IN THE HISTORY OF OUR NATION.
FIVE SCORE YEARS AGO, A GREAT AMERICAN IN WHOSE SYMBOLIC SHADOW WE STAND TODAY SIGNED THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION.
THIS MOMENTOUS DECREE CAME AS A GREAT BEACON LIGHT OF HOPE TO MILLIONS OF NEGRO SLAVES WHO HAD BEEN SEARED IN THE FLAMES OF WITHERING INJUSTICE.
IT CAME AS A JOYOUS DAYBREAK TO END THE LONG NIGHT OF THEIR CAPTIVITY.
BUT 100 YEARS LATER, THE NEGRO STILL IS NOT FREE.
100 YEARS LATER, THE LIFE OF THE NEGRO IS STILL, SADLY CRIPPLED BY THE MANACLES OF SEGREGATION AND THE CHAINS OF DISCRIMINATION.
100 YEARS LATER, THE NEGRO LIVES ON A LONELY ISLAND OF POVERTY.
THE, THAT ONE DAY, YES, THIS NATION WILL RISE UP, LIVE UP THE TRUE MEANING OF ITS CREED.
WE HOLD THESE TO BE SELF-EVIDENT THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED.
I HAVE A DREAM THAT ONE DAY ON THE RED HILLS JOY SONS OF FORMER SLAVES AND THE SONS OF FORMER SLAVES, WILL THEY BE ABLE TO SIT DOWN TOGETHER AT THE TABLE OF BROTHERHOOD.
I HAVE A DREAM THAT ONE DAY, EVEN THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, A STATE S SWELTERING WITH THE HEAT OF INJUSTICE, SWELTERING WITH THE HEAT OF OPPRESSION, BE TRANSFORMED INTO OASIS OF FREEDOM AND JUSTICE.
I HAVE A DREAM MY POOR LITTLE CHILDREN WILL ONE DAY LIVE IN A NATION WHERE THEY WILL NOT BE JUDGED BY THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN, BUT BY THE CONTENT OF THEIR CHARACTER.
I HAVE A DREAM THAT ONE DAY DOWN IN ALABAMA WITH ITS VICIOUS RACIST, WITH ITS GOVERNOR, HAVING HIS LIPS DRIPPING WITH THE WORDS OF INTERPOSITION AND NULLIFICATION.
ONE DAY RIGHT NOW IN ALABAMA, LITTLE BLACK BOYS AND BLACK GIRLS WILL BE ABLE TO JOIN HANDS WITH LITTLE WHITE BOYS AND WHITE GIRLS.
AS SISTERS AND BROTHERS, I HAVE A, I HAVE A DREAM THAT ONE DAY EVERY SHALL BE EXALTED.
EVERY HILL IN MOUNTING SHALL BE MADE.
LORD, THE ROUGH PLACES WILL BE MADE PRAYING AND THE CROOKED PLACES WILL BE MADE STRAIGHT.
AND THE BOYS LORD, SHALL BE REVEALED IN ALL SHALL SEE IT TOGETHER.
THIS IS FAITH THAT I GO BACK TO THE SO WITH THIS FAITH, WE WILL BE ABLE TO HUG OUTTA THE MOUNTAIN OF DESPAIR, A OF HOPE.
WITH THIS FAITH, WE WILL BE ABLE TO TRANSFORM THE DANGLING DISCOURSE OF OUR NATION INTO A BEAUTIFUL SYMPHONY BROTHERHOOD.
WITH THIS FAITH, WE WILL BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER, TO PRAY TOGETHER, TO STRUGGLE TOGETHER, TO GO TO JAIL TOGETHER, TO STAND UP FOR FREEDOM TOGETHER, KNOWING THAT WE WILL BE FREE ONE DAY.
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THIS WILL BE THE DAY WITH ALL GODCHILDREN BE ABLE TO SING WITH NEW MEANING.MY COUNTRY TEARS, SWEET LAND OF LIBERTY, OF SING LAND WHERE MY FATHER'S DIED, LAND OF THE PILGRIMS. PRIDE FROM EVERY MOUNTAINSIDE, LET FREEDOM REIGN.
IN AMERICAS TO BE A GREAT NATION, THIS MUST BECOME TRUE.
AND SO LET FREEDOM REIGN FROM THE PRODIGIOUS HILLTOPS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.
LET FREEDOM REIGN FROM THE MIGHTY MOUNTAINS OF NEW YORK.
LET FREEDOM RANG FROM THE HEIGHTENING ALLEGHENY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
HEIGHTEN LET FREEDOM RANG FROM THE SNOW CAP ROCKIES OF COLORADO.
LET FREEDOM RANG FROM THE KAL SWS OF CALIFORNIA.
BUT NOT ONLY THAT, LET FREEDOM RING FROM STONE MOUNTAIN OF GEORGIA.
LET FREEDOM RING FROM LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN OF TENNESSEE.
LET FREEDOM FROM EVERY HILL AND HILL OF MISSISSIPPI, FROM EVERY MOUNTAIN SIDE.
WHEN WE LORD, FROM EVERY VILLAGE, AND EVERY HAMLET, FROM EVERY STATE AND EVERY CITY, WE WILL BE ABLE TO SPEED UP THAT DAY WITH ALL OF GOD CHILDREN, BLACK MEN AND WHITE MEN.
10 CATHOLIC WILL BE ABLE TO JOIN HANDS AND SING IN THE WORDS OF THE NEGRO SPIRITUAL.
AT THE DAWN OF THE 20TH CENTURY, AMERICA WAS A COUNTRY FULL OF PROMISE AND HOPE.
FOR MANY BLACK AMERICANS FACED A DIFFERENT REALITY.
A NATION'S SEPARATE AND UNEQUAL, YET THEIR HOPE PERSISTED.
PAINED BY INEQUALITY, BUT INSPIRED BY RESILIENCE, WRITER AND CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST, JAMES WELDON JOHNSON PUT PEN TO PAPER, HIS WORDS WOULD BECOME A UNIFYING CALL, A HOPE FOR A BRIGHTER TOMORROW, A TIMELESS EXHORTATION TO LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING.
LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING HONEY, SOUND LOUD AS ROLLING.
THEY'RE FORCES THAT WANT TO TAKE US BACK TO ANOTHER PLACE.
WELCOME TO AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY AND WELCOME TO THE
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MARTIN LUTHER KING HOLIDAY CELEBRATION.GIVE YOURSELF A HANDS FOR COMING OUT, SPENDING YOUR LUNCH WITH US.
AND ON BEHALF OF DIRECTOR WEEKS, ROOSEVELT WEEKS, AND MY 500 OTHER STAFF MEMBERS, WE WANNA WELCOME YOU TO OUR HOUSE.
WE WANNA THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
AND WE ARE EXCITED THAT YOU'RE HERE.
WE WANNA JUST ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ALL THE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT WE OFFER HERE AT AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY.
WE HAVE 10 OTHER BRANCHES STREAMING IN TODAY.
WE'VE NEVER HAD STREAMING FROM 10 LOCATIONS.
GIVE OURSELVES A HAND SO YOU GET A PART TO BE A PART OF HISTORY.
KING WAS A VISIONARY, HE WAS A HISTORY MAKER.
AND TURN TO YOUR NEIGHBOR AND SAY, YOU'RE A HISTORY MAKER.
YOU'RE A PART OF HISTORY TODAY.
AND SO IN, IN SOCIAL JUSTICE, IN EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION, I DIDN'T INTRODUCE MYSELF.
I'M CARMITA MCKINNIS WILLIAMS. I'M THE E D I OFFICER FOR AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY.
UH, I WANNA WELCOME MY PANELIST UP TO JOIN ME.
UM, AND WE HAVE AN ESTEEMED, UM, PANEL.
UM, WE HERE AT AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY, WE HAVE BEEN DIVING INTO EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION.
AND A PART OF THAT TASK WHEN I CAME HERE WAS TO HAVE OUR, OUR BRANCHES HAVE EDI ACTION PLANS.
AND THAT'S TO GET INTO YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS, GET INTO YOUR SCHOOLS, FIND OUT WHO'S IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, TO KNOW HOW WE CAN SERVE YOU.
SO WHAT BETTER WAY TO DO THAT THAN TO MODEL IT.
SO TODAY, I MODEL THAT BY INVITING YOU HERE AND INVITING OUR PANEL FROM OUR COMMUNITY TO GET THE VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE, AS I STATED BEFORE, DR.
AND I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD ALL BE ADVANCING HIS DREAM IN SOME WAY.
THE FACT THAT YOU SHOWED UP TO THIS PROGRAM TODAY MEANS THAT YOU'RE TAKING A STAKE IN ADVANCING THAT DREAM.
AND WE HAVE PART OF SOME OF THOSE ERAS WITH US.
WE HAVE SOME HISTORY MAKERS IN AUSTIN WHO WAS AROUND IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS ERA.
WE HAVE SOME HISTORY MAKERS HERE, UM, WHO HELPED TO GET MARTIN LUTHER KING BOULEVARD IN AUSTIN.
SO, MR. FREDDY DIXON, I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO BE THE FIRST PERSON TO JOIN ME UP AT THIS PANEL AND HAVE A SEAT.
THEN WE'RE GONNA ASK DARWIN WRIGHT, WHO IS A FIFTH GENERATION AUSTINITE, WHO KNOWS THAT IF YOU MEET SOMEBODY FROM AUSTIN, THAT'S LIKE A ICON, RIGHT? SO, MR. DARWIN WRIGHT, HE IS A FIFTH GENERATION AUSTINITE.
UM, HE IS A DESCENDANT FROM PEOPLE WHO CAME FROM THE 1928 PLAN WHO MOVED OUT OF THAT DISTRICT.
THEN WE'RE GOING TO ASK ONE OF MY LATEST FOLKS.
THEY WERE HERE AT STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY LEE, WHO IS, UM, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR BRAVE COMMUNITIES, WHO HAS A STAKE IN RAISING UP OUR NEXT GENERATION.
SHE PUTS TIME, ENDLESS TIME AND EFFORT INTO RAISING UP THE NEXT GENERATION.
AND, AND MY, MY BROTHER FROM ANOTHER MOTHER, JAMES GLISI, WE HAVE BEEN DOING THIS WORK FOR ABOUT THE 5, 6, 7 YEARS TOGETHER, DOING RACIAL HEALING CIRCLES.
BE ON THE, UM, STEERING COMMITTEE FOR AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE WITH THE TRUTH, RACIAL HEALING CIRCLES AND CENTER.
UM, MR. JAMES GLISI, PLEASE JOIN ME.
EQUITY CONSULTANT, REVEREND DOCTOR, RIGHT HERE.
AND THEN THE DUDE UP IN THE TOP WHO YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW HIM.
UH, ENTREPRENEUR, UH, PHILANTHROPIST, FOUNDATION, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
MR. SA PAUL, LET'S GIVE IT TO HIM.
WE GOT GREATNESS IN THE HOUSE.
AND HIS LOVELY WIFE IS AROUND HERE SOMEWHERE, BUT BIANCA, THERE SHE IS.
SO I ARRANGED THIS PANEL BEFORE WE GET INTO SAUL, PAUL'S PERFORMANCE TO REALLY KIND OF GET INTO THE ERA.
AND WE WANT, UM, REVEREND DIXON TO GO FIRST BECAUSE HE WAS A PART OF GETTING MARTIN LUTHER KING
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BOULEVARD.HE STARTED THE URBAN LEAGUE IN AUSTIN.
HE IS TRULY A PART OF AUSTIN'S HISTORY.
ALL AS, AS YOU CAN TELL, ALL OF THEM ARE, BUT HE IS OUR SENIOR STATESMAN.
AND THE WAY I WAS RAISED, WE, WE RESPECT OUR ELDERS.
RIGHT? SO WE GONNA START WITH, UM, REVEREND DIXON, WE GONNA ALLOW YOU TO GIVE US JUST A BRIEF HISTORY OF WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR AUSTIN.
IT IS AN HONOR FOR ME TO BE HERE WITH THESE DISTINGUISHED PANELISTS WHO ARE CELEBRATING THIS MARTIN LUTHER KING HOLIDAY OBSERVERS.
UM, I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR INVITING THIS OPPORTUNITY, UH, AND I APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH.
BEFORE I START, LET ME, UH, SINCE WE ARE DEALING WITH, UH, HISTORY, BEFORE I START, UH, MY, UH, STORYTELLING ABOUT THE MARTIN LUTHER KING BOULEVARD, I, I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS YOUNG MAN ON MY LEFT.
AND THE REASON WHY I'M ACKNOWLEDGING HIM IS THAT I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PASTOR HIS MOTHER AND HIS FATHER AND HIS AUNT AND HIS GRANDPARENTS, UH, WHEN I CAME TO WESLEY IN 1,973 TO PASTOR THE HISTORIC WESLEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH.
AND IT'S AN HONOR FOR ME TO JUST SIT HERE TO WATCH THE TRANSITION OF THIS YOUNG MAN OVER THE YEARS OF 50 YEARS.
HE'S A, A GOOD FRIEND OF MY SONS.
BUT, BUT MORE THAN THAT, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE DIETRICH HOUSE IS SOMETHING FOR US TO RECOGNIZE HERE IN AUSTIN.
IN 1,928, THEY WERE THE FIRST PERSONS TO LIVE ON THE EAST SIDE.
SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE DIETRICH FAMILY WERE LONGTIME MEMBERS OF WESLEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH.
AND DURING THAT SAME PERIOD OF TIME, WESLEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH WAS FORCED TO MOVE TO THE EAST SIDE.
THESE WERE EX-SLAVES, BY THE WAY, UM, WHO WERE ASKED TO TRANSITION FROM DOWNTOWN ON NATURE STREET HERE TO THE EAST SIDE BECAUSE OF POLICIES OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
BUT THE MOST INTERESTING THING IS THAT AS THEY MOVED IN 1928 WITH LESS EDUCATION, LESS WEALTH, THESE EX-SLAVES BUILT A PHENOMENAL ARCHITECTURAL CHURCH FOR $50,000.
CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT? IN 1,928, WITH THEIR FAITH, WITH THEIR DILIGENCE, THEY TOOK ON A TASK OF BUILDING A CHURCH, DOING THE DEPRESSION FOR $50,000.
I'M PROUD TO BE A PART OF YOUR LEGACY AND YOUR, YOU'LL HAVE MORE TO TELL YOU ABOUT THAT.
BUT I, I JUST WANTED TO BRAG ON HIM SO HE WOULDN'T HAVE TO SAY A WHOLE LOT ABOUT THAT.
UH, AND ALL THE REST OF THE PANELISTS WHO ARE HERE, LET ME, UH, BE ABOUT THE BUSINESS THAT I WAS ASKED TO DO IN 1,975, BUT LET ME GO BACK TO 1,973 BECAUSE I WON TO CONTEXTUALIZE THE NAMING OF THE STREET BECAUSE IT WAS IMPORTANT, ET CETERA.
BUT, BUT, BUT I NEED TO CONTEXT IT SO THAT YOU GET WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
WHEN I ARRIVED IN 1,973, THIS WAS THE SCENE IN AUSTIN, WILHELMINA DELCO, THE PRINCE OF THE PRINCESS OF EAST AUSTIN, WAS JUST RESIGNING FROM THE AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT TO RUN FOR THE STATE REPRESENTATIVE POSITION.
THAT WAS A GREAT SIGN OF HOPE FOR US.
ALSO, DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME, THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY WAS TRYING TO DEAL WITH THE LOSS OF ONE OF ITS MAJOR INSTITUTIONS, WHICH WAS ANDERSON HIGH SCHOOL.
ANDERSON HIGH SCHOOL WAS THE HEART AND SOUL OF EAST AUSTIN FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL.
THE MATTER OF FACT, UH, THE, UH, MEMBERS OF AUSTIN HIGH, UM, THE ANGLO AUSTIN HIGH DOWNTOWN KIND OF RESENTED AUSTIN ANDERSON HIGH SCHOOL BECAUSE ANDERSON HIGH SCHOOL WON ABOUT THREE
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STATEWIDE CHAMPIONSHIPS TO THE FACT THAT AUSTIN HIGH WON NOT A SINGLE TROPHY AT ALL IN ANY RECOGNITION.SO THAT WAS PART OF THE CLIMATE, UH, THAT WAS GOING ON IN AUSTIN DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
AND SO, AS A RESULT OF THAT, MANY THINGS WERE GOING ON.
UM, ALSO, UH, DURING THAT TIME, UH, TRANSITION WAS HAPPENING WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THAT BLACKS WERE BEING ASKED TO BE BUSED ACROSS TOWN WHILE THE MAJORITY OF STUDENTS WERE ABLE TO STAY IN THEIR OWN LOCALES.
SO I WALK INTO THIS KIND OF ENVIRONMENT, AND SO AS A METHODIST MINISTER, AND AS MOST MINISTERS, WE, UM, HAVE A, A A SENSE OF FREEDOM THAT OTHER PERSONS DO NOT HAVE.
NOW, WHAT IS THAT? WHEN YOU BEGAN TO LOOK AT MARTIN LUTHER KING, YOU BEGAN TO LOOK AT MARCUS GARVE.
YOU BEGAN TO LOOK AT KELLY MILLER SMITH, I'M, YOU BEGAN TO LOOK AT FRED SHUTTLESWORTH.
I'M NAMING ALL OF THESE PERSONS BECAUSE THEY WERE A PART OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.
BUT THE ONE THING THAT THEY HAD IN COMMON WAS THAT THEY HAD THE ABILITY TO BE FREE.
THEY HAD THE ABILITY TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE PUBLIC.
THEY HAD THE ABILITY TO DREAM AND VISION AND MAKE THINGS HAPPEN, WHEREAS OTHER PERSONS WHO DESIRED TO DO THAT HAD REPERCUSSIONS BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T GET OFF FROM WORK.
SO IN THAT CONTEXT HERE, I WALKED TO WALK INTO AUSTIN AND I TAKEN AN OBSERVANCE AND I BEGAN TO LOOK AROUND AND I BEGAN TO SAY, WELL, WHY DO I FIND MY PLACE HERE IN AUSTIN WITH THIS HISTORIC CITY? AND I DECIDE THAT I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING.
SO I WAS A PART OF THE ELECTION OF WILHELMINA DELCO TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
AND MANY OF US FLOCKED TO HER, AND WE LOVED TO BE AROUND HER AND BEEN WITH HER.
AND SO WE WOULD OCCASIONALLY MEET AT OUR OFFICE.
SO THERE WAS A GROUP OF NINE OF US WHO, UH, DECIDED ONE DAY THAT WE WERE GONNA MEET AT OUR OFFICE, AND WE DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING.
SO THEY SAID, WELL, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? SO I SAID, I DON'T KNOW.
SO THEN I THOUGHT FOR A WHILE AND SAID, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A MOVEMENT AFOOT THROUGHOUT THE NATION RIGHT NOW FOR NAMING STREETS AFTER MARTIN.
I SAID, SO LET'S DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT HERE IN TEXAS, AND PARTICULARLY HERE IN AUSTIN, AND LET'S TRY TO NAME THIS STREET.
SO WE DECIDED THAT WE WERE GOING TO DO THE NAMING OF THE STREET.
WE HAD NO IDEA REALLY OF WHAT WE WERE GETTING INVOLVED IN.
BUT, BUT, BUT WHAT WE DID WAS WE WENT AND FOUND OUT WHAT THE PROCEDURE WAS THROUGH THE CITY TO APPLY FOR THE NAMING OF A STREET.
AND ONCE WE FOUND OUT WHAT THE PROCEDURE WAS, WE THEN SET A FOOT TO FOLLOW THE PROCEDURE.
WE FOLLOWED THE PROCEDURE, FILED THE NECESSARY PAPERS, ET CETERA, AND WE GOT CONSIDERED FOR THE NAMING OF THE STREET.
MIND YOU, NOW, DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME, IF YOU REMEMBER, IN MOST CITIES, THERE WERE MOVEMENTS BY GROUPS OF PEOPLE, LARGE STUDENTS, ADULTS, EVERYTHING MARCHING UP AND DOWN.
THERE WERE NO STUDENTS INVOLVED HERE FROM HOUSTON TILTS, AND THERE WERE NO STUDENTS INVOLVED HERE FROM THE COMMUNITY.
WE JUST DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING.
BUT, BUT IT WASN'T A MATTER THAT WE NEEDED THE MASSES TO GET THIS DONE.
WE JUST QUIETLY SAID, WE'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING THROUGH THE PROCESS, AND WE'RE GONNA SEE IF THE PROCESS WORKS FOR US WITHOUT US HAVING TO PROTEST.
SO WE WERE ACCEPTED IN THE PROCESS.
THERE ARE THREE READINGS THAT HAVE TO HAPPEN BEFORE ANYTHING IS LEGISLATED HERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, ET CETERA.
SO WE STARTED THE FIRST PROCESS OF A HEARING OF ASKING THE CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER THAT.
AND WE, THROUGH THIS HEARING, UH, WE STARTED.
NOW, IF YOU NOTE ABOUT, AND I HAVE TO HURRY, IF YOU NOTE ABOUT MOST MARTIN LUTHER KING BOULEVARDS ARE ONLY IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY HERE IN AMERICA.
IF YOU GO 70 MILES TO SAN ANTONIO MM-HMM.
IF YOU GO 200 MILES TO THE NORTH, IT'S IN DALLAS, TEXAS, BUT IT'S ALSO IN SOUTH DALLAS.
IF YOU GO TO THE EAST IN HOUSTON, YOU WILL FIND THAT THE MARTIN LUTHER KING BOULEVARD IS THERE AROUND DOWLING STREET, ET CETERA.
IF ANY OF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT, I'M TRYING TO GIVE YOU SOME LANDMARKS HERE THAT YOU WOULD KNOW.
UH, BUT, BUT NONE OF THE STREETS REALLY REPRESENT THE LIFE OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, WHICH WAS
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INCLUSIVENESS, WHICH SPANNED THE WHOLE TIME.SO WE DECIDED THAT WE WOULD TRY TO SEE IF WE COULD GET IT IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY, BUT IT WAS ELECTION TIME.
AND SO WE HAD SOME NEW ELECTORS THERE.
SO WHILE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT NAMING THE STREET, PRETTY MUCH STOPPING AT I 35, SOME OF THE NEWLY ELECTED OFFICIALS SAID, WELL, WHY DON'T YOU DO THE WHOLE THING? AND SO WE SAID, WE'LL GO ACROSS I 35 AND WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN GET THE WHOLE STREET NAMED AFTER HIM.
MIND YOU, NOW THERE WERE BUSINESS PERSONS WHO WERE ON THE WEST SIDE OF 19TH STREET, WHICH WAS AT THAT TIME, BUT THE MAJORITY OF THE LAND, AND THE PROPERTY WAS OWNED TO THE RIGHT, IF, IF YOU'RE GOING, UM, WEST BY THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND ON THE LEFT, IF YOU'RE GOING WEST, IT WAS OCCUPIED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS.
SO ALL OF THESE WERE STATE BUILDINGS.
SO WE PRETTY MUCH HAD THAT CARVED OUT.
BUT THERE WAS THIS LITTLE GROUP OF PROTESTORS.
SO, UM, IN THE MIDST OF ALL OF THIS, WE STARTED THE FIRST HEARING.
WE GOT DOWN TO THE SECOND HEARING, AND, UM, ONE OF THE PREEMINENT PERSONS HERE IN, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN CAME TO VISIT ME.
JAMES SEABROOK, WHO WAS PRESIDENT EMERITUS OF HOUSTON TILL ITON UNIVERSITY.
HE AND ANOTHER GENTLEMAN CAME AND THEY SAT IN MY OFFICE AND THEY SAID TO ME, AND WE WERE PERSONAL FRIENDS, SAID TO ME, DIXON, WE KNOW YOU ARE UNDERTAKING TO NAME THIS STREET, BUT WHAT WE CAME TO SELL YOU IS WE ARE REPRESENTING SOME PEOPLE.
I SAID, WHO YOU REPRESENTING? I SAID, I KNOW WHO YOU'RE REPRESENTING, BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO TELL ME.
HE SAID, WE, WE, WE, WE ARE SITTING HERE TO REPRESENT.
I SAID, WELL, I'M SITTING HERE TO REPRESENT TOO, SO WE'RE JUST REPRESENTING EACH OTHER.
SO HE SAID, UH, WHAT WE WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO DO IS CEASE AND DESIST THE NAMING OF MARTIN LUTHER KING BOULEVARD.
I SAID, ARE YOU SERIOUS? I SAID, BROTHER, ARE YOU REALLY SERIOUS? HE SAID, WELL, I'M, I'M HERE.
AM I NOT REVEREND DEAR? I SAID, YES, YOU ARE.
I SAID, BUT WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS YOU ARE ASKING US TO STOP DOING WHAT WE ARE DOING AND ACCOMMODATE WHAT YOU ARE ASKING US TO DO.
IN THE MEANTIME, WE WERE GATHERING, HE LEFT BECAUSE I DIDN'T GIVE HIM THE ANSWER THAT HE WANTED.
BUT AS HE STOOD AT THE DOOR, I SAID THESE WORDS, DR.
SEABROOK, YOU WILL BE BACK TO MY OFFICE.
SEABROOK, I WILL WELCOME YOU WITH OPEN ARMS. THAT'S ALL I CAN TELL YOU.
NOW, I'M MUCH YOUNGER THAN YOU.
I MIGHT NOT BE AS MATURE AS YOU, BUT WHAT I DO KNOW, AS I STAND HERE AND AS I SHAKE YOUR HAND, AS YOU WALK OUT THIS DOOR, YOU WILL RETURN MIND.
YOU HERE LEFT IN THE PROCESS, WE WERE STILL RAMPING UP THE COMMUNITY TRYING TO RAISE MONEY.
SO I BROUGHT SOME ARTIFACTS ALONG WITH ME TO JUST SHARE WITH YOU.
UM, HERE, UM, I'M TAKING A LITTLE INTERMISSION IN THE MIDDLE OF WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS THAT DURING THIS PROCESS, WE NEEDED TO RAISE SOME MONEY.
THERE WERE FOUR OF US OUT OF THE NINE THAT CONTINUED TO STAY WITH THE NAMING OF THE STREET ATTORNEY, JOE BENNETT, EVA LINDSEY CLEVELAND, I'M JEAN POLK AND MYSELF.
WE DECIDED TO RAISE SOME MONEY AND WE PUT ON A PROGRAM DOWN AT THE ROSEWOOD PARK.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH ROSEWOOD PARK.
IT WAS QUITE A PARK BACK IN THE DAY, UH, FOR SLAVERY, ET CETERA.
AND WE INVITED ONE OF THE MAJOR PERSONS OF, UH, THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, PARTICULARLY IN CALIFORNIA.
AND MANY OF YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW HIM BECAUSE YOU WERE YOUNG, BUT HIS NAME WAS CECIL WILLIAMS. AND CECIL CAME TO SPEAK FOR US BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO CONTACT HIS SISTER, AND HE CAME FOR FREE.
AND SO WE HAD A BIG CELEBRATION IN THE MIDDLE OF TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, GET THE STREET NAME, ET CETERA.
AND SO AS A RESULT OF THAT, WE GOT TO THE THIRD READING.
I HAD A KNOCK ON MY DOOR, AND I WENT AND OPENED THE DOOR.
AND LO AND BEHOLD, THE SAME TWO GENTLEMEN THAT CAME WITH ME BEFORE WERE BACK AT MY DOOR.
AND WHEN THEY CAME IN, WE ONLY PASSED PLEASANTRIES AND SAID, NC,
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HOW ARE YOU DOING? AFTER WE SAID THAT, I SAID, THE FINAL HEARING, DR.SEABROOK, FOR THE NAMING OF THE STREET AND THE VOTING ET CETERA, WILL BE SOMETIME NEXT WEEK.
SEABROOK, TO BE THE LEAD OFF PERSON.
BLACKS WHO ARE RELIGIOUS PEOPLE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT, WE NEVER WOULD'VE MADE IT THROUGH SLAVERY IF WE HADN'T HAVE HAD A BELIEF IN GOD, IF WE HAD NOT HAD ANY FORGIVENESS IN OUR HEART.
IF YOU HAD NOT HAD ANY LOVE THERE, WE WOULD NOT BE WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
ARMING UP, GETTING MAD, STRIKING BACK, DOING A I FOR, I WOULDN'T HAVE MADE IT.
BUT IT WAS OUR ANCESTORS WHO SAID, GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING.
WE DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT BEING THE VINDICATES.
WHAT WE WILL DO IS OPEN OUR ARMS AND WELCOME AND LOVE YOU AND FORGIVE YOU.
WE'D BE GLAD TO HAVE YOU AS IT WOULD BE DR.
I I, I DON'T WANT TO BE THAT GRAPHIC TO YOU TODAY, BUT I DO HAVE SOME THINGS THAT I'D JUST LIKE TO SHOW YOU, UM, WHICH, UH, I'M JUST GONNA HOLD SOME PICTURES UP.
SEABROOK JOINED ACCOMPANIED US TO THE FINAL READING OF THE NAMING AND THE APPROVAL OF MARTIN LUTHER KING BOULEVARD.
HE WALKED TO THE PODIUM, PUT BOTH HANDS OUT, GOT READY TO SPEAK, AND HE DIED.
NOW, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT WAS ABOUT.
WE DON'T KNOW IF GOD SAID FOR HIM TO COME AND BE VINDICATED AND HE WAS FORGIVEN.
WE, WE, WE, WE HAVE NOT THAT IDEA.
ALL WE KNOW IS HE JOINED US ALL.
HE, THAT'S, WE CAN SURMISE ALL WE WANT TO, BUT WE, WE, WE JUST DON'T KNOW.
BUT ONE OF THE FIRST OF THE SECOND COUNCIL LADIES WAS GIVING HIM RESUSCITATION THAT WAS OU LONG, WHO WAS A LONG TIME HISTORY PERSON.
BUT, BUT IT STUNNED ALL OF US.
LITTLE DID WE KNOW THAT THIS EVENT WOULD TAKE A TRAGIC TURN LIKE THIS, BUT THEN IT WOULD MAKE A MARTY OUT OF DR.
THAT'S THE STORY OF HOW THINGS HAPPENED.
UM, THIS IS JOE BENNETT, WHO WAS THE PRESIDENT OF THE AUSTIN BLACK ASSEMBLY.
THIS IS AM JEAN POPE, WHO WAS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE AUSTIN BLACK ASSEMBLY.
NOW YOU REMEMBER I MENTIONED TO YOU THAT THERE WERE FORCES THAT SAID WE DIDN'T WANT THE STREET NAME.
WELL, ONE OF THE FIRST MAYORS OF AUSTIN, TEXAS WAS A GENTLEMAN BY THE NAME OF ROY BUTLER.
THAT'S ROY BUTLER RIGHT THERE.
THIS GENTLEMAN WHERE MY FINGER IS.
CAN YOU SEE? THAT WAS HIS SUCCESSOR.
SO WHAT WE DID WAS WE DID A LITTLE POLITIC.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAD THE OLD GOING OUT THAT WANTED TO BE VOTED IN, AND YOU HAD THE NEW COMING IN THAT YOU WANTED TO BE VOTED IN AS WELL.
SO WE TOOK A CHANCE ON JEFF FRIEDMAN, WHO BECAME THE MAYOR TO SUPPORT US BECAUSE HE GAVE US THE VOTE FOR THE MARTIN LUTHER KING BOULEVARD.
SO THEN HERE ARE OTHER PICTURES, UM, THAT WE HAVE.
THIS IS THE CELEBRATION THAT WE HAD, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
UM, A LOT OF YOU AND A LOT OF THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY DIDN'T REALLY REALIZE THE NAMING OF THE STREET.
ALL A LOT OF PEOPLE RECOGNIZED WAS THE FACT THAT THEY WERE DRIVING UP AND DOWN WHAT USED TO BE MARTIN 19TH STREET IN MARTIN LUTHER KING.
THERE WAS NO FANFARE, THERE WERE NO STUDENTS MARCHING, THERE WERE NO PROTESTS, QUIET PROTESTS, BUSINESS PERSONS IN WEST AUSTIN, BUT THEY WERE LESS THAN 30, ET CETERA.
SO MANY PEOPLE DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE HOW THE STREET CAME ABOUT.
SO THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS BACK IN NOVEMBER DECIDED THAT THEY, 50 YEARS LATER, THAT
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THEY WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THE NAMING OF MARTIN LUTHER KING BOULEVARD.AND THERE WAS A VIDEO MADE, SPEECHES MADE, ET CETERA, THAT ENDS THIS STORY HERE CUZ I DON'T WANT TO TAKE UP ANY MORE TIME.
BUT THE AUSTIN BLACK ASSEMBLY, PEOPLE SAY, WELL, WHAT HAPPENED TO IT? WELL, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IN LIFE YOU'LL ONLY DO ONE MISSION AND THAT'S YOUR LEGACY.
SO FOR US, THERE WAS NOT ANY CONTINGENT AS AN ORGANIZATION.
WE ACCOMPLISHED THAT GOAL, WE ACCOMPLISHED THAT MISSION AND WE DISBANDED.
IF ANY OF YOU HAVE SOME QUESTIONS LATER ON, YOU CAN, BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE UP ANY TIME.
BUT OUT OF THIS EVENT, THAT WAS TRAGEDY.
BUT THERE WAS ALSO LOVE AND THERE WAS ALSO FORGIVENESS.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE WORLD IS ALL ABOUT, LOVE AND FORGIVENESS.
DIXON, YOU WERE GOING TO, UM, I GUESS FIRST WE JUST WANNA THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER TO GO ANY FURTHER ON ANYTHING OR NOT, BUT, SO CUZ I WANTED TO GIVE THE REST OF THE PANELISTS AN OPPORTUNITY.
WE WANNA THANK YOU FOR THOSE PRECIOUS JEWELS OF PEARLS OF WISDOM, AND WE WANNA THANK YOU FOR STANDING ON THE FRONT LINE, UM, BRINGING US CHANGE TO AUSTIN.
AND WE WANNA THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, BEING A PILLAR AND A PART OF HISTORY.
YES, CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YEAH, IT'S ON.
SO MY PASTOR HERE ALREADY INTRODUCED ME, BUT LET ME SAY THIS.
I WAS BORN IN 1973 WHEN HE ARRIVED, HE GAVE YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY BACKGROUND.
I WAS BORN ON EAST 11TH STREET, NINE 16.
THE HISTORIC DERICK HAMILTON HOUSE IS AT NINE 12, WHICH IS ADJACENT TO IT.
THE REASON THIS HOUSE IS SIGNIFICANT IS BECAUSE BETWEEN 1873 AND 1875, IT WAS ACQUIRED BASICALLY DURING RECONSTRUCTION FROM A GENTLEMAN NAMED GEORGE W CHOBE, WHO WAS A UNIONIST WHEN THE STATE OF TEXAS WAS OCCUPIED DURING THE CIVIL WAR.
AND SO THE UNIONIST CHARGE WAS TO DISTRIBUTE LAND AND TO BUILD SCHOOLS, ET CETERA.
SO MY SECOND GREAT GRANDFATHER, THOMAS DEDRICK, WOULD BUY THIS PROPERTY WITH HIS BUSINESS PARTNER FOR AROUND $200 IN GOLD AS A DOWN PAYMENT AND A PROMISSORY NOTE TO BE PAID OFF WITHIN THE NEXT, I BELIEVE, TWO TO FOUR YEARS.
AND THE REASON THIS IS SIGNIFICANT IS BECAUSE DURING THIS TIME, ONLY WHITE MALES WHO WERE PROPERTY OWNERS COULD VOTE.
SO TO BUY PROPERTY IN THIS CITY OR ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS IS SIGNIFICANT.
BUT ALSO THE FACT THAT THIS HOUSE WOULD BE PASSED DOWN FOR FIVE GENERATIONS TO ME.
SO I AM THE FIFTH GENERATION OF MY FAMILY.
MY SECOND GREAT-GRANDFATHER WOULD PASS THIS HOUSE DOWN TO THOMAS DEDRICK, WHO IS MY GRANDMOTHER'S FATHER, WHO YOU WILL SEE AS THE CENTERPIECE OF THE MURAL.
IF YOU'VE EVER VISITED THE SITE, THERE IS A MURAL OF A HUNDRED LEADERS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND THE CENTER OF THAT IS A PORTRAIT OF MY GREAT-GRANDFATHER, THOMAS DEDRICK.
AND THE REASON, AGAIN, BECAUSE AS OFTEN WE CAN'T POINT TO A PLACE AND SAY THAT THIS IS THE ORIGIN OF MY FAMILY, AND THAT IS WHAT MAKES THE HOME SIGNIFICANT.
BUT ALSO THE FACT THAT THEY LIVED THERE DURING RECONSTRUCTION, LONG BEFORE THE 1928 MASTER PLAN WHERE I 35 WOULD CODIFY JIM CROW TO WHAT WAS CALLED A COUN FILE AND MASTER PLAN TO SEGREGATE AFRICAN AMERICANS EAST OF I 35.
WELL, DURING RECONSTRUCTION, AFRICAN AMERICANS BASICALLY REPRESENTED 36% OF THE POPULATION IN AUSTIN BEFORE THAT SEGREGATION.
SO MY FAMILY LIVED THERE LONG BEFORE THE FORCED MIGRATION AND SEGREGATION
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OF EAST AUSTIN.THEY LIVED THERE DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION.
THEY LIVED THERE DURING THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.
AND WHICH BRINGS ME TO MY STORY OF, OF SELF.
SO IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT AUSTIN AND EAST 11TH STREET, THESE WAR THRIVING BUSINESS DISTRICTS AND EAST 11TH STREET WAS NO DIFFERENT.
PROFESSOR ROLAND HAYES AT ACC WOULD ARGUE THAT IT WAS COMPARABLE TO TULSA, OKLAHOMA'S BLACK WALL STREET.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT AUSTIN WAS.
BUT OUT OF THIS FORCED SEGREGATION, WE BUILT SOMETHING THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL.
YOU DON'T OFTEN REALLY HEAR ABOUT WHAT THIS CITY WAS.
AND DURING THAT TIME, YOU DON'T REALLY HEAR A LOT ABOUT THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVISM THAT HE JUST NARRATED.
SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT AUSTIN DIDN'T HAVE A PLACE AT ALL IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.
UM, THERE'S EVEN NARRATION THAT BOOKER T WASHINGTON CAME HERE IN THE 1930S AND SPOKE AT REPUBLIC SQUARE.
SO WHEN I COME INTO THIS WORK, I WILL SAY THAT IT ISN'T YOUR COMMON NARRATIVE.
WELL, EAST 11TH STREET, THEN WAS KNOWN FOR SOME NEFARIOUS ACTIVITIES.
HONESTLY, IF WE'RE JUST BEING FRANK, IT WAS KNOWN FOR PIMPING, PROSTITUTION AND DRUGS.
AS WITH MOST INNER CITIES, THERE'S POCKETS OF CRIME.
SO I CAME INTO THIS WORLD BASICALLY SEEING THIS OUTSIDE OF MY WINDOW, BUT ALL OF THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS THAT EXISTED TOO.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT I GOT INVOLVED WITH SOCIAL JUSTICE AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACTIVISM THROUGH MY OWN LIVED EXPERIENCE HAVING WOUND UP IN PRISON IN 1992 AT THE AGE OF 20.
AND I SPENT FIVE AND A HALF YEARS INCARCERATED AND MADE PAROLE IN MARCH OF 1998.
AND THEN I TRANSITIONED INTO STATE GOVERNMENT.
SO TODAY WOULD BASICALLY BE ABOUT 25 YEARS LATER UPON MY RELEASE.
AND SO TODAY I AM THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND CFO FOR THE STATE OFFICER RISK MANAGEMENT.
I WANT YOU TO GIVE HIM A HAND.
SO I, I SAY THAT TO SAY THIS, THERE IS POWER IN TRANSFORMATION AND THE PUBLIC NARRATIVE OF STORYTELLING THAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO HEAR HERE TODAY.
WELL, ANYWAY, I GOT INVOLVED WITH SOCIAL JUSTICE CRIMINAL JUSTICE AROUND 2012, ABOUT A DECADE AGO BECAUSE I WANTED TO BASICALLY LEND MY GIFTS AND MY TALENTS, MY TIME, TALENT, AND TREASURE BECAUSE I KNEW THAT I HAD SOMETHING TO OFFER BY SHARING MY STORY WITH OTHERS TO INSPIRE OTHER FORMALLY INCARCERATED, DIRECTLY IMPACTED PEOPLE AND FAMILY MEMBERS TO REMOVE THE SHAME AND STIGMA THAT IS ASCRIBED TO THOSE OF US WHO HAVE BEEN INCARCERATED.
BECAUSE ALL TOO OFTEN IT IS BASICALLY ASCRIBED TO US THAT WE ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE INTELLIGENT, ARTICULATE, OR SOPHISTICATED.
AND SO I AM A LIVING REFUTATION AGAINST ALL OF THAT.
IN 2016, A SMALL NUMBER OF US ORGANIZED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CAMPAIGN BY A FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER CRAIG KASSAR, FOR FAIR CHANCE HIRING, WHICH BASICALLY MEANT THAT WE WOULD REMOVE THE BOX ON THE APPLICATION, HAVE YOU BEEN CONVICTED OF A FELONY? AND A CONDITIONAL LAWFUL WOULD BE MADE TO A PERSON WITHOUT ASKING THESE QUESTIONS.
SO A BAND OF US WENT TO CITY HALL, WE TESTIFIED, WE SHARED OUR STORIES.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS I SAID TO THAT TEN ONE COUNCIL WAS, YOU WILL NOT ALWAYS BE A MEMBER OF THIS DIOCESE AND NO ONE KNOWS THEIR DESTINY, AND YOU ARE POSSIBLY MEMBERS OF YOUR FAMILY WILL MAKE A MISTAKE, BE ARRESTED AND YOU WILL WISH, HOPE OR PRAY THAT YOU HAD MEN AND WOMEN LIKE US ADVOCATING FOR YOUR OPPORTUNITY.
SO WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IS USE YOUR LEADERSHIP AND THIS, THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING TRANSFORMATIONAL.
AND WHAT THEY DID WAS PASS THAT ORDINANCE BASICALLY WITH TWO MEMBERS ABSTAINING.
AND SO AUSTIN, TEXAS WOULD BECOME THE FIRST CITY IN THE SOUTH THAT WOULD PASS A FAIR CHANCE HIRING BAN THE BOX ORDINANCE FOR FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AT EMPLOYMENT.
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OUR OPPOSITION WERE POWERFUL PEOPLE WHO WERE ATTORNEYS WHO WERE A PART OF PUBLIC POLICY FOUNDATIONS.BUT AGAIN, IT IS THAT POWER OF PUBLIC NARRATIVE AND STORYTELLING THAT AFFECTS AND CHANGES THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF PEOPLE.
AND WE RECOGNIZE THIS THROUGH SOME OF OUR GREATEST OR RAIDERS LIKE DR.
MARTIN LUTHER KING, UM, ALL OF THE OTHERS.
MARTIN LUTHER KING, MALCOLM X, UM, MARCUS GARVEY, STOKLEY CARMICHAEL, THERE ARE, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THEM.
SO THAT IS, UM, WHAT I WANTED TO SHARE.
THEN ALSO HERE IN 2019, WE LAUNCHED A CAMPAIGN TO ESTABLISH A PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, MY GOAL IS TO FIGHT FOR THE DIRECTLY IMPACTED.
AND SO AUSTIN, TEXAS IS THE ONLY, WAS IT THE ONLY MAJOR METROPOLITAN CITY THAT DIDN'T HAVE A PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE TO REPRESENT INDIGENT DEFENSE.
SO AGAIN, A BAND OF US INSERTED OURSELVES INTO THE PROCESS AT COMMISSIONER'S COURT, AND I WAS A PART OF THAT INDIGENT LEGAL WORKING GROUP.
SO TODAY WE HAVE A PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE, AND I WAS A PART OF THE BOARD THAT BASICALLY BROUGHT THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO THE CITY TO BE OUR CHIEF PUBLIC DEFENDER.
SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN A PART OF MY WORK HERE IN THIS CITY.
IF, IF I MIGHT, IF I MIGHT, UM, MRS. WILLIAM ASKED ME TO KIND OF SAY A LITTLE BIT, BUT I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT TIME, SO I DIDN'T WANT TO SAY ANYTHING.
BUT TO BACK UP YOUNG, MR. DARRIN, WHOM I'M SO PROUD OF BECAUSE HE'S KIND OF FOLLOWING IN MY FOOTSTEPS.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I TRIED TO DO TO THE YOUNGER GENERATION IS TO SHOW LEADERSHIP.
AND YOU DON'T ALWAYS HAVE TO BE AN ELECTED OFFICIAL TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
SO HERE IN AUSTIN, BACK IN THE EARLY SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES, A LOT OF THINGS HAPPENED.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE CAME AN URBAN LEAGUE, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE CAME A NATIONAL BUSINESS LEAGUE, UH, WHICH WAS A PART OF BOOKER T WASHINGTON.
AND ALSO, UH, WE HAD THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, WHICH IS RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO THE YELLOW HOUSE THAT HE IS, WHICH I WAS A PART OF.
BUT I WANT TO GO BACK AND TALK A LITTLE BIT AND SHARE THAT WITH DARWIN, THE STREET THAT HE LIVED ON WAS THAT THERE WAS A GROUP OF US IN 1,980 WHO WANTED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT 11TH STREET.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO DO, WE WANTED TO DO THE CLEANUP, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR BLACK FOLK TO REALLY DO DEVELOPMENT.
BUT AS IT ALWAYS IS, IN AUSTIN, THERE IS ALWAYS A KIND OF A, A TUG OF, UH, I DON'T CALL IT WAR, BUT, BUT, BUT, BUT THERE IS, ON ONE HAND, THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS VERY NICE.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THE CITY OF AUSTIN CAN BE VERY, VERY ROUGH ON YOU.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE THE POLICY.
SO REALLY THE MINORITY COMMUNITIES IN AUSTIN HAVE HAVING A VERY GOOD, A VERY HARD TIME TRYING TO DO ANYTHING BECAUSE OF THE POLICIES.
AND THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT DAR IS TALKING ABOUT HERE IN AUSTIN, IS THAT THE POLICIES OF SUCH THAT WE HAVE TO FIGHT THE POLICY FIRST BEFORE YOU CAN GET ANYTHING DONE.
SO THERE WAS A SITUATION WHERE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GAVE A MILLION DOLLARS TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO, UH, FIX UP THE STATE CEMETERY, WHICH IS RIGHT THERE ON 11TH STREET.
THE BLACK COMMUNITY AND THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY COULD NOT GET TOGETHER ON WHAT TO DO WITH THAT MONEY BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT THAT MONEY GOING TO CLEAN UP THE CEMETERY.
SO THE CITY OF AUSTIN THEN DECIDED THAT HE WAS GOING TO GIVE THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY $700,000 AND IT GAVE THE GUADALUPE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION $600,000 AND FOR AN APPEASEMENT BECAUSE LADY BIRD DID NOT.
AND BOB BULLOCK, I MEAN, AND JAKE PICKLE DID NOT WANT TO GET INVOLVED IN THE LOCAL POLITICS WITH THESE MINORITY GROUPS.
SO IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THAT, THERE WAS THIS MONEY ON THE TABLE.
SO THERE WAS A GROUP OF US IN 1,980 GOT WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS GRADUATE, WHO'S A SAN ANTONIO, UH, FELLA.
AND WE DECIDED THAT WE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING WITH THIS MONEY TO CLEAN UP 11TH STREET.
UM, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, WHILE WE WERE TRYING TO GET THE MONEY TOGETHER TO CLEAN UP 11TH STREET, GET A PROPOSAL, THE CITY OF AUSTIN WAS BUYING UP ALL OF THE PROPERTY
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ON 11TH STREET.DID YOU HEAR WHAT I SAID ABOUT POLICY? SO IF THE CITY GOT AHEAD OF US WITH THE POLICY, THAT MEANT THAT THE CITY CONTROLLED THE ABILITY TO ZONE AND DO WHATEVER THEY WANTED TO DO WITH THAT.
SO THEREFORE, WE TRIED TO CREATE A NEIGHBORHOOD CONSERVATION DISTRICT, WHICH ALLOWED FOR ALL TYPES OF ZONING, HIGH RIDE BUILDING, SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, ET CETERA.
SO WHILE WE WERE GETTING THIS PASSED, THE CITY WAS VERY HAPPY BECAUSE WE WERE DOING WHAT THE CITY WOULD'VE HAD TO DO, BUT THE CITY HAD ALREADY BOUGHT UP THE PROPERTY.
SO THEN WHEN WE BROUGHT THIS PLAN TO TRY TO RECTIFY THE CITY, THE CITY ALREADY OWNED MUCH OF THE PROPERTY.
AND DARING CAN SEE HERE, THIS WAS DONE IN 1,980 BY NAEL HAYWARD WHERE WE, THAT IS THE COMMUNITY DECIDED THAT WE WANTED TO, UM, CLEAN UP THE STREET.
SO WE HAD TO COME UP WITH A MASTER PLAN TO PRESENT TO THE CITY.
DAR CAN YOU HOLD THAT UP THERE, DARRIN, SHOW 'EM WHERE THE CHUCK WAGON IS.
THAT'S WHERE THE WELLS FARGO BANK IS RIGHT NOW.
AND DARWIN'S HOUSE IS RIGHT IN THAT SAME AREA.
SO YOU COULD SEE WHAT WE WERE PROPOSING TO DO WAS TO CLEAN UP THIS AREA.
BUT IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THAT, THE CITY HAD ALREADY BOUGHT UP, SOLD THE PROPERTY.
SO THIS PLAN BY AFRICAN AMERICAN TO REALLY DO SOMETHING IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD WAS THWARTED BY THE CITY.
NOW THE CITY IS COMING BACK WITH TWO LOTS RIGHT THERE ON 11TH STREET TO TRY TO HAVE THE BLACK COMMUNITY TO DEVELOP THE TWO LOTS.
BUT THE MAJORITY OF THE STREET IS NOW OWNED BY THE CITY.
AND BASICALLY A LOT OF ANGLO COMPANIES, WHICH IS TO OUR DISMAY.
AND I'M JUST SHOWING YOU HOW SOMETIMES WE CAN BE SO FAR AFFRONT THAT THE, AS MY DADDY WOULD SAY, THAT PEOPLE MISTAKEN US FOR THE ENEMIES.
AND HERE WE WERE WAY OUT FRONT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THE CITY WAS CIRCLING THE WAGON ON US TO MAKE SURE THAT IT OWN THE PROPERTY.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT 11TH STREET RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS THERE, MOST OF THE PROPERTY ON 11TH STREET IS OWNED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
THAT BISHOP AUSTIN DISTRICT CENTER HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
ALL OF THIS I NEED TO GET, I NEED TO WRITE A BOOK, BUT ALL OF THIS INFORMATION IS WHY I'M TELLING YOU THIS IS BECAUSE THIS INFORMATION HAPPENED, BUT IT DIDN'T MAKE THE HEADLINES.
A LOT OF AFRICAN AMERICANS DON'T EVEN REALIZE WHAT WAS GOING ON BECAUSE WE WORKED SO SMOOTHLY.
YEAH, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T WORK, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE HAD TO HAVE MARCHING, ET CETERA.
WE LEFT THAT, AND DARWIN CAN SAY THAT TO DOTH TURNER, VELMA ROBERTS, LINDA LEWIS, AND I GOT TO SAY A LOT ABOUT DR.
JOHN WARFARE, WHO AT THE SAME TIME WE WERE CREATING THE URBAN LEAGUE WAS WORKING TO MAKE AUSTIN BETTER.
AND HE CREATED, ALONG WITH THE GROUP, K A Z I, THE RADIO STATION THAT YOU NOW LISTEN TO.
NOW, IN THE MIDST OF ALL OF THIS, AUSTIN HAS A HISTORY OF GREAT BRUTALITY.
AND DAR CAN SAY THAT BECAUSE RIGHT UP THE BLOCK FROM HIS HOUSE IN THE EARLY SEVENTIES, THERE WERE TWO REAL OUTRIGHT MURDERS DONE.
ONE WAS RIGHT THERE WHERE I SHOWED YOU WHERE THE LITTLE SIGN SAID THE CHUCK WAGON, THAT'S WELLS FARGO BANK RIGHT THERE NOW.
BUT RIGHT AT THAT CHUCK WAGON SPOT, IF DAR DARWIN WAS STILL YOUNG, BUT I KNOW HE STILL REMEMBERS THAT THERE WAS A CHOKE HOPE DONE SIMILAR TO YEARS AGO OF THE CHOKE COAT THAT WAS DONE BY THE POLICE FORCE IN NEW YORK CITY BECAUSE DURING THE SEVENTIES THEY CREATED THIS CHOKE HOPE FOR INCORRIGIBLE PEOPLE WHO WERE CAUSING VIOLENCE, ET CETERA.
THEY WOULD, YOU KNOW, DO SOMETHING TO YOUR THROAT AND THEY KILLED A PERSON, A MAN RIGHT THERE ON THE SPOT.
THERE WAS ANOTHER INCIDENT DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME OF BRUTALITY THAT WAS DONE OUT ON MAINER ROAD THAT WAS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN, AN AFRICAN REALLY AFRICAN, WHO WAS IN A DOMESTIC SITUATION WHERE THE POLICE WERE CALLED.
AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, HE WAS ON A WATERBED.
THEY CAME IN, FACED HIM DOWN AND SMOTHERED HIM TO DEATH.
SO WHEN I BEGAN TO SAY THAT WHILE WE WERE DOING POSITIVE THINGS WITH POLICIES AND TRYING TO DO THAT, THERE WAS THE OTHER SIDE OF AUSTIN THAT WAS DOING STUFF TOO TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
SO MUCH OF WHAT YOU SEE AND WHAT MUCH OF WHAT YOU HEAR IS TALKED ABOUT, BUT IT'S NOT REALLY EXPRESSED BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF BRUTALITY THAT WENT ON ON BEHALF OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HERE
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IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.SO WHEN PEOPLE MARCH AND THEY BEGAN TO TALK, IT'S REAL.
SO WE HAVE TO THANK DARTHY TURNER, VELMAN ROBERTS, LINDA LEWIS, JOHN WARFIELD, AND THE BLACK CITIZENS TASK FORCE WERE ON THE OTHER HAND KEEPING ALIVE THE LIVES OF PEOPLE HERE IN AUSTIN.
WE DIDN'T SAY IT BACK THEN CUZ IT WASN'T THE SLOGAN, BUT BLACK LIVES DO MATTER AND BLACK LIVES HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM HERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN BECAUSE OF ITS POLICIES.
WE HAVE, UM, UH, CARRIE, COME AHEAD.
NOBODY'S GETTING A MIC, BUT YOU GO AHEAD REVEREND DIXON, I JUST THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS HISTORY AND STORYTELLING.
UH, MY NAME'S CARRIE BRANNAN, I WORK FOR THE CITY AND AS DIRECTOR WEEKS JUST ASKED, WOULD IS IT, DOES, DO WE KNOW THIS? HAS THIS BEEN SHARED BEFORE? I'M WONDERING IF YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO SHARE THAT, UH, EITHER WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE, DEFINITELY FOR OUR HOUSING AND PLANNING SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO LEARN.
WE'RE GETTING READY TO LAUNCH A CITYWIDE TRAINING CALLED BEYOND BIAS.
AND THAT WOULD BE A PHENOMENAL STORY FOR ALL OF THE EQUITY CHAMPIONS TO REALLY BE ABLE TO SAY THAT THIS BIAS WAS OCCURRING EVEN RECENTLY, NOT JUST FROM 1928.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE COMING UP ON A CENTURY OF THE, UH, MASTER PLAN, WHICH DIVIDED RACIALLY DIVIDED OUR CITY.
AND THAT WAS POWERFUL INFORMATION WHERE WE CAN CONTINUE TO LEARN AND GROW AS A CITY AND AS A COMMUNITY.
I'D BE HAPPY TO, YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT WE'VE COME 50 YEARS, SO MOST OF MY COMRADES, LIKE HIS DADDY AND HIS MOTHER, WHO WERE AROUND AT THAT TIME ARE NO LONGER HERE.
AND SO I'M KIND OF LEFT AS A LONE, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, KINDA STORYTELLER TO KEEP THIS INFORMATION.
AND I DON'T MIND SHARING THAT, BUT IT'S A LOT MORE THAT WE COULD SHARE THAT ALL WE GET IS THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE URBAN LEAGUE, THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DIETRICH HOUSE, THE HIGHLIGHTS OF MARTIN LUTHER KING BOULEVARD.
BUT, BUT WE DON'T GET THE OTHER STUFF THAT IS THE REAL NITTY GRITTY STUFF THAT REALLY WENT ON THAT ALL OF US WERE A PART OF PERIOD, THE TIME THAT KEPT AUSTIN ALIVE AND KEPT AUSTIN MOVING.
I KNOW THAT'S A HARD I KNOW, THAT'S I KNOW, I KNOW.
I WOULDN'T, I WOULDN'T THE GO BEHIND.
I MEAN, WHAT A HARD ACT TO FOLLOW.
I MEAN, THANK YOU REVEREND DIXON AND THANK YOU DARWIN.
I'M GLAD AT LEAST I'M GOING BEFORE DR.
I'M THE FOUNDER OF BRAVE COMMUNITIES AND IT'S A LOCAL NONPROFIT HERE IN AUSTIN THAT STANDS FOR BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS, AWARENESS VOICES AND ENGAGEMENT.
AND SO, UM, WE'VE GOT KIND OF TWO TRACKS.
WE DO A LOT OF YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMS, SO WE EMPOWER TEEN GIRLS IN THE LOCAL AREA AND ALSO WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NEW YORK THROUGH A VIRTUAL PROGRAM.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HOST COMMUNITY, UM, CONVERSATIONS.
AND NOW WE'RE TRYING TO INCORPORATE IT WHERE THE TEEN GIRLS CAN BE THE ORGANIZERS AND FACILITATORS FOR THESE CONVERSATIONS.
BUT ACTUALLY DAR ONE OF OUR FIRST, UM, COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAD IN 2016 WAS, UM, WITH OUR PANELIST, ESTEEMED PANELS OF DARWIN HAR, UM, SPEAKING ABOUT THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM.
UM, SO REALLY, I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO FOLLOW THAT.
UM, SO
I DID A LOT OF INTERNATIONAL WORK AND ACTUALLY HAD A TRAVEL COMPANY, UM, KIND OF INSPIRED BECAUSE OF NINE 11 AND THE, UM, THE, LIKE THE NEGATIVITY AND THE SOCIAL, THE MEDIA THAT CAME OUT OF NINE 11 AND THE HATE OF, OF DIFFERENT CULTURES.
SO IT INSPIRED ME TO START A COMPANY AND THEN LATER, UM, I, UH, I, UM, STARTED TRANSITIONING INTO DOING YOUTH LEADERSHIP AND SOCIAL CHANGE PROGRAMS FOR SOME STATE DEPARTMENT PROGRAMS AND HELPED DESIGN THOSE YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS. AND I WAS LIVING IN AUSTIN AT THE TIME IN 2000, SINCE 2001, BUT I WAS GLOBAL A LOT.
AND SO I THINK IT WAS UNTIL 20 15, 20 16 WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, TR UM, MIKE BROWN BEING SHOT.
LOUIS FOR A COUPLE YEARS, FREDDIE GRAY BEING MURDERED.
AND I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN MARYLAND.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE CHOKE HOLD OF, OF ERIC GARNER, THAT TIMEFRAME ALL WAS WHEN I WAS LIKE, WOW, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON DOMESTICALLY IN
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MY OWN NATION AND MY OWN BACKYARDS THAT I WANT TO BE MORE AWARE OF.AND SO I COMPLETELY STOPPED THE INTERNATIONAL PIECE OF GETTING PEOPLE TO TRAVEL ABROAD AND REALLY WANTED TO FOCUS ON, UM, ON, YOU KNOW, MYSELF AND, AND ALSO ON WHAT WAS GOING ON NATIONALLY.
AND SO THAT'S KIND OF HOW BRAVE GOT FOUNDED.
AND SO NOW IT'S JUST BEEN A JOURNEY OF REALLY THEN BEING ABLE TO PASS ON THE BATON TO THE NEXT GENERATION.
SO WE DO WORK WITH, UM, TEEN GIRLS RIGHT NOW AND WE HOPE TO EXPAND THAT, UM, IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? UH, MY NAME'S JAMES LESI AND UM, SAME WITH LIN.
I'M LIKE, WHY AM I HERE? BUT, UM, UH, MISS CARMA KIND OF HAS ME HERE TO, I MY AREA OF WORK IS WHERE BEEN IN, UH, RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY, RELIGIOUS AND WORLDVIEW DIVERSITY.
EDWARDS UNIVERSITY AND THEIR CAMPUS MINISTRY SUPPORTING STUDENTS FROM ALL VARIOUS RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS AND VERSIONS OF CHRISTIANITY AND SUCH LIKE THAT.
AND I CURRENTLY ALSO DO WORK FOR A LOCAL GROUP CALLED INTERFAITH ACTION OF CENTRAL TEXAS, WHICH HAS BEEN IN, UH, THE AUSTIN AREA FOR CLOSE TO 50 YEARS NOW.
UM, AND THEY DO SEVERAL PROGRAMS SUCH AS THE THE RED BENCH, WHICH IS AN INTERFAITH DIALOGUE, UH, MONTHLY PROGRAM THAT MOVES AROUND AT DIFFERENT VARIOUS FAITH COMMUNITIES AND CONGREGATIONS.
THEY, UH, DO A PASSPORT PROGRAM WHERE THEY GIVE PEOPLE A CHANCE TO VISIT DIFFERENT FAITH COMMUNITIES EACH MONTH FOR DEVELOP RELIGIOUS LITERACY.
UH, THEY ALSO DO WORK WITH HOUSING, WHICH IS SORT OF LIKE A HABITAT TYPE OF BUILDING PROGRAM IN SUPPORTING DIFFERENT GROUPS WITHIN THE AUSTIN AREA.
UM, AS I WAS TRYING TO THINK ABOUT WHAT I MIGHT SAY TODAY, UH, PARTICULARLY AS WE THINK ABOUT DR.
MARTIN LUTHER KING AND I, I ALWAYS TRY TO REMEMBER THE PEOPLE I WORK WITH, THAT HE WAS THE REVEREND DR.
MARTIN LUTHER KING, UH, WHICH IN OUR SECULAR SOCIETY, THAT PART OF HIS, UH, BACKGROUND AND WHO HE WAS IS OFTEN NOT SPOKEN TO, WHICH IS IRONIC CUZ THAT WAS AT THE HEART AND CORE OF WHY HE GOT UP IN THE MORNING AND DID ANYTHING THAT HE DID.
HE WAS, UM, AND MANY OF THOSE SPEECHES YOU SEE HIM GIVING WERE THEY WERE AT PODIUMS IN, IN, OR, UM, YOU KNOW, IN CHURCHES.
THEY WEREN'T AT A PUBLIC PODIUM.
SO, UM, BUT I HAD TO GO BACK AND READ HIS LETTER OF THE BIRMINGHAM JAIL BECAUSE HE WAS WRITING THIS TO ME AND TO OTHERS WHO PRESENT LIKE ME AS A WHITE CISGENDER MALE OF CHRISTIAN CATHOLIC PRIVILEGE.
UM, AND HOW DO WE IN THIS DAY AND AGE, PARTICULARLY IN FAITH COMMUNITIES, SPEAK TO, UH, THE WORK THAT KING REALLY WANTED TO PROMOTE? AS REVEREND DIXON ALWAYS HAS ALREADY MENTIONED MANY TIMES, HIS ETHIC WAS OF LOVE.
AND THAT CAME OUT OF HIS UNDERSTANDING OF THE GOSPELS AND THE, AND THE, THE TRADITIONS.
AND HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT GOD WAS PRESENT IN ALL RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE ABOUT AN ETHIC OF LOVE.
AND THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, HE LEARNED VERY EARLY FROM GANDHI AND HIS, YOU KNOW, AND VISITED INDIA TO LEARN ABOUT THIS, YOU KNOW, UH, NONVIOLENCE.
BUT NONVIOLENCE WAS NOT NON-CONFRONTATIONAL.
CONFRONTATION IS NOT A BAD THING.
UM, HE JUST PROPOSED TO DO IT IN A WAY THAT WAS NON-VIOLENT.
CUZ I THINK DEEP IN, IN HIS UNDERSTANDING OF THE HUMAN PERSON, UM, EVEN THOSE THAT ARE OPPRESSING ARE STILL CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD AND HIS UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD.
AND AT SOME POINT, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE LIVE TOGETHER AND, AND LOVE AND FORGIVENESS AND UNDERSTANDING.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LONG ROAD TO HAUL BEFORE THAT.
UM, BUT KING WAS VERY INVOLVED IN INTERFAITH, UH, WORK.
UH, HE, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTED BY RABBI HECHE VERY MUCH SO.
HE, UH, DID WORK WITH FNA KHAN, WHO'S A VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST MONK, YOU KNOW, ADDRESSING THE VIETNAM WAR.
AND HE EVEN, HE EVEN SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST MONKS THAT WERE SELF EMULATING THEMSELVES, BURNING, PUTTING, SETTING THEMSELVES ON FIRE IN PROTESTS OF THE VIETNAM WAR, WERE DOING THE SAME WORK THAT, UH, CHRISTIAN AND MUSLIM, UH, BLACK COMMUNITIES WERE DOING IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND AS I THINK ABOUT THAT WORK, UH,
[01:05:01]
I THINK THAT'S THE WORK THAT'S STILL GOING ON TODAY WHEN WE THINK ABOUT, UH, RELIGIOUS DIVER AND WORLDVIEW DIVERSITY IN OUR, YOU KNOW, IN OUR COUNTRY, IN OUR STATE.YOU KNOW, I, I THINK ABOUT, UH, AS A, AS A ROMAN CATHOLIC, AS A WHITE ROMAN CATHOLIC, UM, DO I, I THINK ABOUT, UH, ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ON THE SOUTHERN BORDER, OR AM I THINKING ABOUT BROTHERS AND SISTERS, YOU KNOW, IN THE CATHOLIC COP PENTECOSTAL FAITH? YOU KNOW, ARE THEY MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS OR AM I CATEGORIZING THEM AS SOMETHING? HOW DO I VIEW THE HUMAN PERSON? AND HOW DOES THAT IMPACT OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR UNDERSTANDING OF POLITICS IN THE WORLD? YOU KNOW, UH, AUSTIN IS NOT IMMUNE FROM RELIGIOUS BIGOTRY.
AND I WOULD SAY SO MUCH OF THE RELIGIOUS BIGOTRY IN OUR WORLD IS RACIALLY BASED AND CENTERED AS WELL.
UM, JUST OVER A YEAR AGO WE HAD A, A, A JEWISH SYNAGOGUE.
SOMEONE TRIED TO SET IT ON FIRE.
WE HAD PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, OVER I 35 HANGING SIGNS, YOU KNOW, ANTI-SEMITIC SIGNS.
WE HAD THE LAKE TRAVIS MOSQUE ABOUT FIVE OR SIX YEARS AGO AS IT WAS BEING BUILT, WAS BURNED TO THE GROUND.
THE TEXAS HALEL, THE JEWISH STUDENTS CENTER, THE FIRST DAY THEY OPENED, UH, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, THEY HAD A SWASTIKA PAINTED ON THE FRONT DOOR, THREE SYNAGOGUES IN SAN ANTONIO IN ONE SUMMER, HAD SWASTIKAS.
YOU KNOW, THIS TYPE OF HATE THAT'S BASED ON RELIGION IS ALIVE AND WELL.
AND I THINK THAT WOULD'VE GRIEVED KING, AND I THINK THAT WAS THE WORK THAT HE UNDERSTOOD WAS PART OF THIS.
UM, I ALSO THINK AS A, AS A WHITE CATHOLIC, THERE'S A FAMOUS PHOTO OF, UM, UH, FATHER MALLOY WHO WAS THE PRESIDENT OF NOTRE DAME COLLEGE.
UM, AND THEY'RE, HE'S HAND IN HAND WITH, UH, UH, DR.
IT'S A GREAT PHOTO, MAKES IT REALLY LOOK LIKE CATHOLICS WHO ARE KIND OF JUMPING ON BOARD.
UNFORTUNATELY, FATHER MALLOY WAS THE ONLY CATHOLIC PRIEST IN THE AREA OF CHICAGO THAT WOULD BE, WOULD PARTICIPATE IN THAT STRUGGLE.
UH, CATHOLICS ARE VERY LATE IN THE GAME AND WERE VERY MUCH PART OF THE, UH, PUR YOU KNOW, THE CONTINUATION OF OPPRESSION, PARTICULARLY I, AS I SAID, AS A WHITE CATHOLIC, I THINK IN THE STATE OF TEXAS WHERE THE HISPANIC LATINX CHURCH IS GONNA BE PREDOMINANTLY, UM, THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS GONNA BE PREDOMINANTLY HISPANIC AND LATINX, BUT THE, THE LEADERSHIP IS STILL VERY WHITE.
HOW'S THAT? HOW'S THAT GONNA LOOK MOVING FORWARD AS WE KEEP GOING? HOW DO WE EVEN BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT THESE QUESTIONS? AND I THINK THAT'S ALL PART OF THE LEGACY OF WHAT, YOU KNOW, UH, DR.
KING WAS TRYING TO GET US TO BE THINKING ABOUT, UH, THAT THERE'S AN INTERCONNECTEDNESS BETWEEN ALL THESE INCIDENTS OF OPPRESSION, ALL THESE INCIDENTS THAT DIMINISH THE HUMAN PERSON, BOTH IN HOW WE TREAT THE HUMAN PERSON AND HOW IT IMPACTS THE HUMAN PERSON TO DIMINISH THEIR SENSE OF THEIR OWN SELF.
CUZ WHEN COMMU, WHEN YOU'RE BEATEN DOWN LONG ENOUGH, YOU START TO BELIEVE THINGS.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE PUT IN A SITUATION, YOU CAN VERY EASILY BELIEVE THINGS, WHICH AGAIN, IS DESTROYING THE IMAGE OF GOD.
AND FROM MY, MY WORLDVIEWS IS HOW I VIEW THAT.
SO I THINK, UM, THIS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE WORK OF, UH, FAITH COMMUNITIES IS VERY IMPORTANT IN THIS WORK BECAUSE WE'RE REALLY GETTING TO HOW WE VIEW THE HUMAN PERSON.
UH, I ALWAYS SAY I LOVE THE UNITED NATIONS DECLARATION OF UNIVERSAL RIGHTS.
VERY POWERFUL PIECE OF WRITING IS SUCH, BUT IT IS ONLY AS STRONG AS THE SIGNATORY NATIONS PEOPLE CAN BACK OUT OF THAT.
IT CAN BE DISMISSED TOMORROW WITH THE RIGHT VOTE.
MY FAITH TELLS ME THAT WE ALL ARE CREATED AN IMAGE OF GOD, WHETHER I MAY LIKE THAT OR NOT, ON A PARTICULAR DAY.
AND SO THAT'S WHY, THAT'S HOW I HAVE TO ORIENT MY LIFE.
AND I THINK THAT'S PRETTY CONSISTENT AMONG MANY OF THE, THE FAITH TRADITIONS OF THE WORLD.
SO, UM, IT'S A COMMUNAL, YOU KNOW, WE LIVE IN COMMUNITY WITH EACH OTHER.
UM, AND THAT'S, I THINK THIS IS HOW WE HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, AND, AND WE WILL TRANSITION INTO HIS LIVE PERFORMANCE.
UH, THE GREAT, THE WONDERFUL, THE MIGHTY SAW PAUL.
THIS HAS BEEN A, UM, POWERFUL PANEL.
THANK YOU REVEREND DIXON FOR WHAT YOU SHARED.
I TOOK NOTES LITERALLY, AND I PICKED UP ON WHAT YOU WERE PUTTING DOWN, UM, IN REGARD TO LIKE, THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS TO MAKE CHANGE.
LIKE YOU COULD EVEN DO IT QUIETLY, NOT BEING SO UPFRONT OR
[01:10:01]
THIS, THAT, AND THE THIRD.BUT THAT REALLY SPOKE TO ME ABOUT, CAUSE THE GOAL IS THE GOAL.
UH, I KNOW DARWIN, WE'RE BOTH A PART OF AN ORGANIZATION CALLED JUST LEADERSHIP.
UH, WELL THE MOTTO IS THOSE THAT ARE CLOSEST TO THE PROBLEM, UH, ALSO CLOSEST TO THE SOLUTION.
WE BOTH SHARE, UH, THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF INCARCERATION AND WHATNOT.
UM, IN ADDITION, HE'S JUST A SMOOTH FELLOW.
GIVE IT UP FOR DAR ONE MORE TIME.
UM, WHAT I LEARNED FROM LIN IS TO BRING A LOT OF BOOKS, BUT THEN DON'T TALK ABOUT 'EM.
OH, IS THAT RIGHT? SHE JUST MAKES STUFF HAPPEN.
SO THAT GOES BACK TO REVEREND DIXON.
YOU THINK SHE HAD NO REASON BEING UP HERE, BUT THE TRUTH IS SHE IS QUITE THE CHANGE MAKER.
THANK YOU FOR, UM, UH, SPEAKING SO BOLDLY ON FAITH.
UM, I THINK MANY PEOPLE, SO THE PROMPT IS HOW ARE WE CONTINUING? LIKE, HOW AM I CONTINUING DR.
KING'S WORK? UH, I THINK IT AMA IT AMAZES ME.
I DON'T THINK MANY PEOPLE KNOW THAT DR.
LIKE THAT'S WHAT THE DOCTORATE WAS IN LIKE, LIKE, LIKE STRAIGHT UP.
IT'S LIKE PEOPLE WHO MAY BE, UH, LIKE, UH, YEAH, MOST PEOPLE DON'T GET THAT.
HE WAS A CHRISTIAN, HE WAS A BELIEVER.
UH, SO I WANTED TO SHARE A FEW THINGS ABOUT DR.
DID YOU KNOW THAT HIS FIRST NAME WAS NOT ACTUALLY MARTIN AND HIS NAME WAS MICHAEL? SO I RELATE TO HIM BECAUSE MY NAME, I GO BY SAUL PAUL, BUT MY BIRTH NAME IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
I GO BY SAUL PAUL, BECAUSE IT COMES FROM THE BIBLE.
THE APOSTLE PAUL BEFORE HIS NAME WAS PAUL, HIS NAME WAS SAUL.
UH, SAUL HAD AN INTERACTION WITH JESUS AND HIS LIFE CHANGED.
AND SUBSEQUENTLY HE CHANGED HIS NAME.
SO I HAD THE SAUL PAUL CONVERSION.
KING GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL AT 15? LIKE MOST PEOPLE DON'T GET THAT PART.
THERE'S PEOPLE, HE MOVED PEOPLE, HE MOVED THE NEEDLE.
HE WAS A CHANGE MAKER ACTUALLY.
HE WAS VERY INTELLIGENT, LIKE JUST VERY, VERY INTELLIGENT.
HE SKIPPED THE NINTH THROUGH THE 12TH GRADE.
UM, BUT I ALSO LEARNED FROM HIM THAT IT WASN'T ABOUT HIM GETTING A PAT ON THE CHEST FOR BEING SMART.
IT WAS REALLY ABOUT THE PEOPLE.
AND THAT'S HOW HE IS REMEMBERED.
HE ALWAYS CHANGED AND REPRESENTED FOR THE PEOPLE.
UM, DID YOU KNOW BEFORE HE GOT MURDERED THAT THEY HAD ALREADY HAD AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON HIS LIFE, LIKE A DECADE BEFORE HE WAS ACTUALLY MURDERED? THE REASON WHY I BRING THAT UP IS BECAUSE I GUESS HE HAD AMPLE TIME TO QUIT IF THAT WAS HIS GOAL.
HE KNEW PEOPLE DIDN'T LIKE WHAT HE WAS DOING.
HE KNEW THAT PEOPLE WANTED TO KILL HIM.
HE KNEW THAT IT PUT HIM ON THE, UH, ON THE WRONG, ON CENSUS, NAUGHTY LIST AND WHATNOT.
BUT NONETHELESS, HE KEPT IT UP AND HE DID THE WORK.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY THE KEY IN REGARDS TO WHATEVER DREAM WE MAY HAVE.
EVEN WHEN YOU KNOW THAT THERE'S ADVERSITY, YOU STILL GO FORWARD, YOU STILL MOVE.
UM, AND FINALLY, UH, DID YOU KNOW DR.
KING HAD BEEN I IMPRISONED 30 PLUS TIMES? YEAH, I KNOW, RIGHT? IT'S CRAZY.
LIKE THERE'S LIKE THE REALITY OF A THING THAT HAPPENS AND THEN THERE'S THE PUBLIC IMAGE OF A THING THAT HAPPENS, BUT THEN THAT GOES BACK TO DR.
UH, TO REVEREND DIXON AND WHAT HE SPOKE ABOUT, LIKE HOW IT REALLY HAPPENED, AND THEN HOW PEOPLE PERCEIVE OR MAYBE THINK THAT IT HAPPENED MYSELF.
KING IS AN INSPIRATION TO ME BECAUSE HE'S A CHANGE MAKER.
I CREATED THIS SOCIAL MOVEMENT CALLED BE THE CHANGE.
UH, AND IT'S ALL ABOUT INDIVIDUAL AND PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY, UH, AND BEING A CHANGE MAKER.
UH, LET ME SHARE MY STORY BRIEFLY.
IT'S A GOOD TIME FOR ME TO ADVERTISE YOUR BOOK
IT'S, IT'S A GOOD, IT'S A, IT'S A GOOD TIME TO ADVERTISE HIS SPEED TO CHANGE WATER.
IF I WAS GONNA TALK ABOUT, UM, DR.
SO, UM, WHEN I SAW THE MOVIE SELMA, I LEARNED SOMETHING VERY PROFOUND ABOUT DR.
UH, IT INSPIRED ME BECAUSE I SHARE THAT TRAIT, BUT THEN IT INSPIRED ME TO GO HARDER.
CAUSE I WAS LIKE, WOW, I DID NOT NOT KNOW.
HE WAS SO STRATEGIC, LIKE, PURPOSE, LIKE SELMA DIDN'T JUST HAPPEN.
LIKE HE LIKE PICKED HIS MOMENT.
HE WAS LIKE, NO, LIKE THE MOST HATERS ARE IN SELMA, AND WE WILL DO IT THEN, BECAUSE THEY WERE PROBABLY LIKE, HE, HE JUST THOUGHT THESE THINGS OUT.
SO THE FACT THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HIM NOW 50 YEARS LATER AFTER HIS ASSASSINATION, RIGHT? AND IT'S LIKE, BUT IT WAS STRATEGIC.
HE EVEN KNEW THAT LIKE EVERYTHING HE DID WAS ON PURPOSE.
SO THAT REALLY SPOKE TO ME AND INSPIRED ME.
BUT MY STORY IS MY MOM DIED WHEN I WAS THREE.
MY DAD LEFT BEFORE I WAS BORN.
SO THROUGH NO FAULT OF MY OWN, I WAS PLACED IN FOSTER CARE.
UM, BUT I WAS ADOPTED BY THIS AMAZING WOMAN NAMED PURLEY.
SHE SWOOPED IN LIKE WONDER WOMAN.
UM, EVERYBODY CALLED HER BIG MAMA.
SHE WAS THE ONLY MOTHER THAT I KNEW.
THE PROBLEM IS, SHE WAS OLD AND I WAS YOUNG,
[01:15:01]
SHE WAS SLOW, I WAS FAST, SHE WAS SOFT-HEARTED AND I WAS HARDHEADED.BUT WHAT SHE SHOWED ME, UH, IS THE POWER OF LOVE.
BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH I GREW UP IN EXTREME POVERTY, SHE RAISED ME ON FOOD STAMPS, A SOCIAL SECURITY CHECK, AND FOOD FROM THE CHURCH, FOOD PANTRY.
WE GREW UP IN A LITTLE WOOD HOUSE SITTING ON BRICKS, NO CARPET, NO AC.
SHE HAD ALREADY REARED 16 CHILDREN OF HER OWN.
BUT SHE RAISED ME AS AN ONLY CHILD.
UM, AND I DIDN'T HAVE MUCH, BUT I KNEW I WAS LOVED.
AND I REALIZED THE IMPACT THAT THAT HAS MADE ON ME AS, AS AN ADULT NOW.
UM, AND IT WAS BECAUSE I WAS LOVED.
THAT'S A CLAPP MOMENT RIGHT THERE.
THAT'S WHY IT WAS SO POWERFUL.
CAUSE HE REALLY JUST TALKED ABOUT LOVE.
IT WASN'T THE I FOR AN I, IT WASN'T DESPITE FOR IT WASN'T I'LL GET YOU BACK.
UM, IT'S BEING ABLE TO ACTUALLY SHOW LOVE, LOVE THAT SURPASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING LIKE AGAPE LOVE, GOD LOVE.
NOT JUST MAN-MADE LOVE, BUT LIKE A GOD LOVE.
THAT'S WHY JESUS, WELL, JESUS DID.
BUT MY GRANDMOTHER SHOWED ME THAT I DIDN'T KNOW IT THEN.
I JUST KNEW THAT I WAS SPOILED AND I COULDN'T GET IN TROUBLE CUZ SHE LOVED ME.
SO I COULD DO NO WRONG IN HER EYE.
BY THE TIME I WAS 17, I GOT ARRESTED BY THE FBI, PRETTY CRAZY.
AND BY THE TIME I WAS 20, I WAS CONVICTED OF FOUR FELONIES, WENT TO THE TEXAS STATE PENITENTIARY.
BUT IT'S WHEN I WAS IN PRISON THAT I DISCOVERED GOD'S LOVE.
I DISCOVERED THAT I WAS BORN ON PURPOSE WITH A PURPOSE.
I STARTED WALKING IN THAT PURPOSE.
I GOT ACCEPTED TO THE PRESTIGIOUS UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN AS AN EX-FELON ON PAROLE.
UH, AND ULTIMATELY GRADUATED FROM UT WITH A 4.0.
IT WAS AT THAT POINT, LIKE DR.
KING SPOKE ABOUT, I HAD A DREAM AND THEN I COMMITTED TO THAT DREAM.
NOT ONLY DID HE COMMIT TO IT, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
IT TOOK QUITE SOME TIME AND TOOK A LOT OF PERSISTENCE AND DILIGENCE AND STRATEGY, UH, AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I DISCOVERED AS I PURSUED MY DREAM IN TRYING TO BE A CHANGE MAKER.
SO, YEAH, UH, I MET MY WIFE AT UT.
WE MADE A FILM ABOUT MY STORY, HOW I WENT FROM PRISON INCARCERATION.
LIKE, OOH, I'M GONNA GET MARRIED ON MY BIRTHDAY.
THAT'S, NO, I, I DON'T HAVE A BIRTHDAY ANYMORE.
UH, I WOULDN'T ENCOURAGE ANYBODY ELSE TO DO IT.
UM, IT'S LIKE BEING BORN ON CHRISTMAS.
LIKE, JUST SO, UM, WHEN I MADE A FILM AND I'M ABOUT TO TRANSITION TO THE MUSIC HERE, I MADE A FILM ABOUT MY STORY BECAUSE I KNEW THAT THERE WAS POWER IN IT.
SO MANY TIMES WHEN I WAS YOUNG, PEOPLE WOULD COME AND SPEAK AT ME.
THEY WOULD TRY TO TELL ME THE RIGHT THING WHEN THEY WOULDN'T SAY IT IN THE RIGHT WAY.
HE WAS A GREAT, OR HE WAS A GREAT COMMUNICATOR.
HE KNEW HOW TO SPEAK SO THAT PEOPLE HEARD WHAT HE SAID.
AND HE MOVED PEOPLE TO ACTION.
WHEN I WAS A QUOTE UNQUOTE AT-RISK YOUTH, LITTLE BLACK BOY GROWING UP IN THE GHETTO, UM, PEOPLE WOULD COME AND TRY TO TELL ME THE RIGHT THING, BUT THEY WOULDN'T SAY IT IN THE RIGHT WAY.
SO I DIDN'T REJECT WHAT THEY WERE SAYING.
IT'S LIKE ME YELLING IN ENGLISH TO SOMEBODY THAT SPEAKS PORTUGUESE.
THEY DON'T HEAR WHAT I'M SAYING.
THEY JUST SEE LIKE A CRAZY DUDE GOING LIKE THIS.
AND THAT'S WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR ME AS A YOUNG PERSON.
SO, UH, AFTER I GRADUATED, I COMMITTED MY LIFE TO SERVING YOUNG PEOPLE AT RISK YOUTH, BLACK AND BROWN YOUTH.
UH, THAT'S WHAT CONNECTS BACK TO THIS PANEL LIKE POLICY.
YOU DON'T REALLY THINK IT'S JUST CULTURAL.
YOU DON'T REAL REALIZE THAT IT'S SYSTEMIC AND IT'S BASED ON POLICY AND IT'S, IT, IT WAS NOT EVEN, UH, AN ALL ACCIDENT.
AND SO ANYWAY, I STARTED SPEAKING TO YOUNG PEOPLE.
UM, I WROTE A STORY ABOUT, I WROTE A BOOK ABOUT MY STORY.
AND THEN IN CONCLUSION, LIKE DR.
KING TO BE THE MOST STRATEGIC AS I STARTED TO GROW, CUZ I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO DO MANY COOL THINGS, LIKE PRESENT THREE TED TALKS, GIVE THOUSANDS OF KEYNOTES, IMPACT MILLIONS OF YOUTH AND WHATNOT.
UM, I JUST GOT NOMINATED FOR MY THIRD GRAMMY.
AND AS MY PLATFORM GROWS, I FIGURED THE MOST STRATEGIC THING TO DO WOULD BE TO USE MY PLATFORM TO SCALE.
UM, AND SO I'M KIND OF FAMOUS NOW, AND IT'S, IT'S A TWIST BECAUSE I'M AN INTROVERT.
I LIKE, I WAS TALKING TO YOUNG PEOPLE EARLIER THIS WEEK, AND IT'S CRAZY THAT THEY KNOW WHAT THAT WORD MEANS.
HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW WHAT THAT WORD MEANS? INTROVERT.
I DID NOT KNOW WHAT THAT MEANT.
WHEN I WAS INTROVERTED, I WAS SHY.
IT WAS A FANCY WORD FOR SHY, RIGHT? AND I REALIZED LIKE, OKAY, SO I DON'T EVEN LIKE PEOPLE IN MY BUSINESS, BUT EVERYBODY KNOWS MY BUSINESS.
AND SO I WAS LIKE, HOW CAN I LEVERAGE THIS? SO I CREATED THIS BEVERAGE CALLED SOFTBALLS CHANGE WATER.
AND WE DONATE, WE SELL IT, WHATEVER, WHATEVER.
WE DONATE 50% OF THE PROFITS TO LOCAL NONPROFITS.
[01:20:01]
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE HERE IN AUSTIN.AMY'S ICE CREAM SLAB BARBECUE.
UH, HOPEFULLY THE PEOPLE THAT DON'T MADE THIS GENEROUS DONATION SO THAT WE COULD BE HERE RIGHT NOW.
Y'ALL SEE THAT? SO Y'ALL REQUESTED AT YOUR LOCAL HEB AND THEY CAN START CARRYING IT.
BUT ME, I'M JUST USING MY PLATFORM TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO EMPOWER PEOPLE TO BE THE CHANGE.
BUT BEFORE ANY OF IT THAT CAME, IT WAS JUST ME MAKING SONGS.
AND SO NOW THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRANSITION TO DO.
WE'RE GOING TO CREATE SOME MUSIC TOGETHER.
I THINK THIS IS THE POINT WHERE THEY'RE GONNA COME AND THEY'RE GONNA MOVE THE TABLE SO WE CAN HAVE A DANCE FLOOR.
I, MR. WEEKS, LIKE WHAT? I KNOW IT'S LIKE, UH, IT'S DR.
SO THERE HAS TO BE SOME, SOME CELEBRATION.
ALL RIGHT, GIVE IT UP FOR OUR WONDERFUL PANELISTS.
WE ARE GONNA JUST BE DOING SOME MOVEMENT RIGHT NOW, BUT, UM, WE HAVE REFRESHMENTS OVER HERE IN THE CORNER IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW.
IF YOU WANT SOME WATER, YOU WANT A COUPLE OF SNACKS, YOU, WHILE WE, WHILE WE'RE MOVING THINGS FEET, FEEL FREE TO WALK OVER HERE AND HAVE SOME REFRESHMENTS WHILE WE'RE MOVING.
BUT AGAIN, THIS ESTEEM PANEL, PLEASE GIVE IT UP FOR THEM ONE MORE TIME.
DOC, THERE'S REALLY NOT AN INTERLUDE.
THIS IS JUST, UM, I HAVE A QUESTION.
SO THE QUESTION IS, WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU THINK OF DR.
KING? LIKE WHAT WOULD BE A WORD THAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU THINK OF DR.
SO HAS ANYBODY EVER SEEN THE TV SHOW AMERICA'S GOT TALENT? YEAH.
ALRIGHT, SO I'M GONNA DO A SONG THAT I DID WHEN I WAS ON AMERICA'S GOT TALENT.
UH, I MADE UP A IMPROVISATIONAL SONG ON THE SPOT.
IMPROVISATIONAL IS A FANCY WORD, IT JUST MEANS FREESTYLE.
SO I'M ABOUT TO MAKE UP A SONG ON THE SPOT, BUT I'M GONNA USE THE WORDS THAT I GET FROM Y'ALL.
SO THAT'S HOW WE'RE GONNA DO IT.
I'M GONNA CROWDSOURCE THIS SONG.
SO WHEN, ANYTIME SOMEBODY GIVES ME A WORD, I REPEAT THE WORD.
AND THEN THAT'S WHEN Y'ALL CLAP AND YOU CELEBRATE SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY PARTICIPATED.
Y'ALL JUST WENT FAMILY FEUD WITH IT.
LIKE, OKAY, LIKE YOU JUST REPEATED THE WORD.
YOU JUST CLAP AND CELEBRATE AFTER I TELL YOU THE WORD.
ALL RIGHT? SO AMY'S WORD WAS DREAM.
AH, PERFECT, PERFECT, PERFECT.
MR. JOSEPH, CAN YOU, CAN YOU STAND UP REAL QUICK, SIR? I JUST WANNA BE LIKE THIS GENTLEMAN.
LOOK HOW CLEAN MY, MY FRAME RIGHT HERE IS GIVE IT UP FOR HIM.
I AIN'T WANNA PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.
THIS IS, UH, ONE OF AUSTIN'S OWN AMAZING ARTIST.
UM, CAN YOU GIMME A WORD SIR? LOVE.
YOU CHEWING CHIPS RIGHT NOW, BUT LIKE, I'M GONNA LET Y'ALL DO IT TOGETHER.
SO Y'ALL GET TO REPRESENT FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY.
DID YOU JUST SPIDER HIM AT ME? LOOK AT YOU LIKE, YEAH.
SO HERE'S, LET ME GIVE YOU A, LEMME GIVE YOU A CLUE.
IF YOU DON'T WANT ME TO PICK YOU DON'T MAKE EYE CONTACT.
ALSO, IF YOU DON'T WANT ME TO PICK, YOU DON'T LOOK OFF.
LIKE YOU DON'T WANT ME TO PICK YOU, CUZ I'LL PROBABLY PICK YOU JUST CUZ YOU LOOKED OFF.
SO WHAT'S YOUR WORD? OH, WE GOT THAT.
Y'ALL GOT SOME GREAT WORDS? OKAY.
IF YOU ARE GONNA HEAR ME NOW ON THIS MIC, MAKE SOME NOISE.
SO NOW I GOT LIKE, THAT'S NOT FAIR.
HOW Y'ALL GONNA TAKE? I, THEY JUST TREATED ME LIKE THE HELP.
IT'S ALL PAUL JUST TOOK A PHOTO OF WITHOUT ME.
I THINK THEY GOT JELLY WHEN ME AND YOU TOOK A, A PHOTO.
ALRIGHT, SO, UH, ACTUALLY, HOW ABOUT YOU? GIMME
[01:25:01]
A WORD, SIR.UM, FOR MY LAST WORD, I NEED A BIG WORD.
LIKE, Y'ALL HAVE BEEN DEF Y'ALL HAVE DEFINITELY BEEN, CAN YOU HEAR ME? WAY UP THERE.
WHAT? JUST, WHAT'S YOUR WORD? YELL OUT A WORD.
THAT'S THE COOL THING ABOUT MUSIC AND AMPLIFICATION.
YOU THINK THAT LIKE YOUR AUDIENCE IS RIGHT HERE, BUT YOU NEVER KNOW WHO'S LISTENING.
MANY TIMES, LIKE AFTER I DO A SHOW, LATER I GET AN EMAIL AND SOMEONE'S LIKE, YOU DIDN'T SEE ME.
UH, BUT I WAS SUCH AND SUCH, AND YOU SAID THIS AND YOU DID THAT.
ALL RIGHT, SO, UM, BECAUSE I WANT TO, I WANT TO BE MOTIVATED.
UM, SO I NEED SOMEBODY LIKE, LAST WORD.
SO THE WORDS THAT WE HAVE SO FAR THAT I THINK I RECALL, WE HAVE DREAM, LOVE, UNITY, UM, IMPACT.
LIKE, OR RATHER A LONG WORD, LIKE MULTI SYMBOLIC.
I HEARD, I'M GONNA PICK ONE OF THESE.
I HEARD INSPIRATIONAL, EXTRAORDINARY.
SO I'M, I'M GONNA FREE YOU UP BECAUSE, OKAY.
NOW THE WORD DOESN'T HAVE TO BE RELATED TO DR.
I JUST NEED LIKE, LIKE THIS IS THE BONUS WORD, JUST BIG IN GENERAL.
OH, YOU, YOU LOOK PROBLEMATIC, SIR.
ANYBODY ELSE? ANYBODY ELSE? DO Y'ALL KNOW HER? DO Y'ALL KNOW THAT'S, THAT'S CARMELITA.
SHE IS, UH, THE BRAIN IN MY EYES, AS FAR AS I KNOW, SHE'S THE BRAIN BEHIND THIS AMAZING HISTORIC EVENT.
I KNOW IT TAKES A TEAM, BUT GIVE IT UP FOR HER.
NEVER HAD A, NEVER HAD A, HAD A, UH, A HOST.
THAT'S A PERSON THAT INVITED ME TO GIMME THE MOST CHALLENGING WORD.
LIKE, ALL RIGHT, IT'S ALL GOOD.
SO I WAS ON AMERICA'S GOT TALENT.
THEY PUT ME ON A PLANE, THEY FLEW ME OUT WHEN I WAS THERE.
THE HOST WAS MARIAH CAREY'S EX-HUSBAND.
ANYBODY KNOW WHO THAT IS? OKAY.
YOU'RE LIKE, LIKE YOU PLUGGED IN.
SO NICK CANNON WAS LIKE, SAW PAUL, WHAT YOU GONNA DO FOR US? I SAID, I'M A FREESTYLE.
HE SAID, ABOUT WHAT? I SAID, I DON'T KNOW, GIMME A WORD.
SO HE GAVE ME A WORD AND, AND THEN THE THREE FAMOUS JUDGES GAVE ME A WORD.
AND THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS ON NBC, THEY DON'T LIKE IT CAUSE THEY GOT CAMERAS AND WHATNOT.
BUT I TOLD SOMEBODY IN THE AUDIENCE YELLED OUT A WORD AND I GOT THE WORDS, AND THEN I MADE UP A SONG.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT I'M ABOUT TO DO.
I'M ABOUT TO USE THE WORDS THAT Y'ALL GAVE ME TO MAKE UP A SONG, BUT I NEED SOME MUSIC.
SO IF YOU WATCH, YOU CAN SEE ME CREATE UP ALL, CREATE ALL THE MUSIC.
AND WHILE I WAS SITTING AT THE PANEL, WHILE I WAS SITTING AT THE TABLE DURING THE PANEL, YOU KNOW, I'M AN ARTIST.
I WAS LISTENING TO EVERYBODY SPEAK, AND THEN I GOT INSPIRED AND CAME UP WITH LIKE A CHORUS FOR US TO SING TOGETHER WHILE I MAKE THE SONG.
ALL RIGHT, IF YOU COULD TURN THAT BACK UP IN THE MONITOR A LITTLE BIT.
[01:30:01]
WE GOT SOME GUITAR, BUT I WANT TO BEAT ON IT.OKAY, SO NOW WE GOT SOME MUSIC.
THAT'S THE PART OF THE SONG AND REPEATS.
SHOUT OUT TO MY LITTLE MAN RIGHT HERE.
OKAY, SO, UM, N O W WHAT'S THAT SPELL? ALL RIGHT.
SO EVERY TIME I POINT TO Y'ALL, I WANT Y'ALL TO SAY, ALL RIGHT, SO JUST DO IT TO THE B WE'LL DO IT.
SO I WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS WHILE WE WERE AT THE PAN.
LET ME SEE, UH, IF I CAN REMEMBER, LEMME SEE HOW IF YOUR MIND'S RIGHT, YOU CAN SHINE, RIGHT? OOH, STOP IT.
SO YOU ALREADY, STILL, YOU ALREADY SAW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, RIGHT? I DON'T EVEN HAVE TO SAY IT.
WHEN YOU BRING, SOMETIMES THERE ARE CHALLENGES WHEN YOU SEEK DIVERSITY, YOU, OH, YOU SEE WHERE I'M GOING ALREADY? OKAY.
IT'S LIKE YOU BRING DIFFERENT PEOPLE TOGETHER, DIFFERENT LEVELS OF MELANIN.
AND THEN I REALIZE THERE'S THE, THE MELANIN DECREASES AND INCREASES.
BUT THIS IS LOVE, THIS IS COMMUNITY.
LIKE ONE OF THE WORDS WAS UNITY, RIGHT? SO WE'RE GONNA COME TOGETHER.
THIS IS WHEN IF YOU HAPPEN TO LIKE, HAVE GOOD RHYTHM, BUT YOU SEE SOMEONE THIS RHYTHMICALLY CHALLENGED IS WHEN YOU BRING YOUR BROTHER OR SISTER ALONG WITH YOU, LIKE YOU JUST HELPED HIM GET ON THE BEAT.
ALL RIGHT? SO LET ME SEE ONE MORE TIME.
UH, WHAT'S THAT? NO REHEARSAL.
I USUALLY GET PEOPLE TO REHEARSE.
SO I WAS GONNA KEEP IT MOVING.
SO WE'RE GONNA DO A, A DRY RUN THROUGH.
EVERY TIME I POINT TO Y'ALL, Y'ALL SAY, YEAH, PERFECT.
CAUSE I JUST MADE THIS UP SO I CAN'T REMEMBER.
IF YOUR MIND'S RIGHT, YOU CAN DREAM, RIGHT? BE LIKE DR.
KING, RIGHT? DO YOUR THING, RIGHT? IF YOUR MIND'S RIGHT, YOU CAN DREAM RIGHT? OKAY, I'LL SAY THE LAST TIME IS FIVE TIMES.
SO YOU, YOU JUST CAN'T BE LIKE, OKAY, SO JUST THE LAST PART.
OH, IF YOUR MIND'S RIGHT, YOU CAN DREAM, RIGHT? BE LIKE DR.
KING, RIGHT? DO YOUR THING, RIGHT? HEY, IF YOUR MIND'S RIGHT, LIVE YOUR DREAM, RIGHT? GIVE IT UP FOR YOURSELVES.
LIKE, I TRY TO SKIP A STEP, JUST GO STRAIGHT TO IT.
AND YOU KNOW, JUST THIS WEEK I HAD SEVEN SHOWS IN, IN DMV LIKE DC, MARYLAND AREA.
AND I'LL TELL YOUNG PEOPLE ALL THE TIME, IT'S LIKE I TALK TO THEM AND I TALK TO THEM IN THEIR LANGUAGE.
SO THEY WOULDN'T GET THEIR FEELINGS HURT IF I TOLD 'EM, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE FIRST DID THAT, Y'ALL BASICALLY WERE TRASH.
LIKE, UM, BUT THEN BY THE TIME WE FINISH YOU WITH TREASURE THOUGH.
AND THE DIFFERENCE IS SOMETIMES IT'S JUST NOT SO NATURAL.
YOU JUST GOTTA PUT IN SOME WORK.
JUST CUZ YOU DO SOMETHING AND IT DOESN'T WORK THE FIRST TIME DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU CAN'T DO IT.
YOU JUST HAVE TO PRACTICE, REHEARSE, PUT IN A LITTLE BIT OF EFFORT.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S DO IT TO THE BEAT NOW.
ALL RIGHT? LET'S SAY, UH, IF YOUR MIND'S RIGHT, YOU CAN DREAM, RIGHT? OKAY, I LIKE IT.
IF YOUR MIND'S RIGHT, YOU CAN DREAM, RIGHT? BE LIKE DR.
KING, RIGHT? DO YOUR THING, RIGHT? IF YOUR MIND'S RIGHT, YOU CAN DREAM RIGHT? ONE MORE TIME.
IF YOUR MAS RIGHT, YOU CAN DREAM, RIGHT? BE LIKE DR.
KING, RIGHT? DO YOUR THING, RIGHT? HEY, IF YOUR MAS RIGHT, IT GOES DOWN.
OH, NOW I WANT US TO COME TOGETHER.
SO, UH, I DON'T WANT ANYBODY FEEL LEFT OUT.
JUST SO LEMME GO AHEAD AND SHARE THIS WITH YOU.
ANYBODY KNOW WHAT D E I STANDS FOR? DIVERSITY? D COME.
Y'ALL CAN'T FEEL ALL LIKE, LIKE D EI LOOK.
SHE'S LIKE, OF COURSE, SHE'S LIKE, THIS IS WHAT SHE DOES FOR A LIVING, Y'ALL.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE.
LIKE, THEY FORGOT HOW TO DO WHAT THEY TEACH Y'ALL IN SCHOOL.
LIKE, BE NICE, BE KIND, LOOK OUT FOR OTHER PEOPLE.
IF YOU SEE SOMEBODY LEFT OUT, GO BRING THEM IN.
IF YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WITH SOMETHING, THEN YOU SHARE.
YOU'RE NOT MEAN, YOU'RE NOT RUDE.
SO LIKE, THAT'S FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE.
THAT'S WHAT THE OLD PEOPLE CALL IT.
UH, FOR THE OLD PEOPLE, IT'S LIKE WHAT THEY TAUGHT Y'ALL IN ELEMENTARY AND
[01:35:01]
THEN YOU GREW UP AND THEN YOU FORGOT.BUT ANYWAY, UH, I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO FEEL LEFT OUT.
WHO KNOWS HOW TO CHUNK THE DEUCE? SEE LIKE THREE PEOPLE.
IT WOULDN'T BE FAIR IF I JUST WENT ALONG AND THEN WE LEFT EVERYBODY ELSE OUT.
SO I'M GONNA TEACH EVERYBODY HOW TO DO IT.
SO EVERYBODY HOLD UP YOUR PEACE SIGN.
TURN YOUR HAND BACK WAS FACING YOU.
AH, YEAH, YO SWAG JUST WENT TO A NEW LEVEL.
LOOK, SHE DID IT WHILE HOLDING HER BABY ON HER CHEST RIGHT THERE.
SO EVERY TIME I USE ONE OF THE WORDS THAT Y'ALL GAVE ME, YOU CHUNK THE DEUCE.
SO IF I SAY AMY'S WORD, IF I SAY DREAM, WHAT DO YOU DO? IF I SAY UNITY, IF I SAY IMPACT, IF I SAY LOVE, IF I SAY IMPORTANT, IF I SAY CARMELITA'S, RIDICULOUSLY LONG WORD.
UH, WHAT'D YOU, WHAT'D YOU SAY? HOW'D YOU SAY SUPER? IF I SAY THAT WORD, ALL RIGHT, PERFECT.
IF YOUR MIND'S RIGHT, YOU CAN SHINE.
RIGHT? LIVE YOUR DREAM, RIGHT, DO YOUR THING RIGHT? HEY, IF YOUR MIND'S RIGHT, IT GOES DOWN RIGHT? ONE MORE TIME.
IF YOUR MIND'S RIGHT, LIVE YOUR DREAM, RIGHT? DO YOUR THING RIGHT? LIKE DR.
KING, RIGHT? HEY, IF YOUR MIND'S RIGHT, LIVE YOUR DREAM, RIGHT? LOOK, WE WERE ALL STRANGERS NOW.
WE STAYED TOGETHER, ALL THAT UNITY.
I DON'T KNOW HER, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT HER NAME WAS OR MY MAN, BUT I KNOW THAT HE'S IMPORTANT.
SAY I'VE BEEN REWARDED WITH THIS GIFT TO CREATE FAMILY.
WHEN YOU DON'T GOT LOVE, THEN THAT'S THE SANITY.
SHOUT OUT TO THE MAN, MR. REVEREND DIXON.
IF YOUR MIND RIGHT, YOU CAN SHINE.
RIGHT? LIVE YOUR DREAM, RIGHT, DO YOUR THING RIGHT? HEY, IF YOUR MA'S RIGHT, IT GOES DOWN RIGHT NOW.
NOW, NOW, NOW, NOW ONE MORE TIME.
IF YOUR MA'S RIGHT, LIVE YOUR DREAM, RIGHT, DO YOUR THING, RIGHT? LIKE DR.
KING, RIGHT? HEY, IF YOUR MA'S RIGHT, IT GOES DOWN RIGHT NOW.
NOW LOOK, HATERS HATE, THAT'S JUST FACTS.
BUT IF YOU SHOW LOVE, YOU HAVE REAL IMPACTS.
AH, AH, I JUST THROW SOMETHING NEW THAT THIS STREET THAT I BE DRIVING, IT IS LIKE, OOH, IT WAS 19TH.
BUT IT'S CAUSE SOME PEOPLE DIDN'T CHOOSE TO GO IN HATES.
THEY AIN'T EVEN TALK ABOUT OR EVEN MUCH DISPLAY.
ALSO, I HEARD SOMEBODY JUST DIED.
I WAS LIKE, IS MR. DIXON LOCKED? NO, THAT'S THE TRUTH.
NOW, CHECK THIS OUT RIGHT HERE.
SAY, AIN'T NO FOOL IN HERE, WE GONNA KEEP IT TRUE.
SOMEBODY GAVE ME ANOTHER WORD LIKE, HEY, I FORGOT, BUT I REMEMBER IT BY THE THIRD.
BUT LET'S TAKE IT BACK TO THE HOOK THAT WAS HEARD.
IF YOUR MIND'S RIGHT, YOU CAN SHINE RIGHT? YOU CAN WRITE RIGHT.
BE TIGHT, RIGHT? HEY, IF YOUR MIND'S RIGHT, IT GOES DOWN RIGHT NOW.
NOW, NOW, NOW, NOW ONE MORE TIME.
IF YOUR MIND'S RIGHT, LIVE YOUR DREAM, RIGHT, DO YOUR THING RIGHT? LIKE DR.
KING, RIGHT? HEY, IF YOUR MA'S RIGHT, IT GOES DOWN RIGHT NOW.
OKAY, LET'S SEE WHAT WORDS I USE.
WHAT ELSE DID I USE? DREAM UNITY, IMPACT.
WHAT ELSE? WHAT DID I FORGET? IMPOR CHANGE.
UM, C H A N G TO THE E I JUST SPELLED CHANGE.
IT'S AN I C E RIGHT HERE ON MY NECKLACE.
I DO WHAT I DO AT THE LIBRARY.
OR SHOULD I SAY DIRECTOR? SAY, I CAN SEE COME UP ON MY LEFT.
I CAN KEEP GOING CUZ I'M BLESSED.
SEE, I KNOW I'M DRIPPING HERE.
SO KNOWING THAT I'M FRESH, THAT'S BUDDY.
EVERYBODY ELSE NEVER FOR HIMSELF.
COME UNTIL THAT TIME, I'M NOT READY TO CLOSE IT.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S DO THE CHORUS ONE LAST TIME.
IF YOUR MIND'S RIGHT, YOU CAN DREAM RIGHT, DO YOUR THING RIGHT? LIKE DR.
KING, RIGHT? IF YOUR MIND'S RIGHT, IT GOES DOWN
[01:40:01]
RIGHT NOW.NOW, NOW, NOW, NOW SHE GO, OH, GET UP FOR YOURSELF.
ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT.
UM, THIS WILL BE FUN SINCE WE HAVE THIS BEAUTIFUL, I BRAG ON THIS LIBRARY ALL THE TIME.
I GIVE HERE, BUT I TRAVEL THE COUNTRY.
AND UH, I CALL THIS THE GALLERIA OF LIBRARIES.
SO GIVE IT UP FOR THIS LIBRARY.
LIKE IF YOU BEEN TO THE GALLERY IN HOUSTON AND DALLAS, YOU KNOW THAT'S A MALL.
BUT IT'S LIKE, THERE'S LEVELS TO IT AND THERE ARE LIBRARIES AND THERE ARE LEVELS TO IT.
AT THE SAME TIME, I WAS JUST AT THE, I FORGET, WHAT IS IT? THE DOVE SPRINGS.
WHAT'S THE LIBRARY CALLED IN DOVE SPRINGS SOUTHEAST.
I WAS AT THE SOUTHEAST LIBRARY JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO.
I LOVE ALL THE COOL THINGS WE DO HERE.
SO IF YOU HAVE, UH, A PHONE, YOU'LL USE YOUR PHONE ON THIS SONG.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PHONE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO FEEL LEFT OUT.
ALL RIGHT? SO HERE GOES A SONG DEDICATE TO YOU, LITTLE SHINE, RISE AND OPEN YOUR EYES.
NOW IS THE TIME FOR YOU SHINE.
WE ALL HUMAN, RIGHT? THEN WE SHOULD ALL HAVE BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS.
AND IF I'M DOING RIGHT, AND IF I'M DOING WELL, THEN I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T SIT THERE AND WATCH MY NEIGHBOR FAIL.
WE COULD ALL PREVAIL, WE COULD ALL SUCCEED.
SO I GUESS I LEARNED THE HELPING HAND SHOW LOVE TO MY NEIGHBOR AND HELP THEM STAND BECAUSE I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT IT.
I SHOULD BE AIN'T NO DOUBT TIRED.
PUT YOUR PHONES IN THE SKY INSIDE TO SIDE AND GO IN.
SO Y'ALL US SAY YOU PHONES IN THE SKY INSIDE TO SIDE AND GO IN.
NOW IS THE TIME FOR YOU SHINE.
UM, I MAY OR MAY NOT DO THIS SONG.
IT'S PLACED ON, YOU KNOW, THE AUDIENCE THAT'S AVAILABLE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S ABOUT VIBES AND WHATNOT.
IF I WERE TO DO THIS SONG, I WOULD LEAD AT LEAST FOUR VOLUNTEERS TO JOIN ME ON THE STAGE HERE.
SHE THROWING OUT WORDS LIKE SUPER CAL, ISTIC XS B***H.
YOU MIGHT HAVE TO, YOU GOTTA RECRUIT AT LEAST THREE OTHER PEOPLE.
I I GAVE A LOW, A LOW THRESHOLD.
WAIT, FOUR, WHAT'S YOUR NAME, SIR? YOU SAY NEMO.
EVERYBODY SAY HEY, NEMO, NEMO.
ALL RIGHT, SEE YOU MADE NEMO FEEL GOOD.
SHE DIDN'T SHARE HER BOOKS, BUT SHE DID DANCE FOR US.
[01:45:02]
MINO, TEXAS TWO STEP.I LET Y'ALL PICK WHERE Y'ALL, WHERE Y'ALL STANDING OVER THERE? TEXAS.
I'M BACK AT HOME, RIGHT? WE'RE IN TEXAS.
OH, SO LEMME TELL Y'ALL THIS STORY.
IT MIGHT HIT DIFFERENT CUZ Y'ALL CAN RELATE TO IT A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
SO I TRAVEL ALL THE TIME AND UH, ONE TIME I WAS PERFORMING AT THIS FESTIVAL CALLED SUMMER FEST.
YOU KNOW, WE GOT ALL, WE GOT SOUTH BY ACL.
LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT THIS IS THE WORLD'S BIGGEST FESTIVAL.
IT'S 14 DAYS, A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
14 DAYS, A HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE EVERY DAY.
I WAS LIKE, AH, I WAS ACTUALLY THERE, UH, ON BEHALF OF THE TEXAS TOURISM DEPARTMENT.
THEY REPRESENTED AND SENT ME OUT THERE.
SO I WAS REPRESENTING, REPRESENTING TEXAS, MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.
SO I WAS IN MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.
I HOPPED ON STAGE, I DID MY THING, I GOT OFF STAGE.
THEY WERE LIKE, MAN, THAT WAS DOPE.
WHERE YOU FROM? I SAID, I'M FROM TEXAS.
THEY SAID, HUH, WHAT COLOR IS YOUR HORSE,
THEY WEREN'T EVEN TRYING TO DIS THEY WEREN'T TRYING TO BE FUNNY.
IT'S KINDA LIKE THE FIRST TIME I WENT TO NEW YORK, I SAW GRASS.
I WAS LIKE, I THOUGHT IT WAS ALL CONCRETE.
SO ANYWAY, I WAS LIKE, I GOTTA FIND, I GOTTA WRITE A SONG.
SINCE THEY DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW COOL WE ARE.
SO I WENT BACK TO THE HOTEL, I DIDN'T EVEN MAKE IT.
I HAD BIANCA WITH ME AND I WAS LIKE, WELL, HELP ME COME UP WITH A DANCE.
AND THIS BECAME ONE OF MY MOST POPULAR SONGS.
SO I'M GONNA SHOW Y'ALL HOW TO DO IT, THEN WE'RE GONNA ALL DO IT.
ALL RIGHT? AND IF YOU HALFWAY THROUGH, YOU SAY, OH, I WAS TOO SCARED.
I WAS ACTING INTROVERTED, BUT INSTEAD I COULDA CAME DOWN AND JOINED.
ALL RIGHT? SO IT GOES LIKE THIS.
I SAY, CAN YOU WALK IT FORWARD? TAKE ONE STEP FORWARD.
THEN I SAY, CAN YOU WALK IT BACK? AND THEN YOU GO LIKE THIS.
WE NOT GONNA WORRY ABOUT YOU NEMO.
NEMO MAMA THOUGH, YOU GOTTA HOLD IT DOWN.
ALL RIGHT? YOU GOTTA HOLD IT DOWN.
YOU GOTTA REPRESENT THE FAMILY.
WE'RE GONNA DO THAT PART AGAIN.
EVERYBODY SHOULD BE LOOKING THAT WAY.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GO THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.
SO WE GONNA, SO SINCE Y'ALL JUST SITTING UP THERE, WATCH AND SPECTATOR, I'M GONNA PUT Y'ALL TO WORK.
SO I NEED Y'ALL TO COUNT ON SEEING FROM FIVE TO EIGHT.
OKAY? SAY THAT SOMEBODY IS NOT GOOD RHYTHM.
THERE'S NOT A DANCE RIGHT THERE.
OKAY, WE'RE GONNA START FROM FIVE.
HEY, I SAID CAN YOU WALK IT FORWARD? CAN YOU WALK IT BACK? ONE, TWO, SNAP.
HEY, NOW DO THAT TEXAS TWO STEP.
NOW WE'RE GONNA PUT IT ALL TOGETHER.
I SAID CAN YOU WALK IT FORWARD? CAN YOU WALK IT BACK? ONE, TWO, SNAP.
ONE, TWO, SNAP TEXAS, TWO STEP.
CAUSE THEY WERE BRAVE ENOUGH TO COME UP HERE.
DID Y'ALL NOTICE HOW LIKE IT LOOKS BETTER WHEN THEY ALL DO IT TOGETHER.
THAT'S HOW HE CREATED THAT CHANGE.
HE WAS ABLE TO ORGANIZE PEOPLE AND GET PEOPLE TO MOVE TOGETHER.
AND NOT EVEN WHEN HE WAS JUST AROUND, THEY WERE DOING IT ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN DIFFERENT CITIES.
IT JUST LOOKS MORE BEAUTIFUL THOUGH WHEN PEOPLE MOVE IN UNISON.
CAN Y'ALL HEAR THE SOUND GOOD OUT THERE? ALL RIGHT, PERFECT.
EVERYBODY CLAP UP TO THE BEAT.
CAN YOU WALK IN FORWARD? CAN YOU WALK IT BACK WITH IT? ROCK WITH IT.
JUST LIKE CAN NOW DO THAT TEXAS TWO STEP UP.
HEY, I SAID CAN YOU WALK IT FORWARD? I GOT CAN YOU BUG IT? NEMO LOOKED AT ME LIKE WHAT? JUST LIKE THAT.
WHAT? YOU SUIT IT UP CHUCK JAY'S HIGH.
YEAH, I PROMISE YOU LOOK CUTE ENOUGH.
HOW YOU DO ENOUGH? THIS IS FOR MY FAMILY IN THE PARK.
[01:50:01]
TWO STEP TRUE.IT MAY NEW TO YOU, BUT IF YOU LET ME SCREW YOU, I CAN SHOW YOU HOW TO DO IT.
WHAT CAN YOU WALK IN FORWARD? CAN YOU WALK IT BACK, LEAN WITH IT.
JUST LIKE NOW DO THAT TEXAS TOO.
I SAID CAN YOU WALK IN FORWARD? CAN YOU WALK IT BACK WITH IT? ROCK WITH IT.
STEP UP A NOW DO THAT TEXAS TOO.
YOU CAN PLAY THIS IN YOUR, PLAY THIS WITH YOU.
PLAY IT ON YOUR IPHONE, ON YOUR COMFORT.
PLAY IT WHEN YOU FEELING GOOD.
WANT FEEL SUPER PLAY IT WHEN YOU WANT TO SHINE.
YEAH, LET'S BE THAT DANCE THOUGH.
AND I KNOW THE ANSWER BUT I STILL GOTTA SAY IT.
CAN YOU WALK IN FORWARD? CAN YOU WALK IT BACK WITH IT? JUST LIKE NOW DO THAT TEXAS TWO STEP UP NOW DO THAT TEXAS TOO.
I SEE YOU COME, CAN YOU WALK IN FORWARD? YOU WALK IT BACK.
STILL NOW DO THAT TEXAS TWO STILL.
NOW RIDE IT OUT NOW RIDE IT OUT NOW RIDE IT OUT LAST TIME.
CAN YOU WALK IN FORWARD? CAN YOU WALK IT BACK JUST LIKE THAT.
STILL A NOW DO THAT TEXAS TWO A.
I SAID CAN YOU FORWARD, CAN YOU WALK IT BACK NOW DO THAT TEXAS TWO STAB.
EVERYBODY GET UP IN THESE TWO S.
I GOTTA GET A PHOTO WITH ALL MY TEXAS TWO STEPPERS.
EVERYBODY COME, EVERY GONNA TAKE A PHOTO.
WHAT'S YOUR NAME SIR? ANTHONY.
EVERYBODY SHOW SOME LOVE TO MY FRIEND ANTHONY.
NEMO YOU READY? ALL RIGHT, SO MY NAME IS SAUL PAUL.
GIVE IT UP FOR ALL OF OUR WONDERFUL PANELISTS.
MS. WILLIAMS. CARMEN, DID YOU WANNA SAY SOME, SOME CLOSING WORDS? MY DIRECTOR IS TRYING TO LEAVE AND I JUST WANT HIM TO HAVE WORDS.
HE NEVER LETS ME LET HIM SAY ANYTHING.
HE ALWAYS SAYS, NO, YOU, I'M BEHIND THE SCENES.
BUT PLEASE, BEFORE YOU LEAVE, PLEASE GRACE THE STATE.
LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR MY DIRECTOR.
BECAUSE, BECAUSE TRULY, TRULY, I'M LIVING THE DREAM TO WORK FOR HIM AND BE ABLE TO BE PAID TO DO WHAT I DO.
SO LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR DIRECTOR ROOSEVELT WEEKS.
THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE.
IT IS, I LEARNED A LOT WHEN I GO TO SOMETHING AND IF I LEARN SOMETHING, I FIT MY TIME WELL.
DIXON AND AND SONG PAUL AND THE REST OF THE PANELISTS.
Y'ALL DID A WONDERFUL JOB IN EXPLAINING WHAT'S GOING ON.
YOU GUYS ARE LIVING DR. KING, LEGACY.
AND ALL OF US NEED TO JOIN IN DOING THAT WORK, UH, THAT DR.
SO WE THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
AND CARMALITA GIVE IT UP FOR CARMALITA.
SHE PUT A FANTASTIC PROGRAM TOGETHER AND I MADE SOME NOTES ON MY LOOK CARD.
YOU WILL BE CONTACT I'LL, I'M CONTACTING ALL OF YOU ALL FOR SOME ADDITIONAL WORK THAT WE CAN BE DOING HERE IN OUR LIBRARY.
SO WE APPRECIATE YOU ALL COMING AND BEING HERE FOR WITH US.
AND COMMONLY THANK YOU FOR PUTTING ON A MAGNIFICENT PROGRAM THAT EXEMPLIFIED DR.
KING'S WORK, UH, IN THE WORK THAT WE DO FOR LIBRARIES.
KING WORK IS, LIBRARIES DO THE SAME WORK.
AND SO IT'S ALL ABOUT INCLUSIVENESS.
IT'S ALL ABOUT BEING A PLACE FOR EVERYBODY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH CARLI, FOR HAVING ME TO DO THIS.
AND THEN I'M GONNA GIVE A, A STATION IDENTIFICATION.
[01:55:02]
TOMORROW WE WILL HAVE A PROGRAM BOY KING, UM, WITH OUR YOUTH GROUP.WE WON'T FEATURE JC STRINGS, A VIOLINIST FROM, UM, BERKELEY SCHOOL OF MUSIC, ONE OF SAUL PAUL'S PROTEGES.
AND WE WILL HAVE A FILMING, UM, THE BOY KING.
AND WE'LL HAVE A, A YOUTH, UM, BRAVE COMMUNITIES WILL BE SPONSORING IT AND WORKING WITH OUR YOUTH.
THEY WILL HAVE, UM, FACILITATORS IN A CO IN A, A CONVERSATION, UM, TALKING ABOUT THE FILM.
YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? AND ALSO ON, I AM VERY EXCITED TO SHARE THIS NEWS IN MY INBOX.
YESTERDAY I GOT AN APPROVED MESSAGE FROM THE CITY.
OUR NEW MAYOR, KIRK WATSON, SIGNED A PROCLAMATION FOR NATIONAL DAY OF RACIAL HEALING.
AND THAT IS GOING TO BE TUESDAY, TUESDAY, JANUARY THE 17TH, WHICH IS THE DAY AFTER MARTIN LUTHER KING'S BIRTHDAY.
IT IS INTENTIONAL THAT THEY DO THAT EVERY YEAR.
SO I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT WE'RE GONNA BE SAME PLACE, SAME TIME.
IT'S GOING TO BE NOON TO TWO TUESDAY NATIONAL DAY OF RACIAL HEALING HERE AT UM, AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY.
AND THEN WE HAVE A ROBUST MONTH OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH PROGRAMMING DESIGNED FOR YOU.
AND YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE, YOU'LL BEGIN TO SEE ALL OF IT.
AND OUR 10 BRANCHES THAT ARE STREAMING IN, PUT EVERYTHING ON YOUR WEBSITE.
DON'T SLEEP ON AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY BECAUSE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY IS THE PLACE TO BE IN 2023.
MY BABY TODAY WAS BRING YOUR DAUGHTER TO WORK DAY.
JOY WILLIAMS. SHE'S GETTING READY.