Societies 2017 Freedom Award for his work on the musical hamilton. A film version of the musical begins streaming on the disney plus service on friday. This ceremony is about 35 minutes. Good evening ladies and gentlemen, members of the senate who are here, members of the house of representatives, and all of you who have come here tonight to join with us as we celebrate the awarding of the Freedom Award to Linmanuel Miranda. I am the president and ceo of the u. S. Capital Historical Society and a former member of congress from connecticut. This evening we pay tribute, as i mentioned, to Linmanuel Miranda, an extraordinarily talented composer, lyricist, playwright, and actor. As a Historical Society we usually honor historians. Last year we honor David Mccullough with our Freedom Award. This year we honor an artist to transform history into the hit musical, hamilton. With a hiphop score, catchy lyrics and contemporary choreography, americans of all generations and back wells are learning about Alexander Hamilton and ehrenberg, and how their conflicting vision shaped our young country. 200 years later we grapple with some of the same issues. Thank you Linmanuel Miranda for making history, alive through the performing arts. This evening we are honored to have the democratic leader with us, and former speaker of the house, nancy pelosi. Madam speaker i invite you to the podium to say a few words. [applause] Speaker Pelosi good afternoon, everyone. I am delighted to be here with everyone. It seems like yesterday we were honoring David Mccullough, now, a whole generation of people bring history alive. It is an honor to be here with senator murkowski. Ron, thank you for your great leadership for this organization for so many years and welcome to the dawn carlson, the new board chair, thank you for your leadership. Those two are applause lines. [applause] i will to you when it is an applause line. Here we are, we are in the room where it happen. [laughter] or at least where it happened at that time. This is the early days of our republic. For 55 years that the capital Historical Society has illuminated the Rich Heritage of the congress and the ideals it upholds. Here we are in this room that the Freedom Award celebrate the inspiring men and women who advanced public understanding and appreciation for our great democracy. This years recipient has made a profound contribution to that mission, Linmanuel Miranda. [applause] [applause] not only that, but his parents are here. Stand up, stand up, stand up. [cheers and applause] congresswoman said that she and mr. Miranda had come from puerto rico at the same time and attended the same college. There is a lot of family and members to pay tribute to your family. As the world knows Linmanuel Miranda is a great creative talent of our time. With a Tony Award Winning broadway hit hamilton, he energized americas understanding of our own history. In so doing he ignited a phenomenon. We are gripped by hamiltons brilliant writing and captivating music. We are seized by high drama and electrified by its irresistible optimism and a message of hope. Part of the power of hamilton is that it reminds us that our american stories shape, not simply by events, but by people. That our tale is one of revolutionary and disruptors. Visionaries and strivers, innovators and immigrants. [applause] and immigrants. [applause] especially important for us to remember that, that our constant reinvigoration of america are our newcomers to america who make america more americans especially important for with their hope, optimism and courage. That our journey is not predetermined but wrestled into reality by men and women afraid, unafraid to dream. Unafraid to dream. Linmanuel miranda took the story of our founding and infused it with fresh life and infectious spirit. He is continuing the journey of hamilton through the Hamilton Education project which brings the magic of history and the art in the classroom. This Partnership Helped hundreds of thousands of High School Students forge connections to our founding era i was making history itself inspiring to the next generation of historians, writers, performers, and leaders. Continuing to work for the transformative initiatives such as this, and our broader connection to education, humanities and the arts are vital. Linmanuel miranda truly convinced that the arts are what will bring our country together. [applause] you have been a force in that regard. David mccullough pointed to the statue of cleo up there. For almost two centuries, cleo and her clock have reminded men and women in this hallowed halls that we are part of history. That our words and actions will face the judgment of history, and that we are part of a long and honorable heritage of our democracy. Now, under cleos gaze, we celebrate Linmanuel Miranda, a man gifted by the news of history, and all others of artists and historians of our modern era. Thank you Linmanuel Miranda for giving us the story of america been told by a america now. I am honored that we will cure from john lewis who will present the award, but all of us who are here and honored to be in your presence, to celebrate your triumph and hamilton and to congratulate you. Thank you for your passion, your talent, your gift. Thank you for your succession of contributions to revitalize and advancing our democracy. Thank you Linmanuel Miranda. [applause] thank you madam speaker for your kind words. A number of members of the house and senate are here, mixed in with the crowd that is here this evening. Would you please raise her hand so we can acknowledge her presence. [applause] thank you for being here. Leader pelosi mentioned Linmanuel Mirandas parents. I want to mention them again because they made it all possible. [laughter] would they please stand again. [applause] also with us this evening is wrong turn now, who wrote the book hamilton. [applause] where are you . Way back there. The book obviously inspired Linmanuel Miranda. At again, thank you for being with us this evening. Also the director of philanthropy and special projects at 5000 broadway productions. Would you please stand. [applause] thank you. Acclaimed radio host and playwright and mentor to mr. Miranda would you please stand them he recognized. [applause] were honored that all of you are here this evening to share this evening with us. It is now my pleasure to introduce senator lisa murkowski, chair of the appropriations subcommittee on interior environment and related agencies. It isamong the related agencies are the two National Endowments for the arts in the humanities. She is a dedicated advocate for the arts. In lisas words, there is nothing that holds us together as what comes to us through the arts. The u. S. Capital Historical Society was honored in 2004 to be awarded the humanities medal. With a ceremony in the white house, a very exciting moment for the society, and personally for me. So, i would like to now bring to the podium senator lisa murkowski. Sen. Murkowski ron, thank you for that. It is an honor to be with you this evening, and to the family, mr. And mrs. Miranda, wonderful to have you with us as we recognize this ladies and gentlemen, a man who has helped us look up, look out ward, who has widen our eyes, open our years, truly, a talented, inspiring individual. An incredibly important role. Pastociety preserves the and honors this truly magnificent building and those who have served here. Through programs like the Freedom Award. The society helps americans to see the living connections between the past and where we are today. It helps us to understand that this capital is a symbol of america as a living institution. Choosing to honor Linmanuel Miranda with years Freedom Award is such a perfect, beautiful choice. Look around you here. At standing here in statuary hall. The history that surrounds us. The men and the women. Murals in the room just adjacent. We have statues of famous but long dead americans like george washington. Sacagawea. We see those whose lives are more contemporary like president eisenhower, president reagan, helen keller. We have rosa parks right appear. , americans from all walks of life, every age walk through these halls. They walk through this room. They are looking up. They are looking at the statues. They are looking at the amazing history surrounding us. You have to believe, you have to believe that each are inspired to learn, to enjoy. Truly be inspired by the history around us. I like to listen to the School Groups particularly. Kidsimes, you catch these giving you a glimmer of what is beyond all this. They will see a particular statue and they will become divided by a. Some he will say, do you know . They will tell a story about rosa parks through the eyes of a child, what they have learned in their classrooms. Its a reminder to me that these are not just figures that are anchored in bronze. There is that living history here. How we share this, how we , this isne another what this award is all about today. For Linmanuel Miranda has inspired americans, young and old, rich and poor, whether you ,re from new york or ketchikan they have inspired he has inspired us to see the dry dust of our Founding Fathers in a fresh way. Them. Ay that modernized ourselves into see them. In short, what Linmanuel Miranda has been able to do is engage new audiences to appreciate our past through a form of art, through Broadway Musicals. You know . You have to think, hamilton in a Broadway Musical. It just doesnt connect. Thats why it is so brilliant. Thats why it is so perfect. It forces us to imagine. At the same time, what he has done is he has exposed the typical Broadway Musical theater goer to art forms that they probably have not appreciated before. You probably taught a lot of history to some broadway buffs out there. This is exactly the type of engagement with the American Public that those of us in congress would really wish that we could connect with. Weve got more work to do. Maybe we can talk with you afterwards about how you can inspire us to be more engaging. I truly am proud to congratulate Linmanuel Miranda for earning yet another recognition. Not necessarily for the strength of his writing or his performance. Not even for his unique and inspiring ability to bring foundational events in our nations history to life in new and exciting ways. Himi want to congratulate for his commitment to the strength and value of our democracy. For surely no one could write hamilton, bring it to theaters, educate students about the man and his times, if he did not love his country and all that it can be. Ladies and gentlemen, a man who has helped us look up, look outward as we look at the past, who has widened our eyes, open our ears, truly a talented, inspiring individual. The 2017 recipient of the u. S. Capital Historical Society award, mr. Linmanuel miranda. [applause] we cannot thank you enough. [applause] mr. Miranda hello. My thanks to all of you and especially congresswoman pelosi. The Historical Society tells a story not just to lawmakers, but these its mission much more holistically. It illuminates political history. Its the breathtaking architecture all around us. When you all leave, i am fully night at the museum in here. All of these guys will come to life and we will have a bit of a time. I will see you in the morning and i will tidy about my adventures, but it is extraordinary to be surrounded by this incredible history. The house of representatives used to convene here. To its worth the Historical Society gives us the tools to wrestle with our history. So many other flashpoints in the American Experience continued to drive what happened in this building now. They did not really look like me but they are in here. This is the room where it happened, the room where it happened. [laughter] but for real. Hamilton story is told by ron. [applause] the hamilton story reached out to me across the centuries and when i let me go in vacation, walking my dog, in the shower, there was the ghost of eliza hamilton, get back to your piano. It turns out it is very persistent. When you hear a tune from hamilton it gets stuck in your head. Imagine what i felt like. [laughter] it took seven years to get them out of my head thinks to our incredible creative team. The worlds reaction and the engagement with the founding error of the result has changed all of our lives. Before hamilton had the chance to change my life, humanities and arts programs did. From my earliest days in the schools, i have benefited from immersing in music, acting and literature arts. I will make my parents stand up a third time. Stand up. [applause] you will not meet to bigger musical theater dorks in your lifetime. In our subaru growing up, that is why i am standing in front of you here today. There is no the doubt that without the education i had a student in a new york public city school, i would not be here. Thank you, public school. [applause] if i had not been cast as captain hook in the six grade play, hamilton the musical would not exist. Real talk. I learned more than how to play pno and follow stage directions. I laid to be a leader and how to elaborate. Love collaborating. Empathyed the gift of that makes our transformational. You make friends from different grades in social groups. You learn to work hard to create something greater than the sum of your parts. For the sake of making something great. You learn to trust your passion and let it lead the way. Without humanities and arts programs, i would not be standing here. Without the immigrants who built this country, it is very probable that very few of us would be here. Our story concludes people who came to this country with the ir parents and know no other home. [applause] their parents have no documents but their kids are Getting College degrees, working as First Responders during disasters. In the case of my own congressman, some are working as lawmakers in the United States congress. Our heritage of humanity and arts is shared and irreplaceable. It belongs to every american, rich and poor, young and old, urban and rural, republican and democrat, statue and still alive. [laughter] in every corner of our country. This is what the u. S. Historical Capital Society does. As do so many other nonprofits throughout the u. S. And urban and rural locations like. Im a new yorker. My dad is from puerto rico and my moms parents are from puerto rico and mexico. Like most big urban centers, scene with countless nonprofits, new york has a thriving cultural scene with countless nonprofits, deed or groups and corporate sponsors to complement these initiatives. These partnerships are a good thing and no one would have been happier to see them then my man hamilton. There is no reason why the humanities and arts should be the sole providence of the government. In places like new york, they are not. Most American Kids do not live in new york, or san francisco, or d. C. Or l. A. , or miami and seattle. Californias central valley, native american reservations, the mississippi delta, and vast swaths of the great plains, the private resources simply do not exist to provide kids with the kinds of programs i was lucky enough to grow up with. This is why National Endowment for the humanities and arts are so vital to our democracy. [applause] without these resources, we are essentially telling kids about access to the arts, your world is small, do not drink too big. We do not just fill kids with this message, we fill our democracies. Those argue that humanities and arts are a luxury and not an essential service. I could not disagree more. The opposite is true. The more opportunities kids have , the more they will appreciate the poetry of mathematical formula and environmental science, the more they learn to be human and what it is to be human. Nurturing the gift of empathy makes us better citizens. It makes us understand each other better. Learning to read music will help the student with her math homework. A painter who understands chemistry is a better painter. An engineer who appreciates art is a better engineer. Citizens who have exposure to a whole consolation and disciplines and subject areas make a better democracy and economically viable country. That shared interest is shared by the humanities arts. Most of you in this room would know that arts and cultural events, and jobs and tourism bring to towns and districts. I wont belabor the point. When the hamilton tour comes to your town, all the surrounding businesses benefit. If you dont believe me, ask the pizza place about their spices being the greatest. The National Endowments are key drivers in this cycle. Investments contribute directly to the prosperity of American Communities in every congressional district. They create jobs, spread tourism, and expand horizons and connect us to shared values. Cost would be a spiritual to a nation that loses touch with its sole, with what makes it exceptional, with all of the statues in this room who were real people worked hard to make this country. Thank you. Thanks to all of you who stand up to and protect our shared artistic and Cultural Heritage everywhere. In some parts of the country, it is easier to safeguard. Does support to see no child is denied access to humanities. Thank you so much. [applause] i will finish with this, the opportunity to create the Hamilton Educational program with our producer and helmed by my dad who i will not make stand up a fourth time [laughter] has been the highlight of the whole thing. It fills me with great pride to see these High School Kids. I dont know if you know about this program, but High School Kids have a curriculum on hamilton and all of the founders. They perform original works that they create on the same stage where hamilton is performed. To hear they want to be teachers and historians as a result of this experience. 250,000 kids from all over the country from title i schools will have the opportunity to go through the program. That is a for real legacy. That is a hamiltonian, eliza hamilton tell our story legacy. They will not all grow up and go into theater. Engaging the story in a real way, they find their own. They begin to ask, what i want to do with my time here on earth . Kind of country do we want to create for ourselves . On behalf of everyone who worked tirelessly to share American Culture and history with communities throughout our country, thank you for this honor. It means the world to me. Have a wonderful night. [cheers and applause] thank you mr. Miranda for your inspiring remarks. I am don carlson, the new chairman of the u. S. Capital Historical Society. With me is congressman john lewis. [applause] i am honored to stand on the same platform with this true gentleman. Three years ago, this society presented this a word to john lewis in recognition of his lifelong commitment to civil rights. Tonight he joins us as the author of the highly acclaimed Award Winning trilogy entitled marge. Like our award recipient, the congressman found a way to teach history. It is presented in graphic or comic book form. It is a great read with great graphics. Thank you congressman lewis for joining me as we now present the 2017 Freedom Award to Linmanuel Miranda. Lin, will you please come forward . [applause] on behalf of the u. S. Capital Historical Society, we want to present to you tonight the 2017 Freedom Award to you Linmanuel Miranda, in recognition of your achievement and communicating the origins and continuing vitality of constitutional ideals through creative art and education. By empowering americans across generations and origins to see themselves in our path, you have fostered this spirit of civic engagement. Thank you. [applause] congressman lewis, would you like to make a few remarks . Congressman lewis good evening. Thank you mr. Chairman. I am proud to join you in congratulating mr. Miranda on receiving this great honor. You see, i was a champion of the arts long before i was elected to congress. Those who really know me understand that i love history. And i adore the arts. Without music and drama, the Civil Rights Movement would have been a bird without wings. Nina simone and tony bennett, james ballin, james baldwin, harry belafonte, peter, paul and mary. [laughter] these are just a few of the many artists who provided the answers for the movement, who translated our feelings into literature and recorded our pain and progress. So tonight, i join our friends and colleagues in thanking you for continuing the ongoing struggle to redeem the soul of america. [applause] lewis mr. Miranda, we are in history to shape, to inform, to inspire and to move our people. Your play in the heights gave voice to immigrants, to love and to the american dream. Through hamilton, linmanuel, you have inspired people to be courageous, to get in trouble, good trouble, necessary trouble, and i say thank you. Every day, you move the souls of men and women, the young and old, and people of all races and regions. You are so young. [laughter] so gifted and so talented. I know in my heart of hearts, that your word and wisdom will inspire generations. I hope that you will continue to create, to challenge and to channel the voices, the hopes, and the needs of all people, regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, identity. Together, we must strive towards what dr. Martin luther king called the beloved community. Where love, peace, equality, and simple justice may infuse into the heart and soul of all of mankind. Linmanuel, with your dedication, we are armed and ready. We cannot give up, we will not give in. More than ever before, we need your art to continue to be the wind beneath our wings. Again, i congratulate you. Thank you. I salute you again for this honor. [cheers and applause]