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[inaudible]. and racial congress. he is one of the most revered members of the congress. about 20 years ago, we were working to develop the idea of an international african american museum. congressman club learned was as busy as anyone in the congress. if you have been to his office on capitol hill in grand central station, people are coming and going. -- they went to ask the congressman if he would consider being chair of the african american museum. he was so busy that i was timid to ask. he said, let me ask emily. he was the congressman's dear wife who we lost, sadly, a few years ago. adam great respect for his wife, because he was busy moving into washington and south carolina. two weeks later, he called me back and said, joe, emily said yes and i will. jim clyde never missed a meeting at the museum. those meetings were in charleston. as busy as he was, not only did he not miss the meetings but he was prepared and ran everything to the board members. he is a historian. he taught history. he brought a historical heft to the shaping of the museum. the museum was wonderfully under construction now. when we open in less than two years from now this will not have happened without james clyburn. the man that he realized he could help us get. -- it was a conflict of interest. he's stepped aside and continue to advise us and support us. i have known the congressman since 1970. one thing that i -- i know so many things about you sir. one thing is that the congressman ran for the house of representatives in 1970 and no african american has been elected to the house of representatives since the construction. congressman grant was narrowly defeated. we all went to bed that night knowing that clyburn would be breaking that barrier in the house of representatives. and those would go to account and the out of boxes came in the next morning, we found that he had not been elected. but congressman was great in accepting that so many people and that something was done wrong. the way that you, sir, handled that great disappointment to you and to us, who were so forever and in our design to have you elected, was something that i will never forget. you can have memories about that congressman. >> thank you very much, mister -- still call you mr. man, don't tell the current man that i'm doing that. but i think i've done that in his presence as well. thank you so much for telling that story, because there's a little more to that story then you firming up a relationship. during the campaign, you are running for reelection. it was during that time, -- take it would be designated as chair of the delegation. -- and i, another african american, ran into the other. had an uphill battle. you felt that you would be reelected and that we could be elected. to help with that, all never forget, you gave up all the media. it is divided up, already on television. and you decided that we needed that more than you did and you gave us all of your media time. the, course you knew at the time that of you might not lead the ticket, but we thought it was more beneficial to the state and to charleston to get it in for the two of us to get elected. i've never forgotten, that i really believe that part of what led me to be able to accept that very disappointing defeat was having that spirits, the way you were able to sacrifice your first place victory for me. that, thank you so much for that relationship. when you ask that i join this effort as chair of the steering committee, i didn't go to him with it. my dear wife of 50 years. as that i didn't want to take on another responsibility and have her say at some point you're taking on too much. so, she would not hesitate to tell me what she felt and, bringing her into that decision, i want to thank you for the relationship that you have had with emily as well. she admired and respected you a great deal and i really, really hope that the work you're doing and what we work together to do will do her memory proud. so, thank you so much for having me here. >> well, thank you. i love emily to, she is was the most wonderful person you and she was one of those people that, if you were in her company, you just felt that. her goodness and her quality was really so inspirational. congressman, when you taught history at cia brown high school way back when, in the late 60s i guess, but where the history books? like what did they teach, what did you have as material to teach you about african american history? >> not much. -- a teacher there in charleston, in january, 1962. i spent three years there is he a brown, teaching history. but what i did when i was teaching, i taught from the newspapers rather than the textbook. most of my fellow teachers thought back then that i was going to be fired. -- , let's say the folk ways of the time. but i never got fired. in fact, i had a hard time keeping people out of my classroom because i felt that history ought to be a part of the living person. to bring those students into the history, just like, for example, i was teaching at the time that we had that cuban crisis. when the russians placed that slows in cuba. i was standing in front of my classroom, why would i say to students, let's talk about the federal precedent when all of this in the newspapers on the radio is about the rush in russians bringing these missiles down to cuba? not far from charleston, where they lived. so, when i did was we would pick up the newspapers and i'd say, now, here's what's happening today. let's go from chapter 20, to the chapter on cuba and let's talk about the back end of that. that's the way i taught. it's a pretty big success and, as you note, i still would go on to relationships with many of those students, even until this day. so, that's the kind of thing i didn't get. when i was a student, the history teacher for a test, for instance, if we had a ten question test, here one of the day but this happened? what is the date that the norm is discovered america? what was the date of this, that the other? i hated that. so, when i started teaching, my first day of the classroom i would tell my students, pull your pen and paper and i want you to write down two dates. number one, for 76 80. number two, ten 66 80. now, those are the only two years i whiter member. the roman empire fell in four 76 and william to conquer crossed over an open up the new world intensity six. so, that, to me, where the big dates to remember. other than, that we talked about issues and how those issues related to that in their everyday lives. >> congressman, you provided great leadership to those young people. i remember the ambassador of the united states, one of your students, and a couple others who became real distinguished leaders. and they all would point back to being in jim clyburn's class and the impact you had on those kids was phenomenal. >> thank you. -- grew up there, raised by his grandparents. it is unlike less. james ghats and was named ambassador to -- he said, i need you i to be my -- he was an assistant at the time. i came back to washington to go to a swearing, in all never forget, when he will step to the podium after being sworn, and he pointed over to me. i, noticed when i got, there there is a little mark on the floor that they took me to and that's where i stood. he pointed to me and he said to the whole crowd, i wish you all could be in one of his classes. because he opened up the world to me beyond american shores. that did everything for me. as i was walking out at the end of this ongoing service, i looked over to my right and you stand here, james cats and. i noted that he was there when i was doing the service. but he told me later, he would never have missed that. because he was in the little group, the eastern media department, just a few blocks from me. he and raft austin -- >> that's right. >> his brother, they would all go to our house and we would have these sessions. i just talk to them about the world at large, so they would know. there is much more, could be much more to their lives than that which is just on charleston's east side, where the school was. so that, to me, what's the background to this great vision that you have and still hold on to, with the international african american museum. not the charleston african american museum where an african museum but an international african american museum. it talks about how charleston and that community it's into the international scope of, things the kind of thing i was trying to teach at brown and james, so many others. by the, way graph is now retired from a big-time attorney on wall street. he used to be the general counsel for american express. that's what came out of those classes. there's so many others i can talk about, but that's not what we're here to talk about today. >> one thing, we get to the museum quickly but, congressman, when you lost to the election in 1970, the newly elected governor of south carolina, john west, one of my fellow students, was a graduate and saw jim clyburn's character in the way that he was handling that defeat. and appointed congressman clyburn to be the first director of the south carolina human affairs commission. and then the congressman for government west really went around the state and made ties, connecting business interests and other interest together, and they moved south carolina to move forward as more racially together as a community. would you say, that congressman? >> absolutely, absolutely. john russell -- reflected on my statement. i did not say it earlier, but when i was asked what happened and that election, i simply said, it looks like i didn't get enough votes. when i was pressed, i held to that. it looks like i didn't get enough votes. that was a headline on a thursday morning. the reporter about tuesday election. -- he had just been elected governor of south carolina, was going out at the -- which was moving but a hunting ground at that time. passing through charleston, he picked up newspapers. immediately called, i was not home, he spoke with emily and said please have me call him. and i called him. he asked me to meet him on monday, i did. he offered me a position on his staff and he said to, me at the time -- , first i turned around and said, i'm a little bit too caustic. he said to me, if i had your job, i would be a little more caustic than you are. , so that started the relationship. my desk in columbia was the desk that he had as governor. -- when i became majority whip, she called me and she said, john russell would be so proud of this, i want you to have his desk. he gave me the desk he had as governor. and i sit behind that desk right now, every time i go to my columbia office. i would hope that would be somewhat of a lesson to have some of your students. my dad used to tell me all the time, never say everything that's on your mind. i'm not going to say what was on my mind on that morning after that 1970 election, but it certainly i kept it there and i talked about the results and that made all the difference. different headline, i don't think i ever would've gotten that call from john russell. i certainly wouldn't be sitting here right now, number three among democrats in the united states house of representatives. >> i agree with, that congressman. why i raise that question of the students, because it such i'm port and life lessons in that. he said three disappointments with grace and you built for the future, that's one of the many great lessons jim clyburn has given us. not only with legislative leadership, but as a human being, as someone who can trust and he inspired those kids he was teaching. and he inspires members of congress right, now on both sides of the aisle. they look up to jim clyburn, because of his character and his intellect and his determination. it's really amazing. congressman, changing subjects a little bit. it would seem to me that the recent, unfortunate efforts, in my opinion, too make it less easy for people to vote, more cumbersome than it needs to be. that that is a bit reminiscent of what happened after reconstruction. in a different form and way, but it seems to me that it's very unfortunate that in our country that there's any efforts we should be -- effectively believe we should make it easier and less troublesome for american citizens to vote, rather than putting these obstacles in their way. what are your thoughts about that, congressman? >> you're so right about that. i really believe that we have to be very, very careful in this great country that we have to. and said over and over again, this is a great country, it does not have to be made great again. it's a great country. our challenge is making this country's greatness accessible and affordable for all of its citizens. the foundation upon which that greatness is made it is the unfettered right to a ballot. we have grown in our pursuit of a more perfect union by opening up that ballot. it is with the 1964 civil rights act was all, about that's with the 1965 voting rights act was all about. in pursuit of perfection, for by making the franchise, the ballot more accessible to all of its citizens. for us to get to the point of backtracking, from the most important thing about our democracy, would be to destroy, take us off that pursuit. i think that's fragile democracy that we have, we have been a deciding, light as ronald reagan, said on the heel for a long time. people look to this country for examples, for a long time. i don't know that anybody will look with honor upon any country that would turn the clock back on it's pursuit, taking away the right to vote. as some jurisdictions seem to be pursuing. i would hope that this will be an anomaly on at the part of a couple of states, and let's get back into the pursuit of perfection. >> thank you, congressman. i know you probably have some questions. carey, do we have questions ready yet? >> absolutely. >> open it up. >> as a reminder for any of the students, really, any of our guests, if you want to put questions in the chat i'll do my best to relay them to the congressman. i wanted to, to just take us back for a minute, congressman, to the 1960s. i think about the work that you did around the orange bird massacre, especially around the charleston hospital strike. i think about that period as a time of such great upheaval. the assassination of dr., king bobby kennedy. and i wonder if you might draw some parallels or make some comparisons to our contemporary politics? what are the, you know, comparisons between today and 1968? if those are appropriate. >> well, not just 68, i was -- at the time. i started teaching in charleston, as i said, in 1972, and went to work for john russell and 1871. in 1968, i was in charleston at the time but i was running for new careers. the fall of 60, eight i became the director of the south carolina mission for farmworkers. that's where i really was at the time of the orange bird massacre. i knew the students, one of the students leading that was from north charleston. i thought, my staff, as a congress person to be best to. wait what was going on then, i was very much involved with. i taught him how to bowl, so he and i stayed in touch to the whole thing. i became, sort of, at the time of the hospital strike in 1969 we also added garbage workers strike. a few people remember that. bill saunders who, along with -- , was leading the hospital strike. when the hospital straight came along, for some strange, reason they asked me to get involved with the garbage workers to help negotiate an ending to that. so, we had two things going on simultaneously. but we met every evening, to keep things on course. so, the lines of communication stayed open. that's why i'm a little bit concerned today about cutting off -- you have to find ways to keep the communication going. if you stop talking, you're never going to get the best way to cover an issue. so, what was going on back there? a lot of what we see today. it's reminiscent of that. i do believe that we overcame, black man, because people with open, minds some people with broad shoulders, stepped up to get us back on track and back where we needed to go. that 1978 election, it came right after the hospital strike. so, joe raleigh running for reelection, saying, i'm giving up my media. i paid, for its mine, but it's more important for these two people for our legislature. more important for them to be integrated. by the, way the why last election, -- one. i want to become the first african american to serve on the governor's staff. and, so we both came out winners. so, i city and people all the time, these experiences you have, it may look like that obstacle is a block but it very well could be a steppingstone if you respond appropriately to it. >> congressman, one of our wonderful librarians has a question for you. ruby murray asks, if you might say a little bit about the political damage that the slogan, defund the police, acted to candidates in the recent elections? do you have any suggestions for a better framework for the urgent need for police reform, moving forward? >> yes, i do. i've been writing about it and i've been talking about it. i think we have to all reimagine policing. if you are a lawyer and you are policed by the bar association. just a few weeks, ago two lawyers on south carolina, i saw the headlines, two who are disbarred because they did something wrong. , so the same thing has to take place with policing. it's an honorable profession. my cousin, wilson clyburn, was for 40 years a police officer in camden. i spoke at his home going service. i thought he was an honorable person in an honorable profession. , so we cannot allow one bad apple to ruin the entire barrel. that's what will happen if you don't exploit, kate get that bad apple out of the process. that's what we have to do. this notion that we seem to have that, once you strap on a goner pin on a badge, all of a sudden you are a saint and you can't be held accountable. that has allowed to creep into policing, we have to have police, it's an honorable profession to be in and i support that. but we should not go so far as to do to the current state of affairs, like with black lives matter, would happen to us back in the 1960s. john russell and i were demonstrating became known as the student nonviolent coordinator committee, snip. nick was taken by a group of, people came out with a new slogan, burn baby burn. that undercuts when we are, doing undermined the effort. and i saw, that along with john lewis. just a few months before he passed away, two of us sat in the back of the house chamber one day and we said that we needed to speak out. we shouldn't stand by and allow slogan narrate to kill the black lives matter movement the way it did the student movement that we were a part of back in the 60s. i want students to know this. i keep talking about the student movement. you've never heard me call it the student right civil rights movement. there's always been a civil rights movement, what's going on back in the 1960s were students. the student nonviolent -- the naacp was formed in 1909. so, there's always been civil rights but, could be -- the insurrection of 1822. these things always take place. so, i try to put things in proper perspective. i want to say to your students, listen, keep things on the proper perspective. one of them is keep policing proper perspective. listen, remember, this that throwing out bad policeman is not to destroy the profession. >> our good student and president of the campus chapter of the young democrats, active in the young democrat statewide, tyler mitchell, would like to ask you. given all the events of the previous year, where the prospects that america can build a stronger foundation in the area of social equality? >> i think the prospects are great, that it could be done. my dad used to say something to me all the time that i think about a lot these days. where there is a will, there is a way. but we have to do is develop the whale. and i don't think enough people have developed a well to do what's necessary. it's so easy to walk away from, it's easy to pretend that there's nothing going on. the hard part is working together and putting aside individual differences. men and, i we've been talking about my late wife lately, i say this to people a lot. i was born and raised in the town of sumter, i came through victory and south carolina state. i met him on that campus. she was born and raised up in -- on a 22 acre farm. we found out very early in our marriage that our backgrounds were so different that we had to make some significant adjustments in order to have a successful marriage. i think the same thing applies to almost everything that we do. we have to learn that we have different backgrounds, different experiences. we have to learn from each other. you don't necessarily learn from people by shutting them up. you learn from them by listening to them. you get an atmosphere and, for some, by coming together. i would, say the prospects are great, if we can keep people engaged on a very personal level. that's the challenge. for me to be able to set aside whatever my inclinations might be, long enough to listen to the other guy, to see whether or not he's got a better idea. and the same thing applies to women as well. i happen to be the father of three daughters. i listened to them and i talk to them, i ask their advice. and i often follow it. >> you, know as i've been standing here, i keep getting goose bumps. i mean it. it's just so thrilling to see this fine, wise man representing our country in congress. representing us in south carolina. but truth, justice, knowledge, experience. we often read about things and political life that this please us it's, so important that we rejoice when we see someone like jim clyburn. who has, essentially, devoted his life to this cause. it's about honesty and justice. honesty and injustice, integrity and service. so, for everyone who tuned in today, certainly for the class i'm honored to teach here, congressman, we thank you so much for being with us. you're a marvelous example, you give all of us public service, decency, when it means to be a citizen of our country. thank, you sir. >> thank you so much for having me. i want to commend your students. if you have not done so already, please, do me a big favor. read martin luther king junior's letters from jail. that, to me, next to the bible, is one of the most timely documents i've ever read. i want to call your attention to one part of that book. king wrote that book that we are going to be made to repent in this generation, not just for -- bad people, but for -- of good people. so the good, people when we see injustice we have to do what's necessary to preserve this country. we have an example for the world, and we cannot allow any misfits to destroy that mantra that we've developed over the years. the beacon shining light on the hill. so, thank you so much, mister mayor. for allowing me to be with you today. i hope i'm not disrespecting him. >> well, thank, you sir. if i could just add one thing for the students. dr. king's letter from birmingham jail, he is in jail, he wasn't given any paper to write from. so, he wrote that most amazing letter on the margins and the edges of newspapers that he was collecting. a the message is so powerful i, the knowledge of what that courageous, industrious mandate to make sure that the truth got out. thank you very much, congressman clyburn. >> thank you. >> and thank all of you for being here today. >> did you know, you can listen to lectures in history on the go? 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