The the sponsors of this discussion. And to all of the smithsonian and park Service Staff here today, welcome and thank you. To our friends and allies in the preservation work we thank you for coming in for joining us. You to those thank from outside traditional areas of our field, scholars and advocates for community advancement. Especially to our panelists, special guests who i will introduce at greater length later on in the program. Your inputppreciate and want to thank you for helping us expand the scope of historic reservation so that it reflects the two root true diversity of our nation and work to save more overlooked places. Let me tell you why this is important. We will set the stage for the next 50 years of our work. We believe that telling the full american story and becoming a more Inclusive Movement is crucial to our understanding of who we are, and to where we are going. Recognize thets importance of these issues and doing great work to healed stories from our past. Said, webeing understand we have a lot of ground to make up, in terms of saving, and engaging more communities. While as a nation we have celebrated our progress toward our founding democratic ideals, we still have trouble coming to terms with the difficult chapters of our story. However hard to confront these chapters resonate in and informed the struggles of today from gay marriage to Immigration Reform the black lives matter. Understand todays america or the fight for justice and equality that we are undertaking now in the 21st century without a euro understanding of our past. Giving the given the demographic changes we will definitely not understand americas future. A minority a majority now and the population. All of this is all the more reason why we have to tell the stories of all of our citizens and build a Preservation Movement that looks more like america. That is why we are gathered today. To talk about how we can engage more americans in saving places our collectiveto stories. We will first hear from someone working on these issues for a long time. Robert stanton. Parkrst visited a National Park as a College Student in austin, texas. He got a job as a park ranger in the summer. A parkt just find there. He found a calling. When he took a job with the he hasl park service, dedicated himself to our parks and public land in a variety of positions, rangers, superintendent, associate director, and in 1997 under president clinton he became the 15th director and first africanamerican director of the National Park service. While in office he took an interest in expanding diversity at the park service in terms of staff and services for minority populations. In 2001 he helped launch the africanamerican experience fund , the only Fundraising Organization at the National Parks foundation that preserves africanAmerican History. He provides Consulting Services to the National Resources council of america to help increase conservation. An executive as professor, texas a m, and visiting professor at harvard and yell. He has been Senior Advisor to the interior department and serves on the Advisory Council for historic reservation. In short, he is a park service pioneer. Someone who is committed to the be discussing today. I am honored to introduce them. Him. [applause] bob thank you very much madam chair for that gracious introduction. Good morning. Me hasten to thank the leadership of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. I bring you greetings on behalf of the chairman of the Advisory Council of Historic Preservation, wayne donaldson. I should add the National Trust for a start preservation by law is a member of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. It is a pleasure and honor to greet you and i hold my warmest greeting to the interns who are with us today in all of our young stewards. None of you are of my age. I know that. I am living on somebodys borrowed time. A plot the youth are with us today. They honor us. I know that we have an ambitious schedule and i look forward to the interaction later on. I am not sure i will have time to recognize this distinguished panel. I know they will be formally introduced later on but let me with the power of the podium and the mike to take this prerogative of saluting them. Able to articulate their wisdom and their knowledge. I looked eagerly to their presentation. I returned to the department interior a second time, having retired twice, to serve with the obama administration. Under the labor should of ken salazar. N sell i remember how all of us were proud and president obama issued an executive order designating cesar chavez in National Monument in california. Cesar chavez. Shop chaveza prayer of cesar that granted courage to serve, for inservice there is true life. Ladies and gentlemen, you have accepted the challenge of service. We are grateful to you individuals in your organization. Thank you for being with us. [applause] on your opening , i thought about sharing with you some of the withess that had been made the leadership, the council, various Land Management agencies at the federal level, the state municipality, all of the entities trying to address that challenge of achieving diversity and inclusion in this noble endeavor of Historic Preservation. You will be hearing from them during the course of this conference. What i have decided to do is to speak with you as a friend. There is a memorial on massachusetts avenue that honors the great philosopher writer poet jurong. But there be no purpose, absolutely no purpose of friendship other than deepening of the human spirit. I had a college remit that would remind me that a friend is one with whom you can think aloud. Me. Are part of i am a part of you. Were friends. I would take these few moments to think aloud. I believe that if we are to progress, forke diversity and inclusion, not preservation,ic heritage conservation, heritage preservation, we need to have a very strong is that philosophical underpinning that has sustained me over 50 years in conservation and preservation work. I also would share with you a few minutes of the Practical Application of philosophical underpinnings. The philosophical underpinning starts with a document that continues to serve us well. Effective i believe in 1787. It was not a perfect document and those who wrote it new it a perfect document. Inclusion and diversity were not really the mainstay of that document. It had the pronoun we. Those who wrote this document new it was not perfect. Provision. E a article five. So that that document to be amended. Accounting, that has been amended 27 times. Fastforward 150 years. Think about what occurred. We will pause as a nation in thember to understand leadingthat were fought to the enactment of the 13th amendment abolishing slavery. Fastforward to 1896. Were making progress under the 13th at the 14th and 15th amendment. To bind up the nations wounds as president lincoln said. We hope we were getting beyond that affliction called slavery. Then came the Supreme Courts plessy versus ferguson. To live separately. There was absolutely nothing equal about that. I lived under that doctrine. For 24 years. In my home state of texas. About diversity and inclusion we have to understand that we are trying to overcome a commitment by this nation to keep us divided. So we would not be able to overcome that in a short. Of time. Eye on always keep our we the people of the United States of america in order to form a more perfect union. That is the philosophical underpinning we will always have. I believe strongly in the constitution. The practical aspect. That of leadership. What i have experienced is that principleswo major if you will of leadership. One is a conviction that you can sustain. To try to succeed. The courage and conviction have to be deeply embedded. If you look at the decisions, to move from segregation to integration and now she diversity and inclusion. It was the courage of men and women. You ladies and gentlemen are heirs to that courage. The expectation is that you will take up that mantle. You will be ambassadors. To achieve diversity and equality and inclusion. Eep your eye on the prize task ofe to the including all. I will salute you again. One whose legacy has served me well. Perpetual commitment by the government to preserve and enhance his legacy. I speak of none other than frederick douglass. One of the greatest fighters for civil rights. We differ asd c. Es that we are as one as a thank you very much. [applause] [applause] thank you for that inspiration. The ways inng at which we are interrelated. Overlap but ways that we overlap. That was the genesis of bringing together this panel. Will have an hour to talk followed by a brief. Of questions and answers. We will try to get to some of those questions now. We will reconvene at the world cafe. Eleanor smeal, founder of the feminist majority and three term president of the National Organization for women. Tony terry now, president and ceo of the hispanic heritage foundation. Such heavy hitters all passionately dedicated to advancing the rights of underrepresented americans. Thank you all for being here with us. Stephanie meeks. Stephanie good morning everybody is great to have you here. I wanted to take a quick look back at the National Trust. This is not a new conversation at the National Trust. Beenve for many years thinking and working toward creating a more inclusive Preservation Movement. For more than 25 years the National Trust has had a Diversity Scholars Program we welcome them to our program this morning. We offer training to diverse communities. Ofancing the preservation places and narratives that are important to all communities. We have advocated for diverse places and their protection. Programonal treasures , almost half the places we are working on represent diverse communities. Weve been working to reach out to new communities. Weve been working for 25 years at this topic we sometimes feel that we are just talking to ourselves. We are hoping to learn from our panelists ways that we can bridge that gap. Beginning Constructive Partnership with many constituencies beyond the traditional preservation community. To save the places that are important to all americans. I wanted to ask each one of our panelists to take a moment to introduce themselves. Reflect on a story from history that is important to you. Ersonally if there is a place that matters to you and your story we would love to hear about it. Eleanor smeal i am the president of the feminist majority. I was just thinking. I just came from seneca falls at the beginning of the month i was inducted into the womens hall of fame a bunch of us went to seneca falls. It wasnt the first time. It was the sight of the first womens rights convention. The importance of it in the National Womens rights parked there. Home. Eth cady stantons Susan B Anthonys home in rochester. For anortant they are inspiration to the next generation. If you going to their homes you see the conditions that they are working under. Susan b anthony didnt even have electric lights. Very small quarters. Beginningsese humble they change the world. For all of us. How little funding there is for womens history. We have to do better. I am so glad you are having this inclusion panel. Women are half the universe. It has an impact on children, on the next generation but has an impact on this generation, on all of us. It inspires you. I congratulate the trust for buying poly berries house. She was one of the founders of the National Organization for women. Africanamerican woman. Beginnings. Mble the first africanamerican woman priest. She fought for the lb gt community. Community. When people didnt dare to spoke that, she led. Some of the mythology around our Movement Must be corrected. It can only be corrected if you tell our story. People always say that our movement is divided. We are not divided. Press always describes it as a white womans movement. Women,africanamerican latinas, native americans women from all classes participated. Mythology of the because divided we can be conquered. Together is the story of the United States in the future. So i congratulate you for pushing inclusion, which is more than a word. It is the reality of our lives. Stephanie, congratulations on your induction. [applause] polyvent bought the murray house yet, but were working toward it. Boy itim just a country was born in a place called sandys utah. Just before world war ii. I read the relatives coming to our home. I was just a little child. Camps. Ked about it sound like a fun place to be. I do not understand what cap meant until many years had passed. Ifew years ago my wife and were traveling back from los angeles to Salt Lake City and we took a detour and visited one of those campsites. Topaz is in the Western Desert utah. As you look across the desert, you imagine people actually living there. Body of emotion came to my. I shed some tears. This is what the understanding history is all about. I have a chance to march on the Edmund Pettus bridge. One experience. Back to try to feel what happened during that. Of time. As one goes to experience itctly what happened there, becomes a very heartfelt experience. What the young people today feel when they go to these sites. I have been involved in preserving a number of the site designating one site as a state historic site. Working with the Bush Administration to designate the link as a National Monument. The island of the law were japaneseamericans were imprisoned during world war ii. Relatives and posterity. This means something. For those of us of color it has often been set apart. I was kind of ashamed of who i was. What theseerstood historical moments meant. My involvement in the japaneseamerican citizens with the centers on preserving a lot of the sites. One of the most recent accomplishment was to pass legislation to provide funding to preserve the sites. To educate the public about the sites. Funding is very low. The sites throughout the country need to indicate that. Stephanie the Human Rights Campaign is the Largest Organization for gay people. Our Movement Like all of those represented here is a constant balance between rebellion and quiet inclusion. Stonewall was a seminal moment. But it wasnt the first. Stone call needs to be preserved. But we also have places like comptons cafeteria and the tenderloin in san francisco. The very first place for transgender women pushed back against the police. To ensure that they were not able to participate fully in society. The women in the cafeteria pushed back and said wed had enough. Today if you all caps that space its just a vacant building. Theres no plaque is the memorial. Theres no nothing. Most lgbt people have no idea what comptons cafeteria is in whites important. It is just a footnote in history. If we dont talk about these places, they dont get included. There is not a willingness this country to allow our youths to aarn about lgbt people willingness to talk about who we are and where we are. Some of those quiet moments. An important part of our history but is only a moment. A lot of people here dont remember lawrence versus texas. Samesex couples no longer could be criminalized. Thrown into jail because of who they are. It is at best a flash moment for most americans. A lot of places where change happens are difficult to preserve. Everyone up here has had major victories at the Supreme Court and major losses as well. Way to talkind a about the Supreme Court in a broader context. A place that is both a beacon of hope and often a deliverer of severe devastation. We need to look at that huge range of places. The fullness of our stories. History books for everyone. [applause] we had restarted at the white house in 1987. Historically that is where our organization actually started. You see some of the same challenges that were going on than and way before them. Westminster. It preceded brown versus board of education by six years. Desegregating california schools. It started an internment camp. Mexican laborers were working there. A japanese man gave lands to the mexican family. Their children had to go to school very very far away. It was the same thing as it was in the south with other groups. You couldnt drink out of the same water fountain. It was committee segregated. A lawyer from the naacp worked with the family to desegregate the school system. As warren who in that time was the governor of california. Frederick douglass. All those waves rolling at the same time can make it really makes clash on the shore. To be in the coming to desegregate the state of california. Where some of these movements started. The kitchens in these tiny houses. Fields whereng at people can take a break from work. Those are places that i think of why travel around this country. I see where movements started. Now imre brave, thinking of 15yearolds with laptops. They can reach more than Martin Luther king and cesar chavez could