rl10136mdv0011.dv / Tape 12, 2000 April / Duke Digital Repository

(murmuring)

0:00

Female

This is not the same thing.

0:02

(laughs)

0:06

Alright I'll soon be there, I'll be in good company.

0:08

(murmuring)

0:14

-

How are you.

0:43

This is Dr. Miller.

0:50

-

Hello, pleasure to meet you.

0:52

(laughs)

1:13

-

I want to say good morning to everyone.

1:22

Good morning again, we are ready to begin.

1:28

Again good morning to this lovely Saturday morning

1:39

in Raleigh North Carolina.

1:42

Every morning in Raleigh North Carolina is a lovely morning.

1:44

I am Dr. H C Miller.

1:49

I'm the senior pastor here Tupper Memorial Baptist Church.

1:51

I stand this morning with great joy and pleasure

1:53

to greet you and to welcome you

1:56

to the facilities here at Tupper

1:58

with the faint attempt to lay aside my biases

2:01

I want to say that you should be at Tupper this morning.

2:05

Tupper Memorial Baptist Church has a unique connection

2:09

with Shaw University and the community here.

2:12

Unique in the sense that Tupper Memorial Baptist Church

2:15

is 132 years old.

2:17

It is named after Henry Martin Tupper

2:20

who was the founding president of Shaw University

2:22

so we have that connection with the university

2:26

and with this community.

2:28

So subsequently again I insist that

2:30

you should be here this morning.

2:32

Welcome to Tupper.

2:34

Welcome to our facilities, please make yourselves at home.

2:36

We're excited about having you here,

2:39

and we bless the Lord

2:40

that you were able to be with us this morning

2:41

and again please be at home and know that

2:43

you are in the right place at the right time

2:45

and you certainly are about the right things.

2:47

I greet you in the name of our Christ,

2:50

I greet you in the name of the Tupper rights

2:51

who dwell and worship here,

2:53

I greet you in the name and in the sense

2:55

of the residents of this area.

2:57

Again we're glad to have you here.

2:59

If there's anything that we can do

3:00

to make your stay more pleasant,

3:01

please don't hesitate to let us know.

3:03

Thank for being here this morning again,

3:05

good morning to you.

3:06

(applause)

3:08

-

Good morning everyone.

3:13

Sorry that we're running late and because of that

3:16

we will have to cut short both sessions

3:20

because as you know if you are invited to a luncheon

3:23

you must be there on time

3:26

so we will attempt to cut everything fairly short

3:28

but leave enough time to at least

3:31

have a general discussion about the topic

3:33

which is going to be the legacy of Mrs. Baker.

3:36

Now you may want to know who I am.

3:40

I am Jacqueline Brokinton and Ms. Baker's niece

3:42

for all purposes, she was my mother because

3:47

I lived with her since I was nine

3:51

so to me she is my mom so if I refer to her as

3:54

Aunt Ella, you will understand because that's just

3:59

a natural name.

4:02

I wanted to first of all say to you

4:04

that think when we speak of Aunt Ella,

4:06

it will vary as to what people might think

4:10

her legaCy would be depending on where you worked with her

4:13

and when you worked with her.

4:17

She has been involved in a lot of areas

4:19

and when I think of Shaw University,

4:22

I want to just give you my first memory

4:25

of Aunt Ella talking about Shaw

4:29

and the memory was regarding organizing some of the students

4:32

her first organization because they didn't allow

4:37

the young people to walk across the campus and hold hands.

4:40

So to her this was important.

4:44

If you had some affection for someone

4:47

you should be able to show it so she felt that

4:49

this was a cause so this was one of her first causes at Shaw

4:51

and my first memory of Shaw.

4:56

So I just wanted to throw that in

4:58

so you will understand that this legacy goes back

5:00

many, many, many years.

5:04

Now initially what I'd like to do

5:06

is to let the two panelists introduce themselves

5:08

and tell you something about them

5:11

and then we will discuss some of the legacies

5:13

that various people might think should be given to Aunt Ella

5:17

and then we would like to ask a few people from the audience

5:21

who had an opportunity to work with her

5:24

to also give a few of their ideas related to the subject.

5:26

If you will remember being in a meeting with Aunt Ella,

5:32

she always said we are having this meeting,

5:36

we're together and I want you to think about

5:39

what you're going to do after this meeting.

5:42

So while you're doing this, I want you to think

5:44

of what we're going to do after this meeting.

5:47

So I want to introduce first the panelists

5:50

and then they will tell you something about themselves

5:54

and then we will continue and I will take over after that.

5:56

Thank you.

5:59

-

Good morning.

6:16

Audience

Good morning.

6:16

-

I usually don't do my greeting in this manner

6:18

but because we're running about an hour late,

6:24

I'm going to modify my porch.

6:28

I do want to say thank you for the opportunity

6:36

for being a participant in this most appropriate

6:40

and necessary event.

6:45

Appropriate and necessary event.

6:49

And in the African tradition

6:56

always at a gathering this sort invite those of us present

7:00

to both acknowledge the ancestors,

7:08

those are no longer with us, those who paved the way,

7:13

those who went before us.

7:19

I'd like to acknowledge their presence

7:21

because in keeping with my faith tradition

7:26

I do believe they are present.

7:29

I do believe that Mrs. Baker is very much present

7:33

this morning and very many others

7:39

and so in acknowledgement and welcome

7:43

to this invisible cloud of witnesses

7:50

I invite you to join me and just take a moment

7:56

and call the name of one that you remember.

8:00

Usually we do a moment of silence

8:06

in memory, respect et cetera.

8:11

I say do a moment of silence and then

8:14

the one or ones that you remember.

8:19

Say where we can all hear you,

8:23

the name of one of those people.

8:27

Call their names.

8:30

There's a thing in the African tradition that says

8:32

as long as the names are called, they're with us.

8:34

So I invite you now to take a moment of silence

8:39

and I will break the silence by calling the name

8:44

of the one whom I'm welcoming this morning.

8:47

Acknowledging and welcoming.

8:51

Mrs. Baker.

9:04

Thank you.

9:10

Thank you.

9:14

By all means, thank you.

9:17

Thank you.

9:19

Yes.

9:21

Hotep.

9:24

Shalom.

9:28

Thank you, thank you,

9:32

thank you.

9:36

Shalom.

9:39

Yes.

9:40

Yes.

9:42

Male

Andy Moore.

9:46

-

Yes.

9:47

Female

Martin King.

9:48

-

By all means.

9:49

Yes, yes.

9:51

Yes, thank you.

9:54

Shalom, peace.

9:57

Hotep and thank you.

10:02

Thank you for your enthusiasm

10:05

and willingness to join us

10:07

in this moment of acknowledgement and welcome

10:14

and greetings both to the visible

10:19

and the invisible.

10:21

Alright now then, let's see.

10:25

Where we go from here.

10:27

The heart of my sharing really can be found

10:30

in the anthology of the Mississippi Movement

10:33

edited by Susan Hurwich, I don't know

10:38

if Susan is here or not but this is it.

10:42

I was invited to do an article for this anthology

10:48

and I chose to do mine on Mrs. Baker

10:55

you can really find the heart of my message there

11:04

in the the event the lady starts to pull my dress tail

11:07

or something back there because of the time limits.

11:10

Preparing my tribute to Mrs. Baker

11:17

was a journey within itself and it helped me to understand

11:20

as Chuck McDew shared yesterday the deeper meaning

11:25

of some of our spiritual teachings.

11:30

For example, and I'd like to use this one

11:34

because says what I feel.

11:37

There is no greater love than this,

11:40

that a person laid down his or her life for their friends,

11:45

their brothers, their sisters.

11:53

For me, this is the perfect description of Mrs. Baker.

11:59

She laid down her life for you and for me

12:05

and for the many who will come after us.

12:11

She might have lived her life genius that she was

12:14

in a much different more personally profitable manner

12:19

but instead,

12:27

she lived it for the liberation of her people

12:32

which for Mrs. Baker meant all people

12:35

and she has been

12:42

a perfect example of one who lived

12:49

the servant life as many who said

12:54

who perceive me on this panel,

13:00

they never heard her talk about her faith tradition.

13:02

I say she didn't need to talk it.

13:06

She walked her talk.

13:11

I say again greater love hath no one than this.

13:15

To lay down, to offer to give one's life

13:21

for others, for one's friends.

13:24

The legacy of Mrs. Baker was, is the legacy of love

13:29

in its most unconditional wardrobe

13:38

and now let me share with you what I wrote,

13:43

what I discovered on my journey

13:47

of defining Mrs. Baker.

13:51

Describing this lady

13:55

who was my mentor.

13:58

My script got misplaced here.

14:19

I'm sorry, give me a moment to find it.

14:24

Should be right here.

14:29

Ella Josephine Baker.

14:43

Communicator, initiator, enabler and prophetess.

14:45

And the word became flesh and dwelt among us.

14:54

When I think of Mrs. Baker, when I attempt

15:01

or I'm asked to describe her,

15:03

the wild words come to mind and for me they say it all.

15:06

For many of the writings of the Bible are perceived

15:12

as stories about people and other beings

15:14

from other timed and places but for me

15:17

self described Christian activist amended to

15:20

spiritual activists.

15:25

The Bible is a guide book.

15:27

A handbook, a blue print on becoming.

15:28

Consequently, the opening statement

15:35

"And the word became flesh and dwelt among us"

15:37

is an attempt to give context to my offering

15:44

only about Mrs. Baker.

15:49

I'm not really sure when first Mrs. Baker

15:52

and by the way she was always Mrs. Baker to me

15:55

as my cousin Joyce indicated for her when she was here

15:57

I believe yesterday.

16:02

What is clearly remembered is the mutual respect

16:04

and affection that we shared

16:07

and the knowledge of our being kindred spirits.

16:09

Remembered too is a tremendous admiration I had for her

16:12

and the equally endless inspiration she was

16:17

and continues to be for me.

16:21

As a communicator Mrs. Baker was second to none.

16:24

She clearly understood the importance

16:28

of effective communication and its elements:

16:30

speech, attitudes, actions and had the ability

16:34

to relate both appropriately and positively

16:38

to the target audience.

16:41

Mrs. Baker said so well in referring to her experience

16:45

with the stUdent coordinating committee.

16:49

She said, "I had no difficulty relating to the young people.

16:54

"I spoke their language in terms of the meaning

16:59

"of what they had to say.

17:01

"I didn't change my speech pattern

17:03

"and they didn't have to change their speech pattern

17:06

"and we were able to communicate."

17:10

Mrs. Baker was equally proficient in communicating

17:13

with whatever segment of the society

17:16

with which she was interacting.

17:18

Her secret of having the ability to talk with people

17:21

and not at or about them.

17:28

As Mrs. Baker put it in an interview,

17:33

"Your success depends on both your disposition,"

17:35

personality that is,

17:37

"And your capacity to sort of stimulate people

17:41

"and how you carry yourself in terms of

17:45

"not being above people."

17:49

Truly she was a great communicator.

17:53

As an initiator, Mrs. Baker exhibited again and again

17:57

her ability to move ideas, dreams,

18:02

strategies and people from paper and read it to reality.

18:05

Each of the major civil rights organizations

18:10

and many other significant groups and agencies

18:13

were beneficiaries of her unique ability

18:15

to define the need, develop the strategies

18:18

and implement actions to meet the need.

18:21

She was a savior and a redeemer according to Victoria,

18:26

to the National Association

18:36

for the Advancement of Colored People.

18:38

Commonly know as the NWACP

18:41

at all levels of the organization.

18:46

At one time or another, she inspired and prodded Dr. King

18:49

to call the meeting of the south key black leaders

18:54

which resulted in the formation

18:58

of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference,

18:59

the first southern based, south wide civilized organization.

19:01

She was the key person in support of the formation

19:05

and organization or the student organization non-violent

19:09

coordinating committee.

19:14

The student organization that energized and inspired

19:15

Southern black communities from the Mississippi Delta

19:21

and across the South to stand up

19:23

and take responsibility for their lives.

19:25

She was there when the idea of organizing

19:29

an alternative political party evolved,

19:31

following the 1963 successful vote.

19:34

The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party

19:39

which became a model for effective

19:41

independent political organizing and action

19:45

and it affected the abolition

19:49

of all white Democratic Party in Mississippi.

19:52

Therefore, altering the direction of the Democratic party

19:56

in the state of Mississippi and all across America.

20:01

The list goes on.

20:05

Mrs. Baker, the initiator was called into service

20:07

in many diverse communities of our society

20:11

to include federal government agencies.

20:14

As an initiator she had few peers and left as a legacy

20:17

untold numbers of innovators, many of who

20:21

are seated here this morning and who are in attendance

20:25

at this gathering.

20:27

I believe that Mrs. Baker's most profound contribution

20:29

was that of enabler.

20:32

She had the ability to inspire people

20:35

of every imaginable ill.

20:38

This genius flowed from her deep faith in people's capacity

20:40

to do what is necessary to respond to their needs

20:44

and to resolve the contradictions of their lives

20:47

once they obtain the understanding, acquire the information

20:50

and the support person or system

20:54

to work and share with them.

20:57

Mrs. Baker believed, insisted that the salvation of a person

21:00

and people must come from them

21:04

but the struggle must be engaged by the struggler

21:09

in cooperation with significant others,

21:11

having the compassion and needed elements

21:16

which they themselves do not possess.

21:19

She was equipped by training, experience, courage

21:21

and compassion to offer and share the missing elements

21:24

where indicated.

21:29

Thus she assisted people in discovering their own gifts

21:31

and talents and to release these

21:34

into the larger community.

21:36

This deep conviction and belief in giving of oneself

21:38

to the development of the larger community

21:42

was her way of being "B-E-I-N-G"

21:44

Her way of being.

21:51

In so doing she inspired created

21:53

a broad body of leadership, expands the country

21:56

and reaches into every segment of the society.

22:00

Mrs. Baker the enabler dedicated her life to the premise

22:04

that a strong people have no need for strong leaders.

22:08

Finally, Mrs. Baker was a prophetess.

22:15

One who envisioned the future,

22:20

predicted possible outcomes of situations,

22:23

conditions and events and called to accountability

22:26

all whose lives touched hers,

22:30

imploring us to vision the impossible,

22:32

the not yet.

22:37

To define the contradictions,

22:39

to develop proposals and strategies

22:41

to overcome and eliminate the blocks or contradictions.

22:43

To determine the tactics required

22:47

to actualize the proposals,

22:49

to implement the tactics that will release

22:52

the impossible dream into the possible.

22:55

The ears capital,

22:58

eye capital.

23:00

Today Mrs. Baker's prophecy, her conviction

23:02

os a strong enabled people standing up

23:07

and taking responsibility for their destinies

23:09

is taking place in communities around the globe.

23:11

As far ways, Eastern Europe, South Africa et cetera.

23:16

The great civil rights campaign of the 50s and 60s

23:22

inspired people under oppressive regimes

23:26

to take part and deliver themselves by their own

23:28

collective actions in unbelievable time frames.

23:31

People would say, "No way can you do this or that

23:35

"in this amount of time,"

23:38

but they have done so.

23:40

I do not consider it an exaggeration to say that

23:42

the long and white shadow Mrs. Baker may very well

23:44

have influenced the actions taking place in South Africa.

23:48

As we celebrate in these times,

23:53

sharing our impressions and experiences

23:58

of living in her time and her world

24:01

it seems to me that the one word which has it all together

24:04

is educator.

24:07

In all of different areas that Mrs. Baker served,

24:10

under all of the different hats that she wore,

24:12

she taught.

24:15

She taught a new set of the three Rs.

24:18

Relationships, first and respect differences,

24:24

responsibility for ours and all life

24:32

and risk-taking so as to free rather than control people.

24:38

The greatest tribute that we can pay Mrs. Baker

24:47

is to be like her.

24:50

Commit our lives to becoming the embodied words of love,

24:54

justice, freedom and peace.

25:00

Let me end this sharing with an adage

25:11

that encapsulates the legacy of Mrs. Baker for me.

25:15

Accomplishing task through people

25:22

is a different paradigm than building a people

25:26

through the accomplishment of task.

25:31

With one, you get things done.

25:36

With the other, you get them done

25:40

with far greater creativity,

25:43

synergy and effectiveness and in the process

25:46

you build the capacity to do more in the future as well.

25:51

Thank you.

26:01

(applause)

26:03

-

As everyone might have known, initially

26:14

when the conference was held at Shaw

26:17

Aunt Ella wanted to make sure that the young people

26:20

would be involved in the activities.

26:23

There were some people who felt that

26:25

it should not be that way but she always felt that

26:29

the youth should be involved.

26:32

They should be able to make their mistakes

26:34

and learn from them.

26:36

They should have some assistance from the old people

26:38

and at this point, I wanted to introduce

26:40

one of the people who worked with her in this program

26:42

and one of the people that she called her child.

26:48

Each of the young people that she worked with

26:52

were considered her children so at this point

26:54

I want introduce you to one of her children.

26:57

(applause)

27:04

-

I think what I would like to say is that

27:23

Tony Morrison has a phrase

27:32

characterizing

27:36

some of the movement people and she said

27:41

they did the walk in the trees.

27:44

So Ella did the walk of the trees for us

27:49

and as I think about her walk, there are three ways

27:58

that I think it was

28:05

ways for us to look at it.

28:13

One was that there's a way to live in this country

28:15

and struggle.

28:23

The second was that the struggle

28:28

should be radical in her sense that

28:32

you go to the root of something.

28:38

And in that way we're thinking about the people

28:47

that we struggle with and so Ella taught us

28:51

to struggle with the people at the bottom.

28:56

And then the third way was a sense which Jackie

29:05

reminds us of, our sense of family

29:14

that in this walk, that you don't sacrifice family.

29:19

So those are the three legacies for the that

29:30

you have this long, long walk

29:36

and you learn how to do it.

29:41

You're in struggle and you consciously in struggle

29:47

and you can carve out a life

29:51

in this country in struggle.

29:56

Your struggle should be radical.

30:01

It should go to the root of some problem.

30:06

And it should work with the people who are at the bottom

30:11

and you should carve out as you go your family.

30:17

Thank you.

30:23

(applause)

30:25

-

Now as I said, I want to include some of the people

30:35

in the audience who might want to add something

30:40

and then I will have a slight discussion regarding this

30:45

on any people who would want to include anything.

30:49

I always want to include anyone that wants to be

30:53

but do not feel pressured.

30:56

Only if you'd like to.

30:59

If not, what I wanted to include.

31:02

Oh I'm sorry.

31:06

Male

This is the second session going to be held?

31:07

-

Yes, it will be.

31:10

I'm going to limit this so that each one can have

31:11

their own sessions.

31:14

I'm sorry.

31:16

We were so delayed in time so we will include everyone.

31:17

Yes.

31:23

Female

I just wanted to know if Ms. Diane

31:25

whether she's with us.

31:27

(applause)

31:32

-

Thank you.

31:41

Now as it has often been that

31:43

Mrs. Baker and I will attempt to do that,

31:47

Mrs. Baker was not well known.

31:50

A lot of people didn't know her

31:53

and there's a reason for that.

31:55

It's because she felt that her job

31:57

was to help as Bob stated the people who wanted to join

32:01

as a unit and work and oftentimes people would say,

32:06

"There's nothing that I can do.

32:10

"I didn't go to college, I didn't do this

32:13

"I can't do that,"

32:16

so she would always find something that the person could do

32:17

to feel included an I'll give you an example

32:21

of a project that she had in New York city

32:24

which was to get the community involved in school the system

32:27

and at numerous meetings that I would attend with her

32:31

and do my homework in the back of the room

32:35

she would say to the people that

32:38

we're all gonna do this together

32:40

and someone might stand and say again

32:42

that I can't do anything so she would say,

32:44

"Can you lick a stamp?

32:48

"Can you go to the post office?

32:50

"Can you babysit so that those people

32:52

"who want to come to the meeting can,"

32:54

to show everyone that everyone must be included

32:57

and I also think that's why in the 60s

33:00

everything was so successful because everyone had a job.

33:04

Your job could be transporting people

33:10

who were not riding a bus.

33:12

Your job could be feeding people

33:14

who had nothing to eat or no place to stay in people's homes

33:16

so an effort to work with people,

33:22

I think one of the main things that we must remember

33:25

is that she wanted to inclUde everyone

33:28

and there's a phrase that is used

33:33

that we have the grass root people

33:35

and Aunt Ella felt that she was one of those people

33:39

and if you think about the root of a tree

33:43

the roots are the parts of the tree

33:46

that provide nourishment and strength

33:51

and those branches at the top rely on those roots

33:55

and if those roots are not very strong

34:00

then the tree will not be very strong.

34:02

So the people who may be on those top branches

34:06

must remember that the people at the bottom of the tree

34:09

are the ones who are supporting them

34:13

so when you think of being a grass root person,

34:16

remember that that's a very, very strong person.

34:20

Again we are beginning to see that

34:25

the young people want more to be involved and they shOuld be

34:28

and all of us should remember at the time that we felt that

34:33

we wanted to be involved and the elders

34:37

wouldn't allow us to do that

34:39

so now as we become elders, we must remember that

34:41

we have to allow the youth to begin to take over

34:44

and as Aunt Ella woUld say,

34:48

she would never indicate that the young person was wrong.

34:50

She might feel that what you were saying

34:56

was absolutely wrong but she was able to get you

34:58

to understand that it was wrong by her conversation

35:02

and a contribution to whatever you were suggesting

35:07

and making it feel that you were the one

35:10

who were able to come to the conclusion

35:13

that it should be done in another way.

35:15

So that in itself is an art.

35:18

Being able to get people to realize that they themselves

35:21

may have not been doing the right thing at first

35:24

but due to growth and development, they have.

35:28

There was a time that there were groups,

35:30

older people who felt that the younger group

35:39

should not be involved and I know that there were times

35:42

when Aunt Ella had nightly meetings

35:45

discussing the fact that she would stand up

35:48

and support the young people at all times no matter what

35:52

so I think one of the legacies is that

35:57

she was able to organize and to organize

36:00

with the purpose to organize those people

36:03

who are most interested, give everyone an opportunity

36:06

to be included and be successful at the end.

36:10

So I think one of the legacies would be in my estimation

36:15

the fact that she was an organizer as stated.

36:19

She felt anything did you did, you should do it

36:24

to the best of your abiLity, no matter what it might be

36:28

oftentimes she would say,

36:32

"If you have a job, you work at it

36:34

"to the best of your ability."

36:37

If that evening you decide that you're going out to a party

36:38

then you want to enjoy that to the best of your ability

36:42

So whatever you do, do it the best that you can

36:46

and at the end you'll find out that you have succeeded.

36:50

Oftentimes you will take on a job and

36:55

we will attempt to do too many jobs.

36:57

That's very difficult to have too many jobs.

37:00

To focus on one job at a time is most important

37:03

and to do that is difficult at this time

37:08

because we're branching out to different things each day

37:12

but let's all begin to think of

37:15

focusing on one particular thing,

37:16

getting those people who are interested

37:19

in what we are interested in and working towards

37:21

a particular goal.

37:23

I have been told that we have an announcement

37:25

by Hansen Jeffreys and I wanted to allow that

37:31

before we end it because I might forget.

37:36

Wold you please do that now.

37:38

Hansen

Good Morning.

37:43

Audience

Goo morning.

37:44

-

Friday group center leadership session

37:47

decided that we would focus on one task

37:51

that being the participant profile

37:54

in an effort to facilitate communication

37:59

at end of the conference and to ease som of the burden

38:01

on our already overburdened but much successful

38:04

conference organizers.

38:07

Hopefully you should have received one of these

38:08

as you walked in.

38:11

If you didn't, someone will be coming down the aisles

38:13

to pass one to you

38:15

and if you would just take a moment to fill it out

38:17

and for those of you who have already filled it out,

38:20

if you could pass it to the aisles,

38:22

we will now come and collect them.

38:23

For those who are not here, if you could please

38:26

spread the word that we the are doing this

38:29

and we'll keep these around so that

38:32

we can keep in touch afterwards.

38:34

Thank you.

38:35

-

As Aunt Ella would say thank you young man.

38:38

(laughs)

38:39

We can see that the young man is focusing on tests.

38:42

We are very happy about that.

38:47

I think there's a young lady in the back

38:49

who doesn't have one so we want to make sure that

38:50

everyone gets one please.

38:52

(murmuring)

38:55

(laughs)

39:00

-

Don't use that old word.

39:03

We don't use that word.

39:04

The more mature people, right.

39:08

(murmuring)

39:12

I didn't understand the first part about the younger people

39:23

and the more mature people.

39:26

What did you want?

39:28

Male

She meant younger and older students.

39:30

-

Okay, thank you.

39:31

(laughs)

39:33

I think that they want to make sure that

39:35

this is filled out so they would have

39:37

some way of keeping in touch and hopefully

39:39

everyone will ever so often get together for support.

39:42

I'm going to end with a statement regarding

39:47

one of Aunt Ella's favorite songs

39:51

and it has gotten to be a favorite of mine

39:55

and the song is This Little Light of Mine

39:58

and sometimes in driving, I hum it to myself

40:02

and I always like to sort of end things with that song

40:07

because I want everyone to think of

40:11

where your light is going to shine.

40:13

There are many places that your light can shine.

40:17

It can shine at home,

40:20

it can shine in your neighborhood.

40:22

It can shine in your job, it can shine i=on the street,

40:23

it can shine any place that you might be in attendance

40:26

and sometimes we have to make a definite effort

40:31

to make that light shine.

40:35

Sometimes we get a little down and we say

40:38

that I'm not up to this or I don't feel like doing this

40:40

but you think of your light

40:44

and the accumulation of all the lights

40:46

and how bright things could be and how much better

40:49

the world could be because all of us

40:52

have something to contribute.

40:55

It may not be my interest.

40:57

My interest may not be your interest

40:59

but all of us have something to contribute

41:01

so I want if you don't mind and I'm not a singer

41:05

I would like if we could just end with that song.

41:08

This Little Light of Mine

41:12

and I will also just point a couple of people to tell me

41:15

where your light is going to shine.

41:19

♪ This little light of mine ♪

41:22

-

Thank you.

41:25

♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪

41:28

♪ This little light of mine ♪

41:31

♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪

41:34

♪ This little light of mine ♪

41:38

♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪

41:42

♪ Let it shine, let it shine ♪

41:45

♪ Let it shine ♪

41:48

♪ This little light of mine ♪

41:53

♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪

41:56

♪ This little light of mine ♪

41:58

♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪

42:02

♪ This little light of mine ♪

42:05

♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪

42:09

♪ Let it shine, let it shine ♪

42:11

♪ Let it shine ♪

42:15

♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪

42:22

♪ This little light of mine ♪

42:25

♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪

42:29

♪ Tell everybody ♪

42:32

♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪

42:35

♪ Let it shine, let it shine ♪

42:38

♪ Let it shine ♪

42:42

♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪

42:48

♪ Everywhere I go ♪

42:51

♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪

42:55

♪ Everywhere I go ♪

42:58

♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪

43:02

♪ Let it shine, let it shine ♪

43:04

♪ Let it shine ♪

43:08

♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪

43:14

♪ This little light of mine ♪

43:17

♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪

43:20

♪ This little light of mine ♪

43:24

♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪

43:27

♪ Let it shine, let it shine ♪

43:31

♪ Let it shine ♪

43:34

Okay thank you so much.

43:38

(applause)

43:39

I'm very sorry we had to be delayed but the last minute

43:41

I understand we had to move to another facility

43:43

so in order to include the next group

43:46

we're going to stop at this point and hopefully

43:50

we will all meet at the luncheon and be able

43:53

to have some conversation.

43:56

Yes, we have a--

43:58

(murmuring)

44:00

No no, we are only going to have a stretch.

44:01

Those people who'd like to stand and stretch may stretch.

44:06

We want to continue right away.

44:09

(murmuring)

44:15

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John Hope Franklin Research Center