>>> FROM IDA B WELLS TO BARACK OBAMA.

BLACK HISTORY IS RICH.

WE WANT TO PRESERVE THAT HISTORY AND SHARE IT WITH A BROADER AUDIENCE.

WE HAVE REVEREND BRIAN SMITH , AT THE CHICAGO THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HISTORICAL PRESERVATION SOCIETY AND THE PROGRAM MANAGER OF LANDMARK ILLINOIS.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

SO, HELP US GET A SENSE OF THE PROJECT YOU ARE WORKING ON.

>> WHAT WE ARE WORKING ON IS A FANATIC LISTING FOR THE ILLINOIS CHAPTER .

WHAT THAT MEANS IS IT'S NOT THAT EVERY SITE WILL BE A LANDMARK , BUT, FOR EXAMPLE , NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURAL SITES IN ILLINOIS.

WE ARE LOOKING AT PUTTING ILLINOIS ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC SITE.

>> TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT PROJECT.

>> WE ARE DEVELOPING A PROJECT ON THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF REVEREND JESSE JACKSON .

IT'S A VERY EXCITING PROJECT THAT COVERS SIX OF THESE PIONEERS AS WE LOOK AT HISTORY AND ARCHIVE PROJECTS.

>> SO OBVIOUSLY, THE PROJECT IS SPECIAL AND PERSONAL .

I'M CURIOUS WHAT IT'S LIKE TO GROW UP IN BOTH OF YOUR PARENTS ARE BLACK PANTHERS AND HOW THAT INFLUENCES YOUR APPROACH.

>> WHEN I WAS COMING UP IN ILLINOIS, THEY WERE NOT IN OPERATION, BUT THEIR INFLUENCE WAS STILL FELT.

I WOULD SAY THAT I GOT THAT VIEWPOINT FROM MY PARENTS AND HOW I WAS DIFFERENT .

I HAD A TOTALLY DIFFERENT OUTLOOK AND WE STARTED THIS PROJECT WHERE I WAS PART OF THE EFFORT TO LANDMARK THE HAMPTON HOUSE , WITH THE EXTENSIVE WORK THAT THE BLACK PANTHERS DID IN CHICAGO AND IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS , THAT OUT OF CHICAGO'S 77 NEIGHBORHOODS, IT'S NOT EVERYONE, BUT IT'S A GREAT MAJORITY.

>> TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ROLE IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, FOCUSING ON REVEREND JACKSON.

>> THE CHICAGO THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY HAS BEEN INVOLVED AND AT THE CUTTING EDGE.

REVEREND JACKSON IS ACTUALLY AN ALUMNUS AND TWO OF HIS PARTNERS IN CRIME WORKED WITH DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING TO LEAD A CHICAGO-BASED BRANCH OF THE BREAD BASKET MOVEMENT.

THIS WAS A JUSTICE ARM OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS.

WE ARE VERY PROUD OF THAT LEGACY , THAT PEOPLE ARE STILL MARCHING AND STILL WORKING VERY HARD AND WE WANT TO TAKE THAT WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY NOT ONLY TO HIGHLIGHT HIS WORK, BUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE AND TRAIN UP-AND-COMING LEADERS.

CARRYING THE TORCH OF ACTIVISTS.

>> I WANT TO GET A SENSE OF HOW YOU WANT THEM TO BE INSPIRED.

>> WE WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO MAKE CHANGE.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO A MAJOR FIGURE TO BEGIN THIS WORK.

THEY WEREN'T WELL KNOWN , IT WAS ABOUT THEIR WORK.

WE WANT TO TRAIN AND EQUIP LEADERS TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY HAVE THE CAPACITY AND THE ABILITY TO MAKE CHANGE.

>> WE HAVE A SIMILAR QUESTION WITH THIS ROLE OF THE BLACK PANTHERS.

IT'S THE BLACK POWER MOVEMENT.

>> EXACTLY.

I WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT A LOT OF THE PARTIES WORK IN OUR STATE WAS IN RESPONSE TO POVERTY.

OUR PEOPLE , WHO CAME UP IN THE GREAT MIGRATION TO THE MEDICAL CENTER , THIS WAS A RESPONSE TO EXTREME POVERTY THAT PEOPLE WERE FACING.

I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT OUR HISTORY , IT'S NOT ALWAYS A FUZZY, FEEL-GOOD HISTORY, BUT IF THE ENTIRE COUNTRY'S HISTORY.

THEY CHANGE LEGISLATION AND THEY MADE IT POSSIBLE.

IT WAS A DELIBERATE ASSASSINATION OF THE PARTY ITSELF IN OUR CITY.

>> I'M NOTICING A THEME , RIGHT, ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AND THE MEDICAL CENTER, LIKE YOU SAID.

WHAT ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF PRESERVING THESE MATERIALS?

HOW DO YOU RESHAPE THE NARRATIVE?

>> PRESERVING THE HISTORY AND THE STRUCTURES , IT'S VERY URGENT , SO WE ARE LOSING SOME .

THIS CERTAIN CENTER IS IN AN EMPTY LOT , SO WE ARE LOOKING FOR THE MATERIALS.

WE HAVE THE BLACK PANTHER PARTY NEWSPAPER SCANS , BUT IT'S NOT EASY TO PRESERVE PAPERWORK , RIGHT?

UNLESS YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL CURATOR .

BUT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN SCAN DOCUMENTS .

THE CHICAGO HISTORY MUSEUM HAS THAT IN ITS