Two former U.S. presidents, one former first lady and noted historians, authors, academics and journalists gathered Saturday at the Academy Museum for a History Talks event that looked at moments of conflict in the nation’s past to bring perspective to the polarization of the present.
The 2010s were “a decade of indignation,” said David Brooks, New York Times political and cultural columnist. “That decade is now giving way – people want something more joyful.”
The event hosted by A+E Networks’ History Channel featured Q&As with President Barack Obama, who engaged playfully with Malcolm Gladwell, and President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush. That pair opened the half-day event with a wide-ranging conversation conducted by their daughter, “Today” co-host Jenna Bush Hager.
Other speakers at included Kevin Costner, Eva Longoria, Kerry Washington, Kate Winslet, Nicole Avant and John Legend. The event drew a large industry crowd, including Disney CEO Bob Iger, Disney Entertainment co-chair Dana Walden, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, CBS chief George Cheeks, Hearst Communications’ CEO Steve Swartz.
History Talks is an event series hosted by History Channel that is spearheaded by A+E Networks president and chairman Paul Buccieri. Past events were held in Washington, D.C. and New York. Saturday’s event also put the spotlight on L.A.’s Roybal Film and Television magnet program designed to train high school students for careers in entertainment.
NBC News’ Chuck Todd, Brooks and historians Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jon Meacham and Marcia Chatelain also contributed to the event.
During his 45-minute Q&A with Obama, Gladwell pressed the former Commander in Chief on how he has evaluated his predecessors in the White House and how his opinion of their work has changed over time. Gladwell also asked Obama what period of time he would have liked to have been president and what eight-year period he would have most liked to avoid. Obama didn’t wait a beat before pointing out the hurdles faced by Franklin D. Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. That led Obama to reflect on why some presidents have enormous impact.
“Folks like King, Gandhi, Lincoln — there are certain figures that I just put in a different category, because they reach down deep into our psyches, our souls and they change how we fundamentally think about ourselves and our relationships to each other. And that’s different than just the exercise of power,” Obama said. “The other parts are necessary as well — the blocking and tackling of politics and coalition building. But there are certain figures who touch on something deeper. They teach us to tell a different story about ourselves and who we are.”
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As Obama surveyed his time in office, he cited one of his personal highlights as an orator as his 2015 speech marking the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in support of voting rights.
“It’s probably my favorite speech because you’ve got John Lewis, kids in the backpack, maids, Pullman porters, young priests and rabbis and they’re on one side of this bridge. On the other side of this bridge, you have state power, right? And you have horses and billy clubs. There’s this contest on that bridge that is as important as Concord or Lexington or Appomattox, because it’s fundamentally a contest about who we are,” Obama said.
Among the highlights from other sessions:
Kate Winslet: Winslet spoke of the inspiration provided by the journalist at the heart of her upcoming movie “Lee,” a biopic of photographer and WWII correspondent Elizabeth “Lee” Miller. “The courage she had not just get herself there,” Winslet said. “She stayed with her eyes wide open and she was that visual voice for the innocent victims of conflict.”
Kevin Costner: The “Yellowstone” and “Horizon” movie star spoke with historian Goodwin about his childhood experiences and how they influenced him to pursue the stories of the American west. Costner cited a pivotal visit to the Cinerama Dome as a seven-year-old to see the four-hour 1962 epic Western “How the West Was Won.” “When it was over, it had marked me,” he said of the film. As he learns more about the complicated history of the period, his fascination for its impact on contemporary culture has only grown. “As much as I love the west, I’m sad almost every time I watch a real story about it,” he said. “It ends so badly for people who were here for thousands of years.”
Nicole Avant: The producer joined Kerry Washington for a panel about the upcoming Netflix film “The Six Triple Eight.” Directed by Tyler Perry, the film, set to bow Dec. 20, tells an incredible, little-known story of the all-female battalion of women who sorted out the military’s intractable problem of getting mail delivered to heartsick soldiers on fighting on multiple fronts. “The idea that no one can get it done for years and then they bring in a battalion of Black and brown women who figured it out and changed the game and helped us win the war,” Avant said.
Eva Longoria: The multihyphenate closed out the program with a short Q&A with musician John Legend, who performed three songs including Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song.” Longoria cited her long history of political activism, explaining that it was ingrained in her family. Like other speakers, Longoria emphasized the importance of media and storytelling in driving political and social change. “I found out that you have to change culture before you can change policy,” Longoria said. “There’s no greater influence on the culture than the media.”
(Pictured top: Malcolm Gladwell interviews President Barack Obama during the A+E Networks-hosted History Talks event held Sept. 21 at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles)
Barack Obama’s “Republican” Half-Brother Says He Will Vote For Trump
Malik Obama was the best man at Obama’s wedding to Michelle Robinson in 1992 and even visited the White House during his half-brother’s time in office.
Former US president Barack Obama’s half-brother Abon’go Malik Obama declared that he would be voting for Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential elections.
“I am Malik Obama. I’m a registered Republican and I’m voting for President Donald Trump,” he wrote in a post on X.
Obama’s brother has supported Trump against Democratic presidential candidates that the former president backed in the last two elections, including Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton.
Talking to The New York Post, Malik Obama said that he liked Trump because he “speaks from the heart.”
“Make America Great Again is a great slogan, I would like to meet him [Trump],” he said.
In the past, Obama’s half-brother has labelled him a “deep disappointment” and blamed Hillary Clinton for his departure from the party.
Malik Obama, who has also been a featured guest of the Trump campaign in 2016, said he was “110% still with Trump”.
An accountant by profession, Malik Obama was the best man at Obama’s wedding to Michelle Robinson in 1992 and even visited the White House during his half-brother’s time in office.
“I stuck with Barack Obama all through his presidency, until I realized he was all about himself,” Malik posted on X in 2022. “That’s when I ditched him for President Trump.
The two half-brothers held a cordial relationship before Obama. Still, they had a falling out after Malik Obama launched a charity called the Barack H. Obama Foundation but failed to register it and lied about it being a tax-exempt organisation.
He also added to the conspiracy theory, spread largely by Donald Trump, that claimed that former president Obama was not born in the US and was a Kenyan citizen. At the time, Malik Obama shared a fake image of a birth certificate, dated from before the 1964 establishment of the Republic of Kenya, that purportedly showed his half-brother was born outside the US.
Malik Obama has been vocal on social media about his conservative views on same-sex marriage and abortion. “We Want More Babies. My President,” he posted on X last month after Trump pledged that if elected his government would pay for free IVF treatments
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton set to do their first post-convention fundraisers for Harris
Obama and Clinton are expected to hold separate fundraisers for Harris in Los Angeles on Friday of next week, according to three people familiar with their plans.
Former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are expected to hold separate fundraisers for Vice President Kamala Harris in Los Angeles on Friday of next week, according to three people familiar with their plans.
Clinton’s will be a lunch event, while Obama’s will be at night.
Both Obama and Clinton did fundraising events for President Joe Biden when he was the Democratic nominee earlier this year. But it will be Clinton’s first high-profile gathering with donors since the convention and Obama’s first campaign event for Harris, aside from his speech in Chicago last month.
Obama and Clinton both plan to campaign for Harris in the final stretch of the election, these people said, and dates are still being finalized for additional appearances.
The Harris-Walz political operation brought in a whopping $361 million in August, extending a major cash advantage over former President Donald Trump’s campaign.
Deadline first reported the Obama fundraiser
Barack Obama L.A. Event Raises More Than $4 Million For Kamala Harris Campaign
A Los Angeles fundraiser headlined by Barack Obama raised more than $4 million for Kamala Harris‘ presidential campaign, sources said.
The Friday evening event, at the home of James Costos and Michael Smith, is the latest in a series of recent Hollywood-centric fundraisers for the Harris Victory Fund, a joint committee which raises money for the Harris campaign, the Democratic National Committee and state parties.
Costos is the former U.S. ambassador to Spain under Obama and a former HBO executive. Smith is a designer whose work included the Oval Office revamp during the 44th president’s term.
Among those attending the event were Netflix’s Ted Sarandos and Nicole Avant, who was U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas under Obama; Rob Reiner; Conan O’Brien; and Jennifer Coolidge. Vanessa Williams sang a rendition of “Happy Days Are Here Again,” once the anthem of the Democratic party. Also attending: Wendy Schmidt, State Rep. Justin Pearson (D-TN), Lisa Pigott Anderson and Melissa Zorkin.
Harris herself will headline a Los Angeles fundraiser on Sept. 29, her first since announcing her presidential campaign. The Washington Post first reported on some of the details of the Obama event.
Obama was in Los Angeles in June to raise money for Joe Biden‘s reelection campaign, in a joint appearance with Biden and Jimmy Kimmel.
