9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Opening Audience Applause 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Good Afternoon everyone[br]Uh so 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 This is kinda surreal sitting here [br]with you 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I should've worn my Howard University gear[br]too (laughter) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Ta-Nehisi and I have been friends for[br]about 20 years and we worked on the 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Hilltop, Howard's school newspaper[br]together 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Yes, I worked for that 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (laughter)[br] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I was his editor at one point[br](more laughter) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Um... You didn't start off wanting to be[br]a journalist 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We all knew Ta-Nehisi was going to be[br]special back when we were at Howard 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We knew he was going to a famous[br]writer. He was amazing in his editorial 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 writing 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Everybody says that now[br](laughter) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We said that then[br](more laughter) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (laughter) says that now 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We said that then. There's proof. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But you came to Howard wanting to be a [br]historian 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I did 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Um and your father who runs Black[br]Classic Press told you that there was the 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 power of the pen, you should be a [br]journalist. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 How did you make that switch because you[br]were a history major? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I was... I mean um, but the path uh to [br]actually becoming a historian is long 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and it's filled with a lot of school work[br]um 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (laughter) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Um... by the time I got to Howard,[br]my path was pretty long 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It was filled with uh many many bad[br]attempts at school work 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and so it was fairly clear to me that[br]I probably could not succeed 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Like I probably could not, ya know um [br]I just didn't think I could make it 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Um journalism meanwhile had a[br]kind of immediacy 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 You know one of the um attractions[br]to me for journalism was um... 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The basics of journalism actually [br]pretty simple. Um... 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But they have to be practiced over[br]and over and over and over and over 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and over and over and over and over[br]again to actually get good at them 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Um, the problem with journalism [br]is not that it's-- it's a particularly 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Complicated, ya know thing to do[br]It's just that it takes a ton of practice 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to get it right 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Um and so, my process of learning[br]I've always been much better um at, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 um learning by doing? As opposed to like[br]sitting back and for long periods 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 having to observe. You know that's[br]always been a problem for me 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and journalism , you know you can't learn[br]journalism without actually doing 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 journalism. And so yeah I did it[br]I could actually, you know, um 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 go out and pursue information[br]the idea that I could go out and 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 pursue my curiosity... 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 um and immediately like [br]see the fruits of that 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I mean I was just... 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it was tremendously attractive[br]even at a school newspaper you can do 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that, I mean you know in a way that like[br]with history you can't really do it in 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the same sort of way 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 You had a whirlwind month,[br]touring, all your accolades 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the way the book has been received,[br]the Genius Grant, um 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 where are you in this moment,[br]how have you been receiving the 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 reception and the accompanied criticisms? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Well I..I um. because I think there's some[br]people here they don't tell us their names 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but I think there some people here[br]from the MacArthur Foundation 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I have to make the correction[br]that they don't like to have it called the 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Genius Grant. It's the MacArhur Fellowship[br](laughter) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I stand corrected 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 laughter 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I am not a genius[br]You may address me as a genius however , 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but that's not because of MacArthur[br]you just can't associate with it MacArthur 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 um that's just cuz of me 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Laughter 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Um, you know it's actually-- to be frank[br]about it, it's been stunning, I mean