Barack Obama, Kate Winslet and Kevin Costner speak during History Talks
Two former presidents, a 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 country’s past to put into perspective the polarization of the present to bring.
The 2010s were “a decade of outrage,” says New York Times political and cultural columnist David Brooks. “That decade is now giving way – people want something more joyful.”
The event, hosted by A+E Networks’ History Channel, featured questions and answers with President Barack Obama, who playfully interacted with Malcolm Gladwell, as well as President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush. That couple opened the half-day event with a wide-ranging conversation hosted by their daughter, “Today” co-host Jenna Bush Hager.
Other speakers included Kevin Costner, Eva Longoria, Kerry Washington, Kate Winslet, Nicole Avant and John Legend. The event drew a large industry audience, including Disney CEO Bob Iger, Disney Entertainment co-chairman Dana Walden, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, CBS chief George Cheeks and Hearst Communications CEO Steve Swartz.
History Talks is an event series hosted by the History Channel and led by A+E Networks President and Chairman Paul Buccieri. Previous events have been held in Washington, DC and New York. Saturday’s event also spotlighted LA’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 question-and-answer with Obama, Gladwell pressed the former commander in chief about how he evaluated his predecessors in the White House and how his views on their work have changed over time. Gladwell also asked Obama which period he would have liked to be president and which eight-year period he would have preferred to avoid. Obama didn’t wait a second before pointing out the obstacles faced by Franklin D. Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. That led Obama to think about why some presidents have a huge impact.
“People like King, Gandhi, Lincoln – there are certain figures that I just put in a different category because they go deep into our psyche and soul and fundamentally change the way we think about ourselves and our relationships with each other. And that’s different than just exercising power,” Obama said. “It is different from the tactics and strategies of the other parts that are needed, as well as blocking and tackling politics and coalition building. But there are certain figures that touch something deeper. They teach us to tell a different story about ourselves and who we are.”
As Obama reviewed his time in office, he cited one of his personal highlights as an orator: his 2015 speech marking the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in support of voting rights. .
“It’s probably my favorite speech because you’ve got John Lewis, backpacking kids, maids, Pullman porters, young priests and rabbis and they’re standing on one side of this bridge. On the other side of this bridge you have state power, right? And you have horses and clubs. There is a competition on that bridge that is as important as Concord, Lexington or Appomattox, because at its core it is a competition about who we are,” Obama said.
Some highlights from other sessions:
Kate Winslet: Winslet spoke about the journalist’s inspiration at the heart of her upcoming film “Lee,” a biopic about Elizabeth “Lee” Miller who served in World War II. “The courage she had didn’t just get herself there,” Winslet said. “She kept 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 mentioned a pivotal visit to the Cinerama Dome as a seven-year-old to see the four-hour epic 1962 Western, “How the West Was Won.” “When it was over, it scarred me,” he said of the film. As he learns more about the complicated history of the period, his fascination with its impact on contemporary culture has only grown. “As much as I love the West, I’m sad almost every time I see a real story about it,” he said. “It ends so badly for the people who have lived here for thousands of years.”
Nicole Avant: The producer joined Kerry Washington for a panel on the upcoming Netflix film “The Six Triple Eight.” Directed by Tyler Perry, the film tells an incredible, little-known story about the all-female battalion of women who solved the Army’s persistent problem of getting mail to grief-stricken soldiers 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 came up with it and changed the game and helped us win the war,” Avant said.
Eva Longoria: The multihyphenate closed 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 deeply ingrained in her family. Like other speakers, Longoria emphasized the importance of media and storytelling in driving political and social change. “I learned that you have to change the culture before you can change the policy,” Longoria said. “There is no greater influence on culture than the media.”
