The Miami Book Fair International, that smorgasbord of authors, artists, media people and other guests from the entertainment world is descending upon Miami, from Sunday, November 12 through Sunday, November 19. In its 34th Year, the Book Fair delights people of all ages with its different offerings, appealing to a multi-ethnic and multicultural audience. The Fair’s venue is the Wolfson Campus of Miami Dade College.
The Book Fair’s kickoff was on Sunday, November 12, with newscaster Dan Rather, and will close next weekend with former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Al Franken. Tickets for Joe Biden, who will speak off campus, are long sold out. Other tickets are available for other authors and other guests during the time the Book Fair is in Miami. Other guests over the time frame include Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Dr. Angela Davis, Donna Brazile, Van Jones and many others. Brazile will speak on Wednesday, November 15, and her speech will be with co-panelist Anna Navarro. Brazile’s comments about the 2016 election may overshadow her visit to Miami. Former White House photographer Pete Souza also will visit the Fair on Sunday.
On Sunday night November 12, Rather sat down with Tom Hudson, of WLRN fame, to talk about many things, including his prominence on Facebook, the 2016 election and the state of the country following that election. Rather spoke about how he came from humble beginnings, growing up in a middle-class Texas home, and how his teachers were a huge asset to him growing up. He also spoke about the need for people to turn to books as an equalizer, and how books and education were “embers of hope” for many poor and middle-class families. In speaking about books and education, Rather seemed to be looking around at where he was that evening, at a book fair surrounded by authors and many books.
“Books reminds us of what unites us,” said Rather. “I was introduced to books at an early age. I do think we overwhelmingly need to recognize the importance of books.”
Rather, was asked about his new popularity on social media, and said he was surprised how many people visited his Facebook page and interacted with him and other members of that community. As a person who spent a huge bulk of his life having one-way conversations with the screen and a home audience, Rather said that he found it empowering and educational that so many people enjoyed interacting with him on line. He said that the social media was a tremendous tool to educate other people and reach them. The social media, he said, like the television and radio of past eras was a powerful tool, but it depended on how you used it.
“My idol, Edward R Murrow, spoke of television and how it can educate and illuminate, and how it can be a strong weapon against injustice and poverty, so it is with the Internet,” said Rather. “A lot of it depends on how you use it.”
Rather spoke about the lack of civility in the recent campaign for the presidency, and its impact on the political environment in the country. Rather also addressed the ongoing negative comments that the current President was making about the media, and in particular how the President had been targeting journalists as “enemies of the people.” Rather called these comments unprecedented and dangerous to the state of democracy, and smacking of authoritarianism and fascism.
“The Trump presidency so far has been unique,” said Rather, “but part of what Trump and the people around him work hard to do is convince pepe that this is normal. This is not normal. The tone and tenure of this administration and the acts of this administration are unprecedented in American history with the unrelenting attacks on a free and independent press. Nixon had problems but even President Nixon never reached this consistent level of attacking members of the press and journalists in general and calling them enemies of the people.”
Rather spoke about the troubling times that the country had found itself in, but was optimistic about the future of the country despite what was going on at the national level and also about the people in the country who would guide her through the rough times. Rather noted that if people were unhappy with the direction the country was going in, that they could show their dissatisfaction at the ballot box by voting out the people who displeased them. The president of the United States was a powerful person, he said, but not as powerful as the people who elected him.
“No president is stronger than the country as a whole,” said Rather. “If folks are dissatisfied with the leadership, they can vote them out.”
Rather spoke about the waves of elections that swept people into power, sometimes moving to the right and to the left, but usually moving back to the center. He also spoke about the institutions in the country, such as the legislative branch and the judiciary and other institutions that served as a check to the people in powerful positions who thought they could implement drastic changes. Rather spoke of the Civil War, World War II and the Vietnam War, and how the country came through those dark times better than what it was.
“Even in the dark times, we will come out the other end,” said Rather. “We will get through it even better.”
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