What It Takes is a podcast series featuring intimate, revealing conversations with towering figures in almost every field:  music, science, sports, politics, film, technology, literature, the military and social justice. These rare interviews have been recorded over the past 25 years by The Academy of Achievement. They offer the life stories and reflections of people who have had a huge impact on the world, and insights you can apply to your own life. Subscribe to the What It Takes podcast series at iTunes.com/WhatItTakes

What It Takes is a podcast series featuring intimate, revealing conversations with towering figures in almost every field: music, science, sports, politics, film, technology, literature, the military and social justice. These rare interviews have been recorded over the past 25 years by The Academy of Achievement. They offer the life stories and reflections of people who have had a huge impact on the world, and insights you can apply to your own life. Subscribe to the What It Takes podcast series at <a href="http://iTunes.com/WhatItTakes" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">iTunes.com/WhatItTakes</a>

What It Takes

Andrew Young

Andrew Young was the pastor of a small country church when he faced down the Ku Klux Klan to organize a voter registration drive in South Georgia. He became the leading negotiator for the national Civil Rights Movement, enduring death threats, beatings and jail time to win for African Americans the rights of full citizenship they were promised by the Constitution, rights they had been long denied. Alongside his friend, Martin Luther King, Jr., he marched through the most dramatic episodes of the great struggle: from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to the streets of Birmingham and Selma, and finally to Memphis, where an assassin's bullet ended Dr King's life.Young fought on, winning election to the United States House of Representatives, as the first African American to be elected to Congress from the Deep South since Reconstruction. As a Congressman, he supported a little-known former Governor of Georgia in his long-shot bid for the Presidency, and when Jimmy Carter became President, he named Andrew Young to serve as his country's Ambassador to the United Nations. At the UN, Andrew Young maintained his commitment to universal human rights, plunging into the most challenging controversies of the day, including the liberation struggles of Southern Africa and the search for peace in the Middle East.He capped his career in public service with two terms as Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia. Once again, he proved himself an able negotiator, balancing the interests of the business community with the needs of the city's poorest citizens, completing the city's transformation from a battleground of the Civil Rights era to the proud showplace of the modern South. Half a century after the battles of the 1960s, Andrew Young remains an outspoken champion for the rights of all mankind.

Andrew Young was the pastor of a small country church when he faced down the Ku Klux Klan to organize a voter registration drive in South Georgia. He became the leading negotiator for the national Civil Rights Movement, enduring death threats, beatings and jail time to win for African Americans the rights of full citizenship they were promised by the Constitution, rights they had been long denied. Alongside his friend, Martin Luther King, Jr., he marched through the most dramatic episodes of the great struggle: from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to the streets of Birmingham and Selma, and finally to Memphis, where an assassin's bullet ended Dr King's life. Young fought on, winning election to the United States House of Representatives, as the first African American to be elected to Congress from the Deep South since Reconstruction. As a Congressman, he supported a little-known former Governor of Georgia in his long-shot bid for the Presidency, and when Jimmy Carter became President, he named Andrew Young to serve as his country's Ambassador to the United Nations. At the UN, Andrew Young maintained his commitment to universal human rights, plunging into the most challenging controversies of the day, including the liberation struggles of Southern Africa and the search for peace in the Middle East. He capped his career in public service with two terms as Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia. Once again, he proved himself an able negotiator, balancing the interests of the business community with the needs of the city's poorest citizens, completing the city's transformation from a battleground of the Civil Rights era to the proud showplace of the modern South. Half a century after the battles of the 1960s, Andrew Young remains an outspoken champion for the rights of all mankind.

Andrew Young (Audio)

Audra McDonald

Audra McDonald is unparalleled in the breadth and versatility of her artistry as both singer and actress. With a record-setting six Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards, and a long list of other accolades to her name, she is among today's most highly regarded performers. Blessed with a luminous soprano voice and an incomparable gift for dramatic truth-telling, she is equally at home on Broadway and opera stages as in roles on film and television. In addition to her theatrical work, she maintains a major career as a concert and recording artist, regularly appearing on the great stages of the world. Audra McDonald was inducted into the Academy of Achievement in 2012. In this podcast, recorded on that occasion at the Academy's Washington, D.C. headquarters, she sings a few of her favorite songs, including 'Summertime' and 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow.' The podcast also includes highlights of an exclusive interview with Audra McDonald.

Audra McDonald (Audio)

Aretha Franklin is known the world over as the Queen of Soul Music. In the 1960s, her hit recording "Respect" became an anthem of the civil rights struggle and a theme song for the dawning women's movement.        He musical career began in the New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, where her father, Rev. C.L. Franklin was the pastor. Young Aretha sang and played piano, and the passion of Gospel music has remained with her through her subsequent triumphs in secular blues, rock and pop. Franklin began recording when she was only 14. At 19, had won a solos contract with Columbia Records. Columbia tried to promote her as a conventionally smooth pop singer, but Aretha's talent was too volcanic to be contained by the old formulas. In 1966, she moved to Atlantic Records, where she recorded the stirring performances that made her world-famous. Her rendition of songs like "Think," "Chain of Fools, and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" set the standard by which singing in the soul idiom will always be measured. Her breakthrough album was 1967's I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, a Top 40 smash. She continued to deliver hit albums decade after decade, including Amazing Grace (1972) and Who's Zoomin' Who? (1985) and her 1998 effort A Rose is Still a Rose.        Since 1961, she has scored a total of 45 "Top 40" hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and 20 number one hits on the R&amp;B charts. She has recorded 14 million-selling singles, the record for a  female artist. Between 1967 and 1982 she had 10 number one albums on the R&amp;B charts, another record for a female artist.        She sang at the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King, and at the inaugurations of Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. She has won 18 Grammy Awards and was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Despite her international fame, she has always returned to her home town of Detroit. The legislature of Michigan has declared Aretha Franklin's voice to be one of the state's natural resources. All Americans can claim her as a national treasure.        This podcast was recorded during a performance at the 2012 International Achievement Summit in Washington, D.C. It includes a rendition of her signature song "Respect," as well as rare interview footage recorded during the Summit.

Aretha Franklin is known the world over as the Queen of Soul Music. In the 1960s, her hit recording "Respect" became an anthem of the civil rights struggle and a theme song for the dawning women's movement. He musical career began in the New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, where her father, Rev. C.L. Franklin was the pastor. Young Aretha sang and played piano, and the passion of Gospel music has remained with her through her subsequent triumphs in secular blues, rock and pop. Franklin began recording when she was only 14. At 19, had won a solos contract with Columbia Records. Columbia tried to promote her as a conventionally smooth pop singer, but Aretha's talent was too volcanic to be contained by the old formulas. In 1966, she moved to Atlantic Records, where she recorded the stirring performances that made her world-famous. Her rendition of songs like "Think," "Chain of Fools, and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" set the standard by which singing in the soul idiom will always be measured. Her breakthrough album was 1967's I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, a Top 40 smash. She continued to deliver hit albums decade after decade, including Amazing Grace (1972) and Who's Zoomin' Who? (1985) and her 1998 effort A Rose is Still a Rose. Since 1961, she has scored a total of 45 "Top 40" hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and 20 number one hits on the R&amp;B charts. She has recorded 14 million-selling singles, the record for a female artist. Between 1967 and 1982 she had 10 number one albums on the R&amp;B charts, another record for a female artist. She sang at the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King, and at the inaugurations of Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. She has won 18 Grammy Awards and was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Despite her international fame, she has always returned to her home town of Detroit. The legislature of Michigan has declared Aretha Franklin's voice to be one of the state's natural resources. All Americans can claim her as a national treasure. This podcast was recorded during a performance at the 2012 International Achievement Summit in Washington, D.C. It includes a rendition of her signature song "Respect," as well as rare interview footage recorded during the Summit.

Aretha Franklin Interview & Live Performance (Audio)(2012)

Natasha Trethewey

This autumn, Natasha Trethewey took up her duties asUnited States Poet Laureate, the 19th poet to serve since Congress created theposition in 1985. Also known as the Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to theLibrary of Congress, the Laureate is responsible for all the public poetry programsof the Library, as well as an annual lecture and reading.With her appointment as Poet Laureate, Trethewey crowns a career steeped in thecomplexities of American history. The marriage of her white, Canadian-born fatherand her African American mother was still illegal in Mississippi, where she wasborn, on Confederate Memorial Day, in 1966, although the Supreme Courtlegalized interracial marriage the following year. Her parents divorced when shewas young; she grew up with her mother in Georgia, spending summers with hergrandmother in Mississippi and her father in New Orleans. When Natasha was 19,her mother was murdered by her second husband. In Trethewey’s words, “I turnedto poetry to make sense of what had happened.”Trethewey’s poetry is unique for the manner in which she fuses historical materialsand vernacular language with traditional verse forms. In Bellocq’s Ophelia, sheimagines the inner life of an anonymous prostitute immortalized by the NewOrleans photographer E.J. Bellocq. In 2007, she received the Pulitzer Prize for herbook Native Guard, a verse narrative inspired by a black regiment of the UnionArmy during the Civil War.

This autumn, Natasha Trethewey took up her duties as United States Poet Laureate, the 19th poet to serve since Congress created the position in 1985. Also known as the Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, the Laureate is responsible for all the public poetry programs of the Library, as well as an annual lecture and reading. With her appointment as Poet Laureate, Trethewey crowns a career steeped in the complexities of American history. The marriage of her white, Canadian-born father and her African American mother was still illegal in Mississippi, where she was born, on Confederate Memorial Day, in 1966, although the Supreme Court legalized interracial marriage the following year. Her parents divorced when she was young; she grew up with her mother in Georgia, spending summers with her grandmother in Mississippi and her father in New Orleans. When Natasha was 19, her mother was murdered by her second husband. In Trethewey’s words, “I turned to poetry to make sense of what had happened.” Trethewey’s poetry is unique for the manner in which she fuses historical materials and vernacular language with traditional verse forms. In Bellocq’s Ophelia, she imagines the inner life of an anonymous prostitute immortalized by the New Orleans photographer E.J. Bellocq. In 2007, she received the Pulitzer Prize for her book Native Guard, a verse narrative inspired by a black regiment of the Union Army during the Civil War.

Jessye Norman

One of the most distinguished musical artists of our time, the singer Jessye Norman was born in Augusta, Georgia. As a ten-year-old child, she was spellbound by a recording of the great contralto Marian Anderson. Inspired by Anderson's recordings and autobiography, she resolved to become a classical singer herself. At age 16, she won a full scholarship to study voice at Howard University. After graduate music studies at Peabody Conservatory, she went to Europe, where she was soon discovered by the Continent's leading conductors and impresarios. She made her operatic debut in Tannhauser at Berlin's Deutsche Oper. A dramatic soprano with a special affinity for the German repertoire, she has won acclaim in the operas of Wagner and Richard Strauss. Equally at home in French and Italian, she has enchanted audiences as Bizet's Carmen and as Mozart's Countess Almaviva. In addition to her concert roles. Her recitals and recordings have included American spirituals, French chansons and  German lieder. From Haydn to Mahler to Schoenberg and Berg, from Satie and Poulenc to Gershwin and Bernstein, the range of Jessye Norman’s musical reach is breathtaking. She has conquered stages from Lincoln Center to Covent Garden, Carnegie Hall to the Musikverein, from La Scala to the Paris Opera and the Vienna State Opera, from Tokyo to San Francisco, Houston and Boston, from Granada to Graz and from Salzburg to Hong Kong. For the opening night of the Metropolitan Opera's centennial season, she made history by singing the roles of both Cassandra and Dido in Les Troyens by Hector Berlioz. In 1989, she was chosen to embody the spirit of liberty, equality and fraternity, singing "La Marseillaise" during the bicentennial celebration of the French Revolution at the Place de la Concorde in Paris. Jessye Norman was interviewed by the Academy of Achievement in Washington, D.C.  on July 22, 2012. This podcast presents excerpts from that interview, along with selections for her performance at Washington's historic Ford's Theatre on October 18, 2011.

Jessye Norman Interview

Morgan Freeman

One of the most gifted and admired actors in America, Morgan Freeman was born in Memphis and raised in Mississippi. At an early age, he found his calling acting in school plays. In the seventh grade, he won the state championship in a student theatrical competition. In his teens he was appearing on Nashville radio. He turned down a college scholarship to join the Air Force; on leaving the service in 1959, he headed to Hollywood, where he auditioned unsuccessfully for eight impoverished years. He moved to New York City, and was finally offered a part in an Off-Broadway production about the Freedom Riders of the civil rights era. He later won a role in the Broadway production of Hello, Dolly! with Pearl Bailey and Cab Calloway. A regular role as Easy Reader on public television's The Electric Company made him a familiar figure to younger audiences, and led to film roles, including his breakout performance in Street Smart (1987). He followed with unforgettable roles in Glory and Unforgiven. After receiving Oscar nominations for his roles in Driving Miss Daisy and The Shawshank Redemption, he received a well-deserved Oscar in 2005 for his performance in Million Dollar Baby. He captured one of the century's great figures with his performance as South Africa's President Nelson Mandela in the 2009 film Invictus. In addition to his work in motion pictures, he is a founder of PLANIT NOW, an association that provides preparedness assistance to communities exposed to severe storms and hurricanes. Morgan Freeman discusses his life and career in this podcast, recorded by the Academy of Achievement in Washington D.C. on June 4, 2012.

Morgan Freeman Interview

Johnny Mathis

Johnny Mathis was only 19 years old when a Columbia Records executive heard him singing in a San Francisco nightclub and decided to sign the teenage singer on the spot. After his first album, recorded in a jazz style, failed to register with the public, producer Mitch Miller guided Mathis to a more straightforward romantic sound, leading to hits like "Wonderful, Wonderful" and "It's Not For Me to Say." A series of appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show made Mathis a national star, and at age 22 he had the number one record in the country, "Chances Are."  In 1958, only two years into his recording career, he released a "Greatest Hits" collection; it inaugurated a recording industry practice that continues to this day and is one of the most bestselling records of all time. Johnny Mathis continued to record Top 40 hits in each of the first four decades of his career, reaching number one again in 1980 with "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late." His velvet voice and impeccable phrasing have won the hearts of listeners the world over. His mastery of American song has won the enduring affection of his public and the profound respect of his peers, who have honored him with the Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award, and a place in the Grammy Hall of Fame. For half a century, through all the changes in musical fashion, Johnny Mathis has sounded a pure note of romance, and brought magic to millions. This performance was recorded in 2011 at the Academy of Achievement in Washington, D.C.

Johnny Mathis Interview & Live Performance Highlights (SD)

Dionne Warwick

Since she first hit the charts with "Don't Make Me Over" in 1962, the unmistakable voice and flawless musicianship of Dionne Warwick have made her an international musical legend. Her soulful blend of pop, gospel and soul styles has transcended musical and cultural boundaries. She began singing in church in her home town of East Orange, New Jersey. While attending Hartt College of Music in Hartford, Connecticut, she began working as a back-up singer on recording sessions in New York City. Songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David recruited her to record demos of their songs, and soon she won a recording contract of her own.  The team of singer Warwick with writers Bacharach and David recorded 30 hit singles, and nearly 20 best-selling albums in the first ten years of their collaboration. Hits like "Anyone Who Had A Heart," and "Walk On By" spread Warwick's fame all over the word. She received her first Grammy Award in 1968 for Bacharach and David's "Do You Know The Way to San Jose?" In 1970, she received her second Grammy for the best-selling album I'll Never Fall In Love Again, featuring the Bacharach-David song of the same name. In the 1908s, Warwick led the music industry's fight against AIDS. Her chart-topping single "That's What Friends Are For," recorded with her friends Elton John and Gladys Knight, raised millions of dollars for AIDS research. In 2010 she published her memoir, My Life as I See It. This podcast was recorded during her 2011 appearance at the Academy of Achievement in Washington, D.C. The performance is interspersed with excerpts from the Academy's exclusive interview with Dionne Warwick.

Dionne Warwick Live Performance & Interview

In 1995, when retired General Colin Powell took himself out of the running for President of the United States, he was leading every candidate in every poll. At the time, his autobiography, My American Journey, was a national bestseller. Millions of Americans have been inspired by his life story, from his boyhood in the South Bronx, through service in Vietnam, to his term as Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. General Powell was the first African-American and the youngest officer ever to serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, ranking officer in the United States military. Most Americans got their first vivid impressions of General Powell in this role, at his televised press briefings during the 1991 Gulf War. His articulate, forthright manner and unassuming dignity made him a favorite of statesmen, journalists and the general public. In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed him Secretary of State, a position that placed him at the head of America's foreign policy, and fourth in line of succession to the Presidency itself. He served throughout the first term of the Bush administration, a period that included the September 2001 attacks on the United States and the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He remains one of the most admired Americans, a leader whose prestige transcends party and ideology. For over 20 years, he has been at the center of the most momentous events of our time.

General Colin Powell (2010) - Part  1

In celebration of Black History Month, the Academy of Achievement presents a host of outstanding      African American leaders in the arts, sciences, business, sports and public service. Among the      most honored and admired men and women of our times, they include heroes of the Civil Rights      movement, trailblazing athletes, brilliant musicians, a pioneering neurosurgeon, a Secretary of      State, Pulitzer Prize playwrights, a recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature, and a President of the      United States. Their words, their music and their stories will enlighten and inspire you to realize the      potential that lies within us all.      Note: A subset of these tracks is available in SD and HD video.   Select SD or HD from the menu on the left to visit the other formats.

In celebration of Black History Month, the Academy of Achievement presents a host of outstanding African American leaders in the arts, sciences, business, sports and public service. Among the most honored and admired men and women of our times, they include heroes of the Civil Rights movement, trailblazing athletes, brilliant musicians, a pioneering neurosurgeon, a Secretary of State, Pulitzer Prize playwrights, a recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature, and a President of the United States. Their words, their music and their stories will enlighten and inspire you to realize the potential that lies within us all. Note: A subset of these tracks is available in SD and HD video. Select SD or HD from the menu on the left to visit the other formats.

Black History Month (Audio)

Amalya Kearse

When Amalya Lyle Kearse was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, she was the first woman and only the second African American (after Thurgood Marshall) to serve on the court. Kearse was born in Vauxhall, New Jersey, where her father was a postmaster and her mother a pediatrician. A gifted student, she graduated from Wellesley College in 1959 with a degree in philosophy. She was the only black woman in her class at the University of Michigan Law School, where she was an editor of the law review. She graduated cum laude in 1962. When Kearse joined the firm of Hughes Hubbard &amp; Reed, female attorneys were a rarity on Wall Street, and female attorneys of color were unknown, but she rose to become a partner in the firm, and her reputation reached the White House. President Jimmy Carter appointed Kearse to the Court of Appeals in 1979. She is now a senior member of the Court. Judge Kearse addressed the Academy of Achievement at its 1984 gathering in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In this audio podcast, recorded on that occasion, Judge Kearse describes the work of the Court, and recalls the path that led her from law school to Wall Street to the federal bench.

Chuck Berry

In the rock and roll pantheon, Chuck Berry stands alone. Every element of the music existed before he ever stepped onstage, but no one can deny he was the first writer and performer to put it all together.        In the 1950s, he combined stinging guitar licks with a jumping rhythm section, sly lyrics and an audacious stage presence to create a sound and style that proved irresistible to both black and white audiences at a time when radio and performance venues were still largely segregated. His very first single, "Maybellene," went to number one on the R&amp;B charts in 1955 immediately crossed over to the pop charts. Hit followed hit: "Sweet Little Sixteen," "Roll Over Beethoven," "Rock and Roll Music," and his signature song, "Johnny B. Goode." His trademark two-string riffs and patented duck-walk made him rock's first guitar hero.        Chuck Berry's sound and attitude inspired a generation of rockers on both sides of the Atlantic; the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys and Bob Marley all recorded Chuck Berry songs, and his repertoire became required learning for aspiring pickers everywhere. A recording of "Johnny B. Goode" was placed on the Voyager I space probe to spread Chuck Berry's message of joy to the stars and beyond.

In the rock and roll pantheon, Chuck Berry stands alone. Every element of the music existed before he ever stepped onstage, but no one can deny he was the first writer and performer to put it all together. In the 1950s, he combined stinging guitar licks with a jumping rhythm section, sly lyrics and an audacious stage presence to create a sound and style that proved irresistible to both black and white audiences at a time when radio and performance venues were still largely segregated. His very first single, "Maybellene," went to number one on the R&amp;B charts in 1955 immediately crossed over to the pop charts. Hit followed hit: "Sweet Little Sixteen," "Roll Over Beethoven," "Rock and Roll Music," and his signature song, "Johnny B. Goode." His trademark two-string riffs and patented duck-walk made him rock's first guitar hero. Chuck Berry's sound and attitude inspired a generation of rockers on both sides of the Atlantic; the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys and Bob Marley all recorded Chuck Berry songs, and his repertoire became required learning for aspiring pickers everywhere. A recording of "Johnny B. Goode" was placed on the Voyager I space probe to spread Chuck Berry's message of joy to the stars and beyond.

Chuck Berry Live Performance

Barack Obama

On November 4, 2008, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois was elected President of the United States. The first African American to be elected to the nation's highest office, his victory is a milestone in American history. The son of a white mother from Kansas and a black father from Kenya, Obama grew up in Hawaii and Indonesia. After graduating from Columbia University, he moved to Chicago to work as a community organizer. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, where he served as President of the prestigious Harvard Law Review. In 1995 he published a moving account of his family and his youth, Dreams From My Father. Little noticed at the time, it later became an international bestseller. When Obama taught Constitutional Law at the University of Chicago, overflow crowds gathered in the halls outside his classroom to listen to his lectures through the open door. In addition to teaching and practicing law in Chicago, he served for eight years in the Illinois State Senate. Barack Obama became a national figure overnight with his electrifying keynote speech at the 2004 National Democratic Convention. At the time, Obama had just won an upset victory in a primary election to become the Democratic nominee for a U.S. Senate seat. With one speech, a virtual unknown had become the most inspiring personality in American politics. That fall, he won his Senate race in an overwhelming landslide. From the day he arrived in Washington, the news media debated the question: could this freshman Senator make a serious run for the White House? Soon he was breaking fundraising records and drawing passionately enthusiastic crowds around the country. Running against an array of the most seasoned leaders in American politics, Senator Obama ran an intensely disciplined campaign, deploying the resources of the Internet to build an unprecedented national network of donors and volunteers. After winning the nomination of the Democratic Party, he triumphed in states where Democratic candidates had not competed in decades. His inauguration on January 20, 2009 was celebrated around the world as the beginning of a new era, and a vindication of the American Dream. After only eight months in office, President Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his "efforts to strengthen international diplomacy," his "vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons" and for inspiring hope and creating "a new climate in international politics." He had just begun his presidential campaign when he addressed the Academy of Achievement in Washington in 2007. In his remarks, he pays tribute to a leader who inspired him, Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa.

Toni Morrison

In novels such as the modern classic, Beloved, Toni Morrison has fused history and legend, realism and fantasy, to craft an epic saga of African American life. Although her work is steeped in local history and folklore, the fundamental human values of her art have captured the hearts of readers around the world. After earning a Master's in English from Cornell University, Morrison taught at Howard University in Washington, D.C. for many years, and first took up writing as a form of escape from an unhappy marriage. She completed her first novel, The Bluest Eye, while raising two children on her own and working full time as an editor at Random House in New York. She received the National Book Critics Award for her second novel, Sula. Her third, Song of Solomon, attracted an international audience. A year after Beloved was published in 1987, Morrison received the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. In 1993, Morrison was honored with the Nobel Prize for Literature. She is the first African American to receive this honor, and the first black woman of any country. She embraces her historic role proudly, and often writes on issues of race and gender in American life and letters. Now a Professor in the Council of Humanities at Princeton University, she has often said that she takes teaching as seriously as writing. Her novel, Love, appeared in 2003. Her opera, Margaret Garner, had its world premiere in the spring of 2005 and was performed throughout the United States. Morrison's novel A Mercy, published in 2008, returns to the subject of slavery in 17th-century America.

Ben Carson

"There is no such thing as an average human being. If you have a normal brain, you are superior. There's almost nothing that you can't do." When Benjamin Carson was in fifth grade, he was considered the "dummy" of his class. His classmates and teachers took it for granted that Ben would take an entire quiz without getting a single question right. He had a temper so violent that he would attack other children, even his mother, at the slightest provocation. "I was most likely to end up in jail, reform school, or the grave," he remembers. But Benjamin Carson turned his life around. He graduated from high school with honors, went on to Yale University and to medical school. At age 32, he became Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He is internationally recognized as a pioneer in his field. In his operation on the Binder conjoined twins in 1987, he succeeded where all predecessors had failed, in separating twins joined at the head.

Dr. Ben Carson (2006 Symposium)

Sonny Rollins

Savion Glover

He has recorded in a dazzling variety of styles, from the hard bop of his youth to the free jazz, avant-garde, fusion, Latin jazz, funk and R&amp;B of subsequent decades. A formidable composer and bandleader, he is unparalleled in his imagination and expressiveness as a soloist.        A 1956 album title still captures his enduring stature in the world of jazz: Saxophone Colossus. As he enters his ninth decade, he is still going strong. Always spontaneous, always unpredictable, with Sonny Rollins every performance is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.        In this performance from the 2006 International Achievement Summit, he collaborates with the Tony Award-winning Broadway sensation Savion Glover.        Starting in his teens, Glover led a movement to win respect for tap dance as a serious art form, drawing on the heritage of generations of masters who came before him. His elders and his contemporaries acclaim him as the greatest tap dancer of all time.

He has recorded in a dazzling variety of styles, from the hard bop of his youth to the free jazz, avant-garde, fusion, Latin jazz, funk and R&amp;B of subsequent decades. A formidable composer and bandleader, he is unparalleled in his imagination and expressiveness as a soloist. A 1956 album title still captures his enduring stature in the world of jazz: Saxophone Colossus. As he enters his ninth decade, he is still going strong. Always spontaneous, always unpredictable, with Sonny Rollins every performance is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. In this performance from the 2006 International Achievement Summit, he collaborates with the Tony Award-winning Broadway sensation Savion Glover. Starting in his teens, Glover led a movement to win respect for tap dance as a serious art form, drawing on the heritage of generations of masters who came before him. His elders and his contemporaries acclaim him as the greatest tap dancer of all time.

Sonny Rollins and Savion Glover Live Performance & Interview

General Colin Powell (2005) - Part  1

Wynton Marsalis

One of the most acclaimed singers of our time, Kathleen Battle's glorious voice and unique artistry have captivated audiences in concert halls and opera houses around the world. This radiant soprano has earned many honors for her performances and recordings, including Grammy Awards for Outstanding Individual Achievement in a classical program and Best Performance by a Classical Vocal Soloist. In this podcast, recorded during the Academy of Achievement's 2005 Summit in New York City, Kathleen Battle sings two classic spirituals, "Fix Me" and "This Little Light of Mine," accompanied by virtuoso trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and his trio. In the 1980s, Wynton Marsalis led a new generation of jazz musicians in reviving the traditions of America’s unique art form. In 1997 he became the first jazz musician to win the Pulitzer Prize in Music, for his epic oratorio, Blood on the Fields. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center and leader of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. This performance took place in Jazz at Lincoln Center's spectacular Allen Room, overlooking Columbus Circle and Central Park.

Kathleen Battle Live Performance (accompanied by Wynton Marsalis)

The undisputed monarch of the blues guitar, B.B. King was born on a cotton plantation in the Mississippi Delta. As a child he learned the rudiments of his instrument from his preacher and was soon performing blues and gospel songs on street corners. In 1947 he hitchhiked to Memphis, Tennessee with $2.50 in his pocket to pursue a professional music career. Within a year he was singing on the radio and in local night clubs. In 1951 he recorded his first big hit, "Three O'Clock Blues," and began touring the country, taking his music from rural juke joints and road houses to concert halls and amphitheaters around the world. His original compositions fused elements of jazz, pop and gospel music with the classic blues. In 1970, he recorded the song that has become his calling card, "The Thrill is Gone." He has released over 50 albums to date and has received 18 Grammy Awards. Generations of rock and blues players have imitated his fluid guitar lines, with their weeping bends and stinging vibrato. Over the years he has recorded with many of these admirers, including U2 and Eric Clapton. His contributions to his country's cultural life have been recognized with the Kennedy Center Honors and the Presidential Medal of the Arts. Now in the sixth decade of his career, B.B. King still performs hudreds of times a year, roaming the globe as America's Ambassador of the Blues. This performance was recorded at the House of Blues during the 2004 International Achievement Summit in Chicago. The podcast includes excerpts from B.B. King's interview with the Academy of Achievement, recorded during the Summit.

B.B. King Live Performance & Interview

James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer and songwriter. Eventually referred to as "The Godfather of Soul", Brown started singing in gospel groups and worked his way on up. He has been recognized as one of the most iconic figures in the 20th century popular music and was renowned for his vocals and feverish dancing. He was also called "the hardest-working man in show business".        A prolific singer, songwriter, dancer and bandleader, Brown was a pivotal force in the music industry, leaving his mark on numerous artists."Even as his own career declined during the height of the golden age of hip hop, Brown's work found new life in the form of digital sampling; he would go on to become the most sampled artist in the history of the genre. Brown's music also influenced the rhythms of African popular music, such as afrobeat, jùjú and mbalax, and provided a template for go-go music.        Brown began his professional music career in 1956 and rose to fame during the late 1950s and early 1960s on the strength of his thrilling live performances and string of smash hits. In spite of various personal problems and setbacks he continued to score hits in every decade through the 1980s. In addition to his acclaim in music, Brown was also a presence in American political affairs during the 1960s and 1970s.        Brown was recognized by numerous titles, including Soul Brother Number One, Sex Machine, Mr. Dynamite, The Hardest Working Man in Show Business, The King of Funk, Minister of The New New Super Heavy Funk, Mr. Please Please Please Please Himself, I Feel Good, and foremost The Godfather of Soul. In the song "Sweet Soul Music" by Arthur Conley, he is also described as the King of Soul.

James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer and songwriter. Eventually referred to as "The Godfather of Soul", Brown started singing in gospel groups and worked his way on up. He has been recognized as one of the most iconic figures in the 20th century popular music and was renowned for his vocals and feverish dancing. He was also called "the hardest-working man in show business". A prolific singer, songwriter, dancer and bandleader, Brown was a pivotal force in the music industry, leaving his mark on numerous artists."Even as his own career declined during the height of the golden age of hip hop, Brown's work found new life in the form of digital sampling; he would go on to become the most sampled artist in the history of the genre. Brown's music also influenced the rhythms of African popular music, such as afrobeat, jùjú and mbalax, and provided a template for go-go music. Brown began his professional music career in 1956 and rose to fame during the late 1950s and early 1960s on the strength of his thrilling live performances and string of smash hits. In spite of various personal problems and setbacks he continued to score hits in every decade through the 1980s. In addition to his acclaim in music, Brown was also a presence in American political affairs during the 1960s and 1970s. Brown was recognized by numerous titles, including Soul Brother Number One, Sex Machine, Mr. Dynamite, The Hardest Working Man in Show Business, The King of Funk, Minister of The New New Super Heavy Funk, Mr. Please Please Please Please Himself, I Feel Good, and foremost The Godfather of Soul. In the song "Sweet Soul Music" by Arthur Conley, he is also described as the King of Soul.

James Brown Live Performance

By age 23, John Lewis was already recognized as one of the principal leaders of the American Civil Rights Movement, along with Martin Luther King Jr. The son of sharecroppers in rural Alabama, he led his first demonstrations while studying theology in Nashville, Tennessee. As Chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, he was a leader in many of the most dramatic campaigns of the movement: the lunch counter sit-ins, the Freedom Rides and the March on Washington. He suffered serious injuries from mob violence and personal physical attacks, and would be arrested more than 40 times, but John Lewis would not be dissuaded from the pursuit of justice. In 1965 he led the historic march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. The marchers were attacked by Alabama State Troopers, but the subsequent march from Selma to Montgomery led directly to the passage of the Voting Rights Act, finally committing the federal government to the enforcement of voting rights for all Americans. Over the following decades John Lewis led an explosion of minority voter registration that has transformed American politics. In 1986, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives, representing the city of Atlanta, Georgia, and surrounding counties. He has served in the United States Congress ever since, where he remains one of America's most courageous champions of human rights.

John Lewis

Ray Charles  (1930 -2004) was born in Albany, Georgia, at the beginning of the Great Depression. He began to lose his sight in his early childhood, and was completely blind by age seven. At age 15, he was an orphan. At 16, he moved on his own to Seattle, Washington to make a career in music. A gifted pianist and singer, he easily imitated the styles of other popular entertainers, but his career only took off when he found his own unique voice and style.        Although he began recording professionally as early as 1950, he hit his stride in the middle of the decade with a groundbreaking fusion of Gospel music and secular Rhythm &amp; Blues, pioneering the sound now known the world over as Soul Music.        In a few short years, his hit songs, "I've Got a Woman," "What'd I Say," "Hallelujah I Love Her So," "Hit the Road, Jack" and "Lonely Avenue" made him an international sensation. Despite his success in the Soul style, he continuously expanded the range of his music, effortlessly crossing genres with landmark albums such as Genius + Soul = Jazz, and Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music.        Over the course of his career, he received 17 Grammy Awards  and was honored by governments around the world. At the time of his death at age 73, he had just recorded the album Genius Loves Company, which one eight Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year.  His life story was told in the award-winning motion picture "Ray," released four months after his death. This performance was recorded in the last year of his life, at the 2003 International Achievement Summit in Washington, D.C.

Ray Charles (1930 -2004) was born in Albany, Georgia, at the beginning of the Great Depression. He began to lose his sight in his early childhood, and was completely blind by age seven. At age 15, he was an orphan. At 16, he moved on his own to Seattle, Washington to make a career in music. A gifted pianist and singer, he easily imitated the styles of other popular entertainers, but his career only took off when he found his own unique voice and style. Although he began recording professionally as early as 1950, he hit his stride in the middle of the decade with a groundbreaking fusion of Gospel music and secular Rhythm &amp; Blues, pioneering the sound now known the world over as Soul Music. In a few short years, his hit songs, "I've Got a Woman," "What'd I Say," "Hallelujah I Love Her So," "Hit the Road, Jack" and "Lonely Avenue" made him an international sensation. Despite his success in the Soul style, he continuously expanded the range of his music, effortlessly crossing genres with landmark albums such as Genius + Soul = Jazz, and Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. Over the course of his career, he received 17 Grammy Awards and was honored by governments around the world. At the time of his death at age 73, he had just recorded the album Genius Loves Company, which one eight Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. His life story was told in the award-winning motion picture "Ray," released four months after his death. This performance was recorded in the last year of his life, at the 2003 International Achievement Summit in Washington, D.C.

Ray Charles Live Performance

In the rock and roll pantheon, Chuck Berry stands alone. Every element of the music existed before he ever stepped onstage, but no one can deny he was the first writer and performer to put it all together.        In the 1950s, he combined stinging guitar licks with a jumping rhythm section, sly lyrics and an audacious stage presence to create a sound and style that proved irresistible to both black and white audiences at a time when radio and performance venues were still largely segregated. His very first single, "Maybellene," went to number one on the R&amp;B charts in 1955 immediately crossed over to the pop charts. Hit followed hit: "Sweet Little Sixteen," "Roll Over Beethoven," "Rock and Roll Music," and his signature song, "Johnny B. Goode." His trademark two-string riffs and patented duck-walk made him rock's first guitar hero.        Chuck Berry's sound and attitude inspired a generation of rockers on both sides of the Atlantic; the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys and Bob Marley all recorded Chuck Berry songs, and his repertoire became required learning for aspiring pickers everywhere. A recording of "Johnny B. Goode" was placed on the Voyager I space probe to spread Chuck Berry's message of joy to the stars and beyond.        This performance, recorded at the 2003 International Achievement Summit in Washington, D.C., is interspersed with rare interview footage of Chuck Berry recorded at the same event.

In the rock and roll pantheon, Chuck Berry stands alone. Every element of the music existed before he ever stepped onstage, but no one can deny he was the first writer and performer to put it all together. In the 1950s, he combined stinging guitar licks with a jumping rhythm section, sly lyrics and an audacious stage presence to create a sound and style that proved irresistible to both black and white audiences at a time when radio and performance venues were still largely segregated. His very first single, "Maybellene," went to number one on the R&amp;B charts in 1955 immediately crossed over to the pop charts. Hit followed hit: "Sweet Little Sixteen," "Roll Over Beethoven," "Rock and Roll Music," and his signature song, "Johnny B. Goode." His trademark two-string riffs and patented duck-walk made him rock's first guitar hero. Chuck Berry's sound and attitude inspired a generation of rockers on both sides of the Atlantic; the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys and Bob Marley all recorded Chuck Berry songs, and his repertoire became required learning for aspiring pickers everywhere. A recording of "Johnny B. Goode" was placed on the Voyager I space probe to spread Chuck Berry's message of joy to the stars and beyond. This performance, recorded at the 2003 International Achievement Summit in Washington, D.C., is interspersed with rare interview footage of Chuck Berry recorded at the same event.

Chuck Berry Live Performance & Interview

Ernest J. Gaines

Ernest Gaines was born and raised on the same plantation where his ancestors once labored as slaves. For nearly a century, they had remained in the same corner of rural Louisiana, living in the same        cabins as their forebears, worshipping in the same church, and working for the same family that had held them in bondage. Young Ernest left Louisiana as a teenager, but memories of the South haunted him, and        he searched the public library for stories that evoked the sights and sounds of his childhood. When he couldn't find them in books, he began to write them himself, and in time he became a master novelist and        chronicler of the rural South. In his novels, such as The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, A Gathering of Old Men and A Lesson Before Dying, he has found universal significance in the specific details of        life on a Louisiana plantation. Television adaptations of his works have reached millions. His books are studied in classrooms across the United States and read in translation around the world. One of        America's most acclaimed authors, and a revered professor of literature, Ernest Gaines lives today in a great house on land that once belonged to the plantation where generations of his family had suffered        and endured. From a painful history, he has created deathless literature, an eternal monument to the courage of the nearly forgotten men and women who came before.

Ernest Gaines was born and raised on the same plantation where his ancestors once labored as slaves. For nearly a century, they had remained in the same corner of rural Louisiana, living in the same cabins as their forebears, worshipping in the same church, and working for the same family that had held them in bondage. Young Ernest left Louisiana as a teenager, but memories of the South haunted him, and he searched the public library for stories that evoked the sights and sounds of his childhood. When he couldn't find them in books, he began to write them himself, and in time he became a master novelist and chronicler of the rural South. In his novels, such as The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, A Gathering of Old Men and A Lesson Before Dying, he has found universal significance in the specific details of life on a Louisiana plantation. Television adaptations of his works have reached millions. His books are studied in classrooms across the United States and read in translation around the world. One of America's most acclaimed authors, and a revered professor of literature, Ernest Gaines lives today in a great house on land that once belonged to the plantation where generations of his family had suffered and endured. From a painful history, he has created deathless literature, an eternal monument to the courage of the nearly forgotten men and women who came before.

Garth Fagan

Garth Fagan is one of America’s most original and influential choreographers. Born in Jamaica, Fagan graduated from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, and studied in New York with many of the pioneers of 20th Century dance, including José Limon, Alvin Ailey and Martha Graham. Combining the traditions of Afro-Caribbean dance with classical ballet, modern and post-modern techniques, Fagan has developed a uniquely expressive dance vocabulary. He first won acclaim with works created for his own company, Garth Fagan Dance, established in 1970. In addition to work with his own ensemble, he has created original works for America's most distinguished modern dance companies, as well as for the Dance Theatre of Harlem and the New York City Ballet. In the 1980s he moved outside the world of pure dance into the theater, staging dances for the Kennedy Center’s world premiere staging of Duke Ellington’s opera, Queenie Pie, and the New York Shakespeare Festival’s 1988 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Fagan enjoyed one of his greatest successes with the Broadway production of The Lion King, one of the most beloved theatrical productions of all time. Fagan's inspired choreography for The Lion King won the year's Drama Desk Award, Outer Circle Critics Award and the 1998 Tony Award for Best Choreography. Fagan, a recipient of Fulbright and Guggenheim Fellowships, is a Distinguished University Professor Emeritus at the State University of New York, and holds honorary doctorates from five institutions, including the Julliard School. In this podcast, recorded at the Academy of Achievement's 2001 Summit in San Antonio, Texas, he tells the Academy's student delegates about his family and childhood, his education, and his relationships with his mentors. He also explores the spiritual rewards of art, and the nature of talent.

Lauryn Hill

Lauryn Hill is an internationally acclaimed singer, songwriter and record producer. Born and raised in South Orange, New Jersey, she was only 13 when she joined the innovative hip-hop group the Fugees. Academically accomplished as well as musically gifted, she took time off from her musical career to attend Columbia University.        The worldwide success of the Fugees’ album "The Score" thrust Lauryn Hill into the international spotlight. She exceeded her admirers' most ambitious expectations with her debut solo album, "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill."  Writing, arranging or producing nearly every track on the album, Hill created a brilliant collection of songs, embracing rap, soul, reggae, old-school R&amp;B and Motown styles in a modern hip-hop context. Songs from the album, including "Doo Wop (That Thing)" and "Every Ghetto, Every City" ruled the airwaves for months. Hill also dominated the 1999 Grammy Awards, taking home five trophies -- a record for a female artist -- including Best New Artist and Album of the Year.        Following the success of Miseducation, Lauryn Hill stepped away from the spotlight to concentrate on raising her growing family.  In 2002, she released "MTV Unplugged No. 2.0," a collection of live performances featuring quieter, more contemplative songs, accompanying herself on acoustic guitar. In 2010, the music industry celebrated the 12th anniversary of the release of The Miseducation, and Lauryn Hill, now a mother of five, embarked on a national tour, her first in years.  Word has it that the reclusive Hill is now at work on a new collection of songs.        This podcast was recorded at the International Achievement Summit on Scottsdale, Arizona in 2000.

Lauryn Hill is an internationally acclaimed singer, songwriter and record producer. Born and raised in South Orange, New Jersey, she was only 13 when she joined the innovative hip-hop group the Fugees. Academically accomplished as well as musically gifted, she took time off from her musical career to attend Columbia University. The worldwide success of the Fugees’ album "The Score" thrust Lauryn Hill into the international spotlight. She exceeded her admirers' most ambitious expectations with her debut solo album, "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill." Writing, arranging or producing nearly every track on the album, Hill created a brilliant collection of songs, embracing rap, soul, reggae, old-school R&amp;B and Motown styles in a modern hip-hop context. Songs from the album, including "Doo Wop (That Thing)" and "Every Ghetto, Every City" ruled the airwaves for months. Hill also dominated the 1999 Grammy Awards, taking home five trophies -- a record for a female artist -- including Best New Artist and Album of the Year. Following the success of Miseducation, Lauryn Hill stepped away from the spotlight to concentrate on raising her growing family. In 2002, she released "MTV Unplugged No. 2.0," a collection of live performances featuring quieter, more contemplative songs, accompanying herself on acoustic guitar. In 2010, the music industry celebrated the 12th anniversary of the release of The Miseducation, and Lauryn Hill, now a mother of five, embarked on a national tour, her first in years. Word has it that the reclusive Hill is now at work on a new collection of songs. This podcast was recorded at the International Achievement Summit on Scottsdale, Arizona in 2000.

Lauryn Hill - Part 1

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Best Episodes on Practical Philosophy & How To Live

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