822 May 11 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1993

a job. [Laughter] Or neither did it ever occur are over. I know that there are still civil rights to me that every white man I appoint is going battles to be fought, but I know that they to hit a home run every day. But that is the need to be fought today in the context of kind of rhetoric you see running beneath so making a real difference in real people’s lives. much of the characterization when we try to And we should not be intimidated, those of change 12 years of attitudes. us who believe in the cause of civil rights The same people that were criticizing the for all Americans, into thinking that somehow previous administrations for being insensitive that can be separated from the fight for eco- to civil rights immediately turned around and nomic justice and economic progress and say, ‘‘Oh, there’s too much, too much atten- making our free enterprise system work bet- tion being given to ethnicity and gender, and ter. that’s why no appointments are being made.’’ We should not let people who basically So the record comes in, and I’m still waiting don’t care whether we make progress in civil for the acknowledgement. rights think that you can separate civil rights I tell you, folks, I refuse to believe that from the fight for substantive improvements we cannot go forward together, that we can- in education and for meaningful advances in not set an example, that we cannot make health care or any other area of our national progress. I refuse to believe that you can’t life. Let us resolve tonight that we’re going be committed to civil rights and to civic re- to spend the next 4 years breaking down the sponsibility. I refuse to believe that we can’t gridlock by tearing down the artificial bar- create economic opportunity by empowering riers in people’s minds to bringing us to- people to seize control of their destiny and gether, saying we don’t have a person to changing the Government’s policies. waste and lifting up everybody’s God-given I think that if this leadership council potential and doing what we can to see that should have any mission today, it should be they achieve it. to break through those barriers that push us Thank you very much, and God bless you. all into one extreme camp or the other and make us mute in the face of reality and com- NOTE: The President spoke at 8 p.m. at the Hyatt mon sense. Surely we can bring the experi- Regency Hotel. In his remarks, he referred to ence of our own lives and the lives of our Ralph Neas, executive director, Leadership Con- fellow Americans beyond the borders of this ference on Civil Rights; Benjamin L. Hooks, city to the policymaking process that will former executive director, National Association dominate Washington for the next year. That for the Advancement of Colored People; Dorothy is what we ought to do if we want civil rights I. Height, president and CEO, National Council to come alive in this country. of Negro Women; and Raul Yzaguirre, president You know, when I ran for this job I spent and CEO, National Council of La Raza. a lot of time in African American churches because I always had, and because I felt at home. When I got this job and I sought to Appointments to the Commission on protect the religious and civil liberties of Presidential Scholars every American, it was because I wanted May 11, 1993 mine protected and because I have a sharp memory of what it was like to live in a society The President today appointed 32 mem- where half the people I knew, because of bers of the White House Commission on their color, were treated as second-class citi- Presidential Scholars. Among them is New zens. Jersey Governor Jim Florio, who will serve I also have a sharp memory of those who as Chair of the Commission. had the courage to try to change that posi- The Commission on Presidential Scholars tion. And now that I am President, I want is responsible for selecting 141 graduating you to know that I’ll make my mistakes from high school seniors from around the country time to time, but I’m going to keep trying to become Presidential Scholars, the Nation’s to move the ball forward. I believe we can highest honor for high school students. The make advances. I don’t believe that our fights scholars are chosen on the basis of their ac-

VerDate 04-MAY-98 08:52 May 08, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00032 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P19MY4.013 INET01 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1993 / May 11 823

complishments in many areas, such as aca- Susan F. Friebert, Wisconsin, former demic and artistic success, leadership, and teacher and currently a high school team involvement in their schools and commu- leader for guidance counselors and com- nities. munity volunteers to develop and imple- ‘‘The Presidential Scholars Program is an ment programs to direct student aca- important vehicle for recognizing the efforts demic planning and achievement. and accomplishments of our country’s young Susan E. Gaertner, Minnesota, director of people,’’ said the President. ‘‘I am glad that the human services division of the Governor Florio and the rest of this distin- Ramsey County, MN, attorney’s office, guished group of Americans have agreed to where she directs legal services for child serve on this Commission, and I look forward support enforcement, paternity actions, to welcoming the students they choose to the and civil commitments for the second White House.’’ largest jurisdiction in the State. In addition to Governor Florio, the mem- Felicia Gervais, , president of bers of the Commission are: Leonard L. Farber, Inc., a shopping Margaret R. Blackshere, Illinois, assistant center development firm. She also to the president of the Illinois Federa- serves on numerous non-profit boards, tion of Teachers; former elementary including Outreach Broward (a program school teacher; holds a master’s in urban for troubled adolescents) and Center education from Southern Illinois Uni- One (the Nation’s first AIDS center). versity. Freman Hendrix, Michigan, assistant Francis J. Bonner, Jr., , chair Wayne County executive for legislative of the department of physical medicine affairs; member of many civic groups, including the Northwest Detroit Com- and rehabilitation at Mt. Sinai and Grad- munity Leaders Council. uate Hospitals, Philadelphia, and Sacred Patricia Jean Henry, Oklahoma, president Heart Hospital, Norristown. of the National PTA; member of the Thomas E. Britton, New Hampshire, chair boards of the Oklahoma State Chamber of the Monadnock Region District of Commerce and the Academy for School Board and marketing representa- State Goals; co-founder of Pathway tive for the Millipore Corp. and North House, a rehabilitation program for American Pharmaceutical Field Market- drug-addicted children. ing. Barbara Holt, Maine, director of Franklin Rev. S.C. Cureton, South Carolina, pastor Pierce College in Portsmouth, NH; of the Reedy River Baptist Church; served as the chair and director of Vic- member of the president’s executive tory ’92 in Maine. board of the National Baptist Conven- Gloria Jackson, Florida, retired public tion, U.S.A. school administrator in Ft. Lauderdale; John Davidson, New Mexico, member of alternate delegate to the Democratic the New Mexico Commission on Higher National Convention. Education; shareholder and director in Nathaniel Hawthorne LaCour, Louisiana, the law firm of Erwin and Davidson. president of the United Teachers of Joseph D. DiVincenzo, New York, com- New Orleans; vice president of the missioner of the Niagara Frontier Trans- American Federation of Teachers; na- portation Authority; president of tional board member of the A. Philip DiVincenzo & Associates Insurance Randolph Institute; and member of the Agency; and adjunct professor at the National Board for Professional Teach- Rochester Institute of Technology. ing Standards. Jim R. Fotter, Wyoming, president of the Dhyan Lal, California, principal of Carson Wyoming Education Association; mem- High School in Los Angeles; focus of ber of the Education Commission of the a PBS documentary exploring how a States; and delegate at the 1992 Demo- principal communicates with a culturally cratic National Convention. diverse student population to create a

VerDate 04-MAY-98 08:52 May 08, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00033 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P19MY4.013 INET01 824 May 11 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1993

positive learning environment in post- and a member of the Coalition of Citi- riot Los Angeles. zens with Disabilities in Greater St. Ronnie Fern Liebowitz, New Jersey, part- Louis. ner in the Newark law firm of Hellring, Margaret M. Whillock, Arkansas, executive Lindman, Goldstein & Siegal; former vice president of the Baptist Medical general counsel to Rutgers University. Systems Foundation in Little Rock; di- Bill Marshall, Ohio, law professor; served rector of development at the University as the State director of Maine for the of Arkansas. Clinton campaign. Tracey Bailey, Florida, National Teacher Penny Miller, Kentucky, assistant profes- of the Year. sor of political science at the University of Kentucky; chair of the Kentucky Commission on Women. Nomination for Assistant Secretaries Sandy Miller, Nevada, First Lady of the State of Nevada; former teacher and ad- at the Departments of vocate for children with learning disabil- Transportation and the Interior ities. May 11, 1993 Marilyn Monahan, New Hampshire, sec- retary-treasurer of the National Edu- The President named a total of four offi- cation Association. cials at the Departments of Transportation Dan Morales, Texas, attorney general of and the Interior today. He expressed his in- Texas; first Hispanic elected to a state- tention to nominate Frank Kruesi to be As- wide constitutional office in the State of sistant Secretary of Transportation for Trans- Texas. portation Policy and Ada Deer to be Assistant Daniel Morris, Colorado, former teacher Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs. and president of the Colorado Edu- The President also approved the appoint- cation Association; former Peace Corps ment of Richard Mintz to be the Director volunteer. of Transportation’s Office of Public Affairs, Carla Nuxoll, Washington, President of the and Patricia Beneke to be Associate Solicitor Washington Education Association; for Energy and Resources at Interior. chair of the board of PULSE. ‘‘I am gratified that these individuals will James Shimoura, Michigan, former special be joining me in Washington,’’ said the Presi- assistant attorney general for the State dent. ‘‘Frank Kruesi has been an innovative of Michigan; shareholder in the law firm and successful policy adviser to Mayor Daley. of Kemp, Klein, Umphrey, and Ada Deer has been a powerful and eloquent Edelman. voice for changing national Indian policy. Eddie L. Smith, Jr., Mississippi, former Both will be valuable parts of this administra- high school teacher; Mayor of Holly tion, as will Richard Mintz and Patricia Springs, MS. Beneke.’’ Dawn Steel, California, president of Co- lumbia Pictures from 1987 to 1990, the NOTE: Biographies of the nominees were made first woman to head a major motion pic- available by the Office of the Press Secretary. ture studio. Niara Sudarkasa, Pennsylvania, president of Lincoln University in Chester Coun- ty, PA; previously the associate vice Interview With Don Imus of WFAN president for academic affairs at the Radio in New York City , where she was May 12, 1993 the first African American woman to re- ceive tenure. Mr. Imus. Good morning, Mr. President. Nancy Verderber, Missouri, administrative The President. Good morning. How are liaison for disability-related issues for you? the St. Louis County School Districts Mr. Imus. I’m fine. How are you?

VerDate 04-MAY-98 08:52 May 08, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00034 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P19MY4.013 INET01