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Remarks and a Question-And-Answer Session With 1092 July 17 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1997 but how we're going to become one America if I had a voice like that, I could run for in the 21st century. We need your help. a third term, even though theÐ[laughter]. In September, I'm going home to Little I enjoyed meeting with your board mem- Rock to observe the 40th anniversary of the bers and JoAnne Lyons Wooten, your execu- integration of Little Rock Central High tive director, backstage. I met Vanessa Wil- School. When those nine black children were liams, who said, ``You know, I'm the presi- escorted by armed troops on their first day dent-elect; have you got any advice for me of school, there were a lot of people who on being president?'' True story. I said, ``I were afraid to stand up for them. But the do. Always act like you know what you're local NAACP, led by my friend Daisy Bates, doing.'' [Laughter] stood up for them. I want to say to you, I'm delighted to be Today, every time we take a stand that ad- joined here tonight by a distinguished group vances the cause of equal opportunity and of people from our White House and from excellence in education, every time we do the administration, including the Secretary of something that really gives economic Labor, Alexis Herman, and the Secretary of empowerment to the dispossessed, every Education, Dick Riley, and a number of oth- time we further the cause of reconciliation ers from the White House. Where is my among all our races, we are honoring the White House crew? Would you all stand spirit of Daisy Bates, we are honoring the upÐeverybody here from the administra- legacy of the NAACP. We have to join hands tion, Department of Education, Department with all of our children to walk into this era, of Labor. with excellence in education, with real eco- I don't know whether he is here or not, nomic opportunity, with an unshakable com- but I understand Congressman Bobby Rush mitment to one America that leaves no one was here earlier today, and I know there are behind. some other local officials from Chicago who I came here to offer you my hand and to are here. And this is a great place to come. thank you for your work and to challenge you Chicago is such a wonderful city that there for the days ahead. was an article this morning in the New York Thank you, and God bless you. Times bragging on Chicago. And I saw the mayor today; he said, ``I know we have finally NOTE: The President spoke at 11:45 a.m. in the David Lawrence Convention Center. In his re- arrived. If they're bragging on us in New marks, he referred to Myrlie Evers-Williams, York, we have made it.'' And I congratulate chair, and Kweisi Mfume, president, NAACP; all the people here on the remarkable im- Bishop William H. Graves, presiding bishop, provements they've made in this magnificent Christian Methodist Episcopal Church; Dale city in the last few years. Charles, NAACP Arkansas State conference presi- I'd also like to say a special word of thanks dent; the late Hanley Norment, NAACP Maryland to Reverend Jesse Jackson. I see him here State conference president; the late Betty in the audience, and I know he's here. Thank Shabazz, widow of civil rights activist Malcolm X; the late Aaron Henry, NAACP Mississippi State you. I always kind of hate to speak when Jesse conference president; and Rosa Parks, civil rights is in the audience. [Laughter] You know, I activist. mean, every paragraph gets a grade. [Laugh- ter] Most of them aren't very good. I can just hear it nowÐall the wheels turning. Remarks and a Question-and-Answer I want to thank Reverend Jackson for Session With the National agreeing to cochair, along with the Secretary Association of Black Journalists in of Transportation, Rodney Slater, an Amer- Chicago, Illinois ican delegation to an economic conference July 17, 1997 in Zimbabwe, where he'll be going next week. And I know you all wish him well on The President. Thank you very much. I that. We are doing our best to have a major must say, when Arthur was speaking, I initiative reaching out to Africa, recognizing thought to myself that he sounded like a that more and more countries in Africa are President. [Laughter] And I said to myself, becoming functioning, successful democ- VerDate 05-AUG-97 14:22 Aug 05, 1997 Jkt 173998 PO 00000 Frm 00032 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 E:\TEMP\P29JY4.018 p29jy4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1997 / July 17 1093 racies; that half a dozen countries in Africa the vital contributions as journalists and as have had growth rates of 7 percent or more African-Americans you might make in lead- last year and will equal that again this year; ing your news rooms, your communities, and and that this is an enormous opportunity for our Nation in the right kind of dialog. us not only to promote better lives for the Five years ago, I talked about how we millions and millions of people who live on could prepare our people to go into the 21st that continent but also better opportunities century, and we've made a lot of strides since for Americans and better partnerships with then. Our economy is the healthiest in a gen- Africa in the years ahead. eration and once again the strongest in the Well, you heard your president say that world. Our social problems are finally bend- I promised to come here in 1992 if I got ing to our efforts. But at this time of great elected. And I'm trying to keep every prom- prosperity, we know we still have a lot of ise I made. And I'm sure glad I got a second great challenges in order to live up to our term so I didn't get embarrassed on this one. ideals, in order to live up to what we say [Laughter] America should mean. And it seems to me In the years since I assumed office, I have that at this time when there is more cause worked very hard to create an America of for hope than fear, when we are not driven opportunity for all, responsibility from all, by some emergency or some imminent cata- with a community of all Americans, a country clysm in our society, we really have not only committed to continuing to lead the world an opportunity but an obligation to address toward greater peace and freedom and pros- and to better resolve the vexing, perplexing, perity. And that begins with giving every per- often painful issues surrounding our racial son in this country the chance to live up to history and our future. his or her God-given abilities. Many of you We really will, whether we're prepared for chose to become journalists because you it or not, become a multiracial democracy in thought it was the best way to use your God- the next century. Today, of our 50 States, given talent, your gift with words, your knack only the State of Hawaii has no majority race. for asking tough questions, which some of But within 3 to 5 years, our largest State, us find maddeningÐ[laughter]Ðand for get- California, where 13 percent of us live, will ting the answers, your instincts with a camera have no majority race. Five of our school dis- or a microphone, your ability to connect with tricts already draw students from over 100 people and get them to understand what it different racial and ethnic groups, including is you're trying to get across. And you did the school district in the city of Chicago. But it not just to make a living but to make a within a matter of a couple of years, over difference. I thank you for that. And I think 12 school districts will have students from that all of us want that opportunity for every- over 100 different racial and ethnic groups. one in this country. When I was a boy, I knew that a lot of Last month in San Diego I called upon people went from my native State in Arkan- Americans to begin a dialog, a discussion sas to Detroit to make a living because they over the next year and perhaps beyond, to couldn't make a living on the farm anymore. deal with what I think is the greatest chal- Many of them were African-Americans, and lenge we'll face in the 21st century, which they joined the white ethnics, many of whom is whether we really can become one Amer- were from Central and Eastern Europe and ica as we become more diverse, whether as from Ireland in the Detroit area, working in we move into a truly global society, we can the car plants, getting the good middle class be the world's first truly great multiracial, jobs, being able to educate their children, multiethnic, multireligious democracy. I looking forward to a retirement. Some of asked the American people to undertake a them actually are coming back home now serious discussion of the lingering problems and buying land. Nicholas Lehman traced and the limitless possibilities that attend our that movement in a great book he wrote not diversity. I came here tonight to talk a little so long ago. more about this initiative, to ask each of you But now Detroit is not just a place of white to examine what role you can play in it and ethnics and African-Americans.
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