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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 the—[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 up—everybody 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 now—all 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-

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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 maddening—[laughter]—and 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. In Wayne

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County, there are over 145 different racial themselves. Long ago in prehistory, it prob- and ethnic groups represented today. So the ably made a lot of sense for people that were paradigm is shifting. And so, as part of our in one tribe to look at people in another tribe engagement in this national dialog, we have as enemies, because there was a limited to both deal with our old, unfinished busi- amount of food to eat or opportunities for ness, and then imagine what we are going shelter, because people did not know how to be like in 30 years and whether we can to communicate with each other so they had actually become one America when we’re to say, ‘‘People that look like me are my more different. Is there a way not only to friends; people that don’t look like me are respect our diversity but even to celebrate my enemies.’’ But why, on the verge of the it and still be one America? Is there a way 21st century, are we still seeing people be- to use this to help us economically and to have like that all over the world? And why spread opportunity here? Why are there so here even in America do we find ourselves, many people in the Congress in both parties all of us at some time, gripped by stereotypes excited about this Africa initiative? Because about people who don’t look like we do? we have so many African-Americans. Even So we shouldn’t kid ourselves. This is not people who were never concerned about it going to be an easy task. But there is hardly before understand this is a great economic anything more important, because we know opportunity for America. Why do we have we have a great economy; we know we have a unique opportunity to build a partnership a strong military; we know we have a unique with Brazil and Argentina and Chile and all position in the world today with the fall of the countries in Latin America? Because we communism virtually everywhere and the have people from all those countries here in rise of market economies and the success our country. Why do we have the opportunity that we’ve offered. But we know we also have to avoid having Asia grow but grow in a more these lingering inequalities and problems in closed and isolated way, running the risk of America. And if we can overcome them and great new problems 30, 40, 50 years from learn to really live together and celebrate, now? Because we have so many Asian-Ameri- not just tolerate but celebrate our differences cans who are making a home here in America and still say, ‘‘In spite of all those differences, with ties back home to their native lands and the most important thing about me is that cultures. We are blessed if we can make this I am an American,’’ that there is no stopping work. what we can do and what our children can We also may have a chance to make peace become. in other parts of the world if we can make This week in Washington, John Hope peace within our borders with ourselves. But Franklin convened the first meeting of the let’s not kid ourselves; the differences be- advisory board I appointed on racial rec- tween people are so deep and so ingrained, onciliation. The executive director of that it’s so easy to scratch the surface and have board, Judy Winston, who has been our Act- something bad go wrong. And we see that ing Under Secretary of Education, is also in countries less privileged than ourselves here with me tonight. I am very proud that when things go terribly wrong, whether it’s she has agreed to do that and very excited between the Hutus and the Tutsis in Rwanda about what has happened. The first meeting and Burundi; or the Catholics and the Protes- was full of lively debate and honest disagree- tants in the home of my ancestors, Ireland; ment. I like that. We should discover quickly or the Croats, the Serbs, and the Muslims that people who are honestly committed to who are, interestingly enough, biologically in- advancing this dialog will have honest dif- distinguishable, in Bosnia; or the continuing ferences and they ought to be aired. travails of the Jews and the Arabs in the Mid- Earlier today, as your president said, at the dle East. NAACP convention in Pittsburgh, I reiter- If you look through all of human history, ated my long-held belief that we will never societies have very often been defined by get to our one America in the 21st century their ability to pit themselves as coherent unless we have both equality and excellence units against those who were different from in educational opportunity. We have to give

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every American access to the world’s best of accountability. It is not their fault; it is schools, best teachers, best education. And the rest of our faults that we are not doing that means we have to have high standards, it. high expectations, and high levels of account- So when I say by 1999 we ought to test ability from all of us who are involved in it. all our fourth graders and all our eighth grad- But I want to say to you, we know our ers—the fourth graders in reading, the eighth children can learn. For years and years, ever graders in math—it’s not because I want the since 1984, when the Nation at Risk— individual kids to get a grade, it’s because 1983—when the Nation At Risk report was everybody ought to make that grade. If you issued, people said, well, you can’t expect have a standard, everyone ought to clear the American education to compete favorably bar. And if they’re not, there is something with education in other countries because we wrong with the educational system that ought have a more diverse student body and be- to be fixed. And you can’t know it unless you cause we have so many more poor children understand what the standard is and hold and so many immigrants and because, be- people to some accountability. But don’t let cause, because, because. anybody tell you that these kids can’t do it. This year, on the International Math and That is just flat wrong. They can do it. Science Tests given to fourth and eighth Today I did announce one new initiative graders, for the first time since we began a that I think is very important, and that is a national effort to improve our schools over $350 million multiyear scholarship program a decade ago, our fourth graders—not all of modeled on the National Medical Service them, but a representative sample, rep- Corps. You know, a lot of us come from resentative of race, region, income—scored places that have a lot of poor rural areas that way above the international average in math are medically underserved. We got doctors and science, disproving the notion that we into those areas, into the Mississippi Delta, cannot achieve international excellence in because we said, hey, if you’ll go to medi- education even for our poorest children. It cal—we’ll help you go to medical school, but is simply not true. This year, again, our eighth you’ve got to go out to a poor underserved graders scored below the international aver- area and be a doctor to people who need age, emphasizing the dimensions of the chal- you. Then later you can go make all the lenge, because when the kids who carry all money you want somewhere else. But if we these other burdens to school every day, the help you go to medical school, will you go burden of poverty, the burden of crime and out here and help people where they don’t drugs in their neighborhoods, the burden of have doctors? And the National Health Serv- unmet medical needs, often the burden of ice Corps has done a world of good. problems at home—when they hit adoles- So what I proposed today, and what we’re cence and when they are pressured and going to send up to Capitol Hill with the re- tempted to get involved in other things, it authorization of Higher Education Act, is a gets to be a lot tougher. series of scholarships that will go to people So we haven’t done everything we need who say, ‘‘I will teach in a poor area for 3 to do. But the evidence is here now; it is years if you will help me get an education.’’ no longer subject to debate that we can’t This is the first specific policy to come out compete. And that’s good, because we need in connection with our yearlong racial rec- to, and because our children, however poor onciliation initiative. There will be more poli- they are, are entitled to just as much edu- cies. But it’s not just a matter of public policy. cational opportunity as anybody else. There will also be local actions, private ac- Now, I believe that we made a big mistake tions which will have to be taken. And we in the United States not adopting national also need the dialog, the discussion. It is standards long before this. And I believe our about the mind and the heart. And therefore, poorest children and our minority children I say again, your voices and your observations would be doing even better in school had are going to be very valuable. we adopted national standards a long time In the communities where we have a con- ago and held their schools to some measure structive, ongoing dialog, where people not

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only talk together but work together across we can live in. We have a lot to do to build racial lines, there are already stunning stories that one America for the 21st century, but that stir the heart and give us hope for the I believe we’re up to the challenge, and I future. There is nothing people can’t do. know that you are up to the challenge. Most people are basically good. Their leaders Thank you very much. have to give them a framework in which the Arthur Fennel. Thank you very much, best can come out and the worst can be re- Mr. President. As is customary in these fo- pressed. And that’s what we have to do here. rums here at our national convention, at this We’ve got to learn how to deal with a fun- time, we bring forth our questioners. We are damentally new and different situation as journalists, after all, and you knew this was well as deal with a lot of old, unresolved coming. [Laughter] We have selected four problems in our past that dog us in the journalists who will ask the questions of the present. day: Eric Thomas, reporter and anchor at As journalists, you have experienced first- KGO–TV in San Francisco; Chinta hand both the progress and the continuing Strausberg, reporter of the Chicago De- challenge of race in our country. Some of fender; Cheryl Smith, a reporter at KKDA- you in this audience are pioneers in your Radio, Grand Prairie, Texas—— field, perhaps the first people of color ever The President. I know where that is. to claim a desk, a phone, a typewriter in the Mr. Fennel. Yes. And Brent Jones, our news rooms of our big-city papers and sta- student representative, a junior at the Uni- tions. Some of you, when you were beginning versity of Florida in Gainesville. your careers, knew that it was hard enough To the questioners. to find just one editor who would consider your work, let alone the hundreds of news- Federal Funding for Mass Transit paper and broadcasting executives who this Ms. Strausberg. Chinta Strausberg, the week have descended on this job fair that Chicago Defender newspaper. Mr. Presi- you sponsored to recruit the young people dent, do you support an $8 billion super- who are here today. They’ve come here not highway, NAFTA superhighway at a time just because they recognize the value of a when Congress has reduced funding for mass diverse and racially representative staff but transit in Chicago as well? And if that super- also because they know from experience that highway is built, sir, will black contractors they’ll find some of the best talent in Amer- be a major part of it as a downpayment on ican journalism here at this convention. reparations? But our news rooms are like all of our The President. What superhighway? Say other working environments: They’ve come it again? Did I—what’s this project? a long way; they’ve still got a ways to go. Ms. Strausberg. It’s a proposed congres- Just as in other workplaces in America, mi- sional plan—$8 billion NAFTA super- nority representation on many staffs and highway that would connect the United mastheads is not what it ought to be. Wide States with Canada and Mexico, and it is gaps continue to exist in the way whites and being discussed in Congress. minorities perceive their workplaces and in The President. Well, I don’t know that the way they perceive each other. We have I’m familiar enough with the project. I do to bridge this gap everywhere in America. believe we need to continue to improve our But it is especially important in the press infrastructure. Secretary Slater and I have ar- because you are the voice and, in some ways, gued that we should not underfund mass the mirror of America through which we see transit and urban transportation. And indeed, ourselves and one another. I encourage you in the transportation bill I sent to the Con- to continue to reach out to your colleagues, gress, we asked for several hundred million to listen to each other, to understand where dollars more directly targeted to help people we’re all coming from, to lead your organiza- on welfare who are required to go to work, tions in the writing, the editing, the broad- get to where the jobs are if their jobs aren’t casting fare and the thought-provoking sto- within walking distance. Only about 10 per- ries about the world we live in and the one cent of the people on public assistance own

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their own cars. And we believe we need more fornia Board of Regents, minority applica- investment in mass transit in the cities. So— tions and enrollment in the UC system this and I don’t think it should be an either/or year are down. There will be not one new situation. black student enrolled at the prestigious Bolt And in terms of contracting, I support af- Hall School of Law at the University of Cali- firmative action programs generally in em- fornia this fall. What specific programs, ployment, in education, and in economic de- scholarship program notwithstanding, do you velopment. And I’ve done everything I could propose to stem this tide and make sure that to fix what were the generally recognized there is diversity in higher education in this shortcomings of some of the programs, to country? graduate out the firms that may not need it The President. First of all, I think we anymore but to continue it where I think it need to make sure that we continue to use is appropriate. So I continue to support that. Federal law to the maximum extent we can And I think it is a mistake for us not to to promote an integrated educational envi- have initiatives to help create minority- ronment so that we have to review, whether owned businesses. I think we should—as a in the Education Department, in the Justice matter of fact, let me just back up and say, Department, whether there are any further when I was in San Francisco at the mayors actions we can take legally to promote an in- conference not very long ago, I said to them tegrated educational environment in higher that I thought we ought to develop a private- education in the States where these actions sector, job-related model for high unemploy- have been taken. ment areas in our cities and—because there Secondly, I think we need to look at was no way the government social services whether there is some way by indirection to could ever create enough economic oppor- achieve the same result. I know that the legis- tunity for people. And I thought, if we couldn’t do it when the national unemploy- lature in Texas, in an attempt to overcome ment rate was the lowest in 23 years, when the impact of the Hopwood decision in could we do it? Texas, just passed what they call the ‘‘ten per- So I think we need to do more to help cent solution,’’ which would be to guarantee people organize and start their own busi- admissions to any Texas public institution of nesses, to help build economic clusters of ac- higher education to the top 10 percent of tivity, to help give people models as well as the graduating class of any high school in opportunities to work, to see that we can do Texas. And because of the way the African- this. I don’t think we’re doing nearly enough Americans’ and Hispanics’ living patterns are in this area, and I think we have a new oppor- in Texas, that may solve the problem. Wheth- tunity to do it because the unemployment er that would work in California, I don’t rate is low in the Nation. know. I haven’t studied the way the school As I’ve heard Reverend Jackson say for 20 districts are organized enough. But I think years, the biggest undeveloped market in we have to come up with some new and fairly America are the poor unemployed and un- innovative ways to do that. deremployed people in our inner cities and Thirdly, I think, on the professional our rural areas. Now is the time we should schools, my own view—I’m a little stumped be creating more businesses there, not hav- here. We have to really—we’re going to have ing fewer businesses. That’s what I believe. to reexamine what we can do. I don’t know why the people who promoted this in Califor- Affirmative Action nia think it’s a good thing to have a seg- Mr. Thomas. Mr. President, Eric Thomas regated set of professional schools. It would with KGO–TV in San Francisco. Mr. Presi- seem to me that, since these professionals dent, your scholarship proposal notwith- are going to be operating in the most eth- standing, there is still an assault on affirma- nically diverse State in the country, they tive action in this country. In my home State would want them to be educated in an envi- of California, in the wake of Proposition 209 ronment like they’re going to operate. I don’t and last year’s vote by the University of Cali- understand that.

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But there may be some ways to get around actions like that in other States. And I believe it, and we’re looking at it and working on you will see more efforts now to avoid this. it. But I think it’s going to be easier to stop I think a lot of people who even voted for it from happening at the undergraduate level 209 have been pretty shocked at what hap- than at the professional school level. And pened, and I don’t believe the people of Cali- we’re going to have to really think about fornia wanted that to occur. And I think the whether there is some way around it, wheth- rhetoric sounded better than the reality to er it would be some sort of economic des- a lot of voters. ignation or something else. But we’re work- So I can tell you that, while I’m very con- ing on that. cerned about it, I think if we all work on And finally, let me say, I think we need it, we can reverse it in a matter of a couple to continue to provide more resources, be- of years. And we just have to hope we don’t cause one of the real problems we have is, lose too many people who would otherwise even in the last 5 years, when we’ve had eco- have had good opportunities because of it. nomic recovery, the college enrollment rates But it is an urgent matter of concern to me. of minorities in America have not gone up in an appropriate way. And in this budget Education that I’m trying to get passed through Con- Mr. Jones. Brent Jones, University of gress, we’ve got the biggest increase in edu- Florida. Good afternoon, Mr. President. cation funding in 32 years, the biggest in- The President. Good afternoon. crease in Pell grant scholarships in 20 years, Mr. Jones. My question also has to do with another huge increase in work-study funds, education for more at a high school and mid- and the tax proposals, as we structured them, dle school level. The dropout rate, crime, and would, in effect, guarantee 2 years of college drugs are more prevalent in inner-city to virtually everyone in America and help schools than in suburban schools, con- people with 2 more years of college. sequently leading to a lower quality edu- We’ve got a huge dropout problem in cation in many inner-city schools. What will higher education among minorities that I your administration do through Government- think is having an impact on then what hap- aided programs or initiatives to combat these pens in the graduate schools and in the pro- problems and ensure everyone in America fessional schools. I don’t think there is a sim- is receiving a comparable education? ple answer. And I think, frankly, the way 209 The President. I want to answer your is worded, it’s a bigger problem even than question, but first I’d like to start with a com- the Hopwood case in Texas. But I can tell pliment to the African-American community. you we’re working on it: First, is there any- Last year the high school graduation rate na- thing the Justice Department or the civil tionally among African-Americans was well rights office of the Education Department above 80 percent and almost at the level— can do? We’re examining that. Second, is almost equal to the level for white Ameri- there a specific solution like the Texas ‘‘ten cans. And it’s a little known and appreciated percent solution’’ that would overcome it at fact. And it’s a great tribute, since, as you least in a specific State. Third, come up with pointed out, people who are in inner-city some more funds and some more specific schools, particularly where there’s a lot of vi- scholarship programs to try to overcome it. olence, a lot of drugs, a lot of problems, have It’s a great concern to me, and I think it to struggle harder to stay in, get through, and is moving the country in exactly the wrong come out. It’s a stunning achievement that direction. And I might say, if you look at the the differential in graduation rates is now performance of affirmative action students, only about 4 percent. That’s a stunning thing. it doesn’t justify the action that was taken. That’s very, very good. That’s another point that ought to be made. Now, I’ll tell you what we’re trying to do. So the one thing that I believe is, I believe We’re trying to do several things. We’re try- that the rather shocking consequences in the ing, first of all, to help these schools work professional schools in both Texas and Cali- better with helping the teachers and the prin- fornia will have a deterrent impact on other cipals to operate drug-free and weapon-free

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schools, with supporting juvenile justice ini- should be drawing Social Security. That’s tiatives like the one in Boston where, I might how old they are. [Laughter] Now, a lot of add, not a single child has been killed by a those old buildings are very well-built and handgun in nearly 2 years in Boston, Massa- can last for another 100 years, but they have chusetts. So we’ve got to create a safe and to be maintained. We have school buildings drug-free environment. in Washington where they’re open—where Then we’re trying to support more parents there are three stories in the school building, groups in establishing their own schools. For and one whole floor has to be shut down be- example, I met with a number of Hispanic cause it’s not safe for the kids to be there. leaders recently—a lot of you are familiar So we’ve got to be careful about that. We with the group La Raza. They are operat- need an initiative to help repair the school ing—La Raza is operating 15 charter schools, buildings. where the parents have been permitted to And finally, let me say that I think tech- work with teachers to establish their own nology offers young, lower income kids an schools within the public school system and enormous opportunity. If we can hook up set up the rules which govern them and make every classroom in America to the Internet sure that they’re good for the kids. by the year 2000, get the computers in There are a number—there’s no magic there—a lot of you do things with computers bullet here, but what we’re trying to do is that people who are in your line of work to take the lessons from every public school couldn’t even imagine 5 years ago. When I that is working in a difficult environment go on a trip now on Air Force One, I go where there’s a low dropout rate and a high back and watch the photographers send their performance rate, and say, they all have five pictures over the computer back to the news or six common elements, and then we’re try- room. If we can hook up every classroom to ing to provide the funds and the support to the Internet, have adequate computers, ade- people all over America to replicate that. quate educational software, properly trained I want to take my hat off to the people teachers, and then involve the parents in the of Chicago here who have had a very difficult use of this to keep up with the schoolwork situation in their schools, and they have been and all that and get to the point where the turning it around and raising student per- personal computer is almost as likely to be formance quite markedly in the last couple in a home—even a below-income person has of years with the involvement—aggressive in- a telephone—we can keep working in that volvement of parents and students. There’s direction. a student who sits on the local board govern- I think technology will give young Ameri- ing the schools here now. And I think cans the chance, for the first time in history, that’s—I guess the last thing I’d say is, I whether they come from a poor, a middle would favor having communities have some- class, or a wealthy school district, the first one like you on their governing boards be- time ever, to all have access to the same in- cause I think if they’d listen more to the formation, at the same level of quality, at the young people about what it would take to same time. That has never happened in the clean up and fix up the schools, I think we’d history of the country. So if we do it right be ahead. and the teachers are trained to help the Let me just make two other comments. young people use it, it will revolutionize I think there are some places where money equality of educational opportunity at the will make a difference. I mentioned one in same time it raises excellence in education. trying to get good teachers there. We’re So those are basically some of my thoughts going to have to replace 2 million teachers about this. within the next decade, 2 million, with retire- And thank you for asking and for caring ments and more kids coming to school. An- about the people that are coming along be- other is old school buildings. I was in Phila- hind you. delphia the other day. The average age of Ms. Smith. Mr. President, Cheryl Smith, a school building in Philadelphia is 65 years KKDA-Radio, Dallas, Texas. Every 4 years, of age. The school buildings in Philadelphia African-Americans cast their votes for a Pres-

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idential candidate who will hopefully address We set up these community development some of the issues affecting black Americans. banks modeled on the South Shore Bank Do you feel African-Americans should be here in Chicago. A lot of you are familiar pleased with your efforts thus far? And what with it if you’ve been around here. In our can we expect from you in the future, espe- new budget agreement, we have enough cially in the area of judiciary appointments? funds to more than double that. We set up The President. Well, the short answer is, the empowerment zones and the enterprise yes. [Laughter] I do. I mean, if you look at communities. In our new budget act, we have what’s happened to African-American unem- enough funds to more than double that. We ployment, African-American homeowner- have a housing strategy that we believe can ship; if you look at the fight that I’ve waged attract middle class people as well as low in- on affirmative action and what I’ve tried to come people to have housing together in the do for access to education as well as quality inner cities so that we can also attract a busi- of education; if you look at my record on ness base here. We know a lot more than appointments in the administration, in the ju- we used to about what it would take to have diciary, which far outstrips any of my prede- a thriving and working private sector in our cessors of either party; if you look at the larg- urban areas. I have not done that yet. And er effort that I’ve made to try to get Ameri- that’s what you ought to expect me to be cans to come together and bridge the racial working on. divide and to make people understand that And then there are a lot of unmet social we are each other’s best assets, I would say problems that we need to deal with. It’s that the answer to your first question is, yes. still—you know, I got my head handed to Now, what else do we still have to do? The me, I guess, in the ’94 elections because I first thing that I think is terribly important had this crazy idea that America ought not is we have to, in addition to what I’ve talked to be the only country in the world where about—I’ve already talked about education working families and their children didn’t and the racial initiative, so we’ll put those have health care. It seemed to be a heretical to the side; I’ve already talked about them— I think we have got to recognize that there idea, but I still believe that, and I’m not sorry is a legacy here which has not been fully I tried. So now we’re trying to give our chil- overcome and that the United States is con- dren health coverage. And I think you ought signing itself to substandard performance as to expect all the children in the African- a nation, if we continue to allow huge pockets American community to be able to go to a of people to be underemployed or unem- doctor when they need it. I think you ought ployed in our inner-city neighborhoods and to expect us to continue our assault on HIV in our poor rural areas, who are dispropor- and AIDS. And until we find the cure, I think tionately minority. At a time when we have you ought to expect us to stay at the task. a 5 percent unemployment rate, we ought I think you ought to expect us to continue to be able to seriously address what it would to make headway on other medical problems take to put people to work and to give people which have a disproportionate impact in your education and to create business opportuni- community. ties. These are some of the things that I think But let me just give you two examples. that you should expect of us: more oppor- We’ve had a Community Reinvestment Act tunity, tackling more of the problems, bring- requiring banks to make loans in traditionally ing us together. I have tried to be faithful underserved areas for 20 years. We decided to the support I have received, not only be- to enforce it. Seventy percent of all the loans cause it was the support I have received but made under the Community Reinvestment because I believed it was the right thing to Act have been made in the 41⁄2 years since do. And I believe that when our 8 years is this administration has been in office. In the over, you’ll be able to look back on it and 20 years, 70 percent of all the loans. That’s see not only a lot of efforts made but a lot the good news. The bad news is, not enough of results obtained. money has been loaned. Thank you very much.

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NOTE: The President spoke at 7:30 p.m. in the he was so passionate, he had a very big one. Hyatt Regency Hotel. In his remarks, he referred [Laughter] And he was very proud of them. to Arthur Fennel, president, JoAnne Lyons He was so passionate about politics that, Wooten, executive director, and Vanessa Williams, when I first him, he could actually look at vice president/print, National Association of Black the vote totals in Newton County, precinct Journalists; Mayor Richard M. Daley of Chicago; and civil rights leader Jesse Jackson. by precinct, and tell you whether a family had told him the truth or not about how they were going to vote. [Laughter] He was so passionate about being a Demo- Remarks at the Funeral Service for crat that 22 years ago, when I spoke at the Hilary Jones in Jasper, Arkansas Jasper High School commencement and July 18, 1997 commended to the seniors the example of Abraham Lincoln as a person who could Pastor, to the members of Hilary’s family, overcome adversity time and again and keep and to the legion of friends who are here going in his life, Hilary and a few others— today, let me say, first of all, that I feel pro- some of whom are in this church today— foundly honored to have been asked by the took me outside and said, ‘‘Bill, that is a won- family to speak for a moment or two about derful speech. And you can give that speech my friend. There’s not a person here today in Little Rock any day. Don’t you ever come who couldn’t stand up here and entertain us up here and brag on that Republican Presi- and relieve our grief for a few moments with dent again.’’ [Laughter] Hilary Jones stories. So as we come here to I must say that years later I was amused mourn the death of our friend, let us remem- when I finally talked him into coming to visit ber, as the pastor said, that death is a part me at the White House. I persuaded him of life for all of us. And let us take a few to spend the night in the Lincoln Bedroom— moments to celebrate his life, for he would [laughter]—something I failed to do with Bo have wanted that very much. Forney, sitting right there. [Laughter] And I first met Hilary Jones over 23 years ago afterward, as we kidded him about spending now, when I first came to Newton County. the night at the Lincoln Bedroom, he said, And I can’t exactly describe it, but after the ‘‘I did that for the President, but I slept on first time I met him, I knew that my life the side of the bed that was under Andrew would never quite be the same. He wasn’t Jackson’s picture.’’ [Laughter] like anybody I had ever met before, and I He was passionate about fish and wildlife. have seen a little bit more of the world since He loved his service on the Game and Fish then, and I never have met anybody like him Commission, and I was honored to appoint since. [Laughter] him. I think Steve Wilson, whom I see here He introduced me to the beauty, to the today, will tell you that they never had a com- history, and the fantastic characters of the missioner like him either. He was absolutely Arkansas Ozarks. Some of them are in this fool enough to believe we could bring the church building today. He took me into his elk back to Arkansas. No one else in the State home and his heart. I learned a lot about believed it, but he kept doing it. And sure politics and people. I learned that he was enough, somehow we had the elk come back quite a disarming human being. The lan- to Arkansas. guage he spoke was pure Arkansas hillbilly, If you were his friend, he was your and I think he enjoyed it if you underesti- friend—through thick and thin, in lightness mated his intelligence, which could be a fatal and dark, no matter what happened. If you error, for he was a very smart man. were his political friend, he was your friend He was deeply interested in people who whether you won or you lost. But he believed were different from him and deeply compas- that people were basically good. And he be- sionate with people who were in trouble if lieved that the purpose of politics was to help he thought they were basically good-hearted. ordinary people live their lives better. And he was so passionate about what he And I learned a lot from him about going cared about. He cared about his family, and to the sale barns and the country stores and

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