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FOIA Number: 2006-0462-F
FOIA
MAR
·This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker -by the William J. Clinton
Presid~ntial Library Staff.
Collection/Record Group:
Clinton Presidential Records
· Subgroup/Office of Origin:
Series/Staff Mernber:
Speechwriting
Terry Edmonds
Subseries:.
OA/ID Number:
10989
FolderiD:
Folder Title:
UCSD [University of California at San Diego]- POTUS Race Commission
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DRAFT
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
ERSKINE BOWLES AND SYLVIA MATHEWS
SUBJECT:·
PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION ON ONE AMERICA
FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
Or
AMERICA 2000: WHAT WILL IT MEAN?
This memorandum outlines the components of a comprehensive proposal on the President's
Commission on One America for the 21st Century.
·
ISSUES FOR DECISION
1) Whether you should appoint a commission that will help prepare Americans for the 21st
Century by working on actions to improve race relations. 2) Whether you should do a series of
town hall meetings with the commission. 3) Whether you should meet with the commissioners
once every two months. 4) Whether you should convene a White Conference on Hate Crimes.
BACKGROUND
. This memorandum describes the proposal that will help implement your call that the American
people must become "One America" and must confront unresolved issues of race and bigotry.
As we discussed with you on March 25, we have concluded that any efforts in this area must
include: 1) providing immediate "action" on this issue; and 2) examining the difficult policy issues
involved and providing recommendations for addressing them.
As we discussed in the meeting, there are some drawbacks to this option. The scope of the
initiative's charter may bring discord among key constituencies, and we may find ourselves
responding to highly visible and vocal criticism from certain constituencies. However, we believe
that appropriate outreach before the race initiative is announced and a plan for working on some
of some of the groups concerned with equality issues. Also, as with any commission and
evidenced most recently with the Health Care Quality Commission, there will be a period of
intense lobbying for commission slots between the announcement and the appointment.
The following paragraphs discuss tl)e various components of this proposal: 1) Presidential
Involvement; 2) Commission; 3) Town Hall Meeting; 4) Commission Meetings; 5) Plan for Other
Equality and Unity Issues; and 6) Outcomes.
Presidential Involvement
On April4, you would announce the White House Conference on Hate Crimes scheduled for
early May. On April 7, you would announce the Commission on One America for the 21st
Century in a major speech on race and the 21st Century. On April21, you would announce the
appointment of the commissioners. In early May, you would host a White House conference on
�Hate Crimes. In late May, you would host the first in a series of town meetings. Once every two
months, you would meet with the commission at the White House. On the anniversary ofMartin
Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, January [20;] 1998, the commission would deliver their report to you.
Commission on One America for the 21st Century or America 2000: What Will It Mean?
Charter: The commission will be charged with helping America prepare today for a 21st Century
with a rapidly changing racial composition. Their task is to do the following: 1) help lead all
Americans towards "One America" by bringing the races together through dialogue and
education, and 2) raise and answer the tough questions facing an America with a dynamic and
diverse population. In particular, the commission could focus on the following areas: criminal
justice system, education, housing and employment. In fulfilling their charter, the commission will
work to 1) heighten awareness; 2) promote reconciliation; 3) confront negative stereotypes; 4)
encourage rational discourse on divisive issues; 5) provide an update on the state of race relations
and discrimination in the U.S. today, including a report on our progress since the Kerner
Commission; 6) provide recommendations for moving the country forward; and 7) offer a
selection of realistic action items which you could pledge to pursue.
Objectives: The commission would pursue these goals through various means, including: 1)
holding town meetings, hearings and policy roundtables which include federal, state and local
leadership; 2) surveying local and community groups for ideas on best practices; 3) serving as a
clearing house to .distribute best practices to a wider range of community and governmental
bodies (e.g. ministerial groups, U.S. Conference on Mayors and National League of Cities); 4)
commissioning papers by leading scholars on discrete issues of race; 5) visiting schools and
campuses and creating youth-oriented media; 6) enlisting major businesses in the effort; 7)
nominating people and groups for a Presidential Award; 8)creating public service
announcements; 9) establishing interactive Web Site that provides for citizens input, dialogue,
information resource, schedule of commission events and more; and 10) synthesizing the
commissions findings and recommendations in the report.
Membership: The commission would be composed of approximately eight to ten members.
The commission would consist of distinguished Americans who transcend race and politics and
who embody the vision of "One America." They will be diverse professionally and racially. (The
attached list provides examples only for your consideration.)
Executive Director I Staff: An executive director and deputy director would head the
commission, and be responsible for managing the commission's work. Among other duties, this
will include: 1) supporting the commission members in their deliberations; 2) helping to develop
and oversee the commission's research agenda; 3) scheduling and arranging commission meetings
and hearings; 4) overseeing the preparation ofworking papers and a final report; 5) serving as a
point of contact for the press and others who are interested in the commission's work; 6) serving
as a liaison between the commission and the White House and Executive Branch; and 7) reaching
out to the public along with the commissioners. (The attached list provides suggestions on the
2
DRAFT
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executive director for your consideration.)
A full-time staff of about 30 professional and support employees will assist the commission's
directors. These individuals would 1) help carry out the research program; 2) work with the
press; 3) be responsible for travel and logistical arrangement for meetings; 4) public hearings and
other fact finding efforts; and 5) provide editorial support and other administrative support. Also,
various consultants and contractors will be hired to supplement the full-time staff The
commission will probably have to be housed in space outside the White House.
(For the Kerner Commission, President Johnson appointed David Ginsburg to be executive
director and Victor H. Palmer as deputy executive director. They divided the Commission's work
into two phases. In the first phase, it held 20 days of public hearings between August and
November 1967. More than 130 individuals from federal, state and local government, including
leaders from the civil rights, labor, religious, and business community testified. Ninety
professional and clerical workers supported this phase. The second phase,· which extended from
December 1967 to February 1968, involved reviewing the information collected from its extensive
research program (e.g., they developed riot profiles on 23 cities) and drafting its final report. A
professional staff of 45 professionals and clerical staff supported this phase of the work.)
Town Hall Meetings
In early June, you would kick off the Commission's town meetings by hosting the first one. This
meeting would focus on promoting the commission's goal creating dialogue and preparing a road
map for the 21st Century. It would provide a forum for you to emphasize the positive, forwardlooking aspects of the commission and challenge the country to actively engage the commission
and each other.
After this initial town meeting, the commission would hold a series of others, in cities and rural
areas around the country. You would attend three more meetings throughout the year. At these
town hall meetings, commission members could encourage local officials to have preparatory,
parallel and/or follow-up sessions on their own to try to agree on, or at least identify, key
problems and solutions. These townmeetings would focus on specific issues (e.g. judicial system
in Los Angeles, California; employment in Detroit, Michigan; education in rural south; housing in
Chicago, Illinois or Santa Fe, New Mexico. These locations are illustrative only.) The
participants would consist of mostly people from the community. They would be policy road
tests where communities can provide feedback on potential policy outcomes.
Commission Meetings
Once every two months, the commissioners will come to the White House to meet with you. At
these meetings, they will brief on their experiences and progress. They could also brief the White
House press.
3
DRAFT
�Report
On January [20,] 1998, the anniversary ofMartin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, the commission will
deliver their report to you. The report will reflect their outreach to thousands of Americans
through town meetings, interviews, the nation's best minds on this subject and those. It would
include a review existing research, and recommend actions. This report could be a living
document that educates the nation on the face of the nation, frame the debate and provide
concrete solutions for a long time to come.
Plan for Other Equality and Unity Issues
Since this initiative will focus on race issues, we are developing a plan that will address other
issues of equality and unity. For example, in early May you would host a White House
Conference on Hate Crimes. The conference would unequivocally signal the Administration's
opposition to and abhorrence of violence against those who may be different from us, and bring
affected groups together to identify commonalities and possible solutions. Also in May, the you
would endorse the Equality and Non-Discrimination Act.
Outcomes
When the commission completes its work on January 20, 1998, you will have accomplished a
number ofthings. By speaking out, you will have brought others to recognize crisis of presentthe turning _away. Through the commission's work and your participation in the town meetings,
you will have initiated far-reaching dialogue on racial issues. The American public will be
provided with precision and accuracy of our racial history and the importance of taking steps to
redress vestiges of that past through commission and leadership. There will be an assessment of
where we have gone as a nation since Kerner, and what are we headed towards, including
assessment of the rapidly changing racial dynamics of this country. We will hopefully have started
to the reverse trend of"resegregation" through our dialogue and the commission's report. We
will have gained an understanding of the divided perceptions between the races and started to
bridge that gap. We will have concrete recommendations for moving forward.
RECOMMENDATION
That you appoint a commission that will help prepare Americans for the 21st Century by working
on actions to improve race relations, do a series of town hall meetings with the commission, meet
with commissioners once every two months, and convene a White Conference on Hate Crimes.
4
n~AfT·
UF{ "' , o
�DECISIONS
That you appoint a commission that will help prepare Americans for the 21st Century by working
on actions to improve race relations.
approve _ _ _ _ __
disapprove _ _ _ _ __
let's discuss - - - - - -
That you do a series of town hall meetings with the commission.
approve _ _ _ _ __
disapprove _ _ _ _ __
let's discuss
------
That you meet with commissioners once every two months.
approve _ _ _ _ __
disapprove _ _ _ _ __
let's discuss - - - - - -
That you convene a White Conference on Hate Crimes.
approve _ _ _ _ __
disapprove _ _ _ _ __
5
let's discuss - - - - - -
�COMMISSION'S CRARTER
The commission will.be .charged with helping America prepare today for a 21st Century with a
. rapidly changing racial composition by administering a nationwide program of dialogue, study and
action addressing the issues of race and pluralism. In particular, the commission will focus those
basic areas which are important in providing every American the unhindered ability to pursue the
American dream: education, employment, and housing. Also, the commission will address the
unique issues which affect the goal of racial reconciliation and understanding: melting pot
tensions, youth, economic issues, criminal justice, violence and global economic leadership.
�For Discussion on Outcomes
By the time the Commission completes its work on January 20, 1998, you will have accomplished
the following:
First, by heading this initiative through high-profile town hall meetings and a commission,
you proviqed Presidential leadership that raised and sustained this issue to a height in the
nation's psyche that it had not found except for discrete periods and only in times of
trouble.
Second, despite the divisiveness that this issue often bears and bore in some cases over the
past eight months, you framed and focused the debate with a positive, futuristic focus.
Through this leadership and the commission, the country gained a genuine appreciation of
racial diversity as one of America's true strengths.
Third, through your participation in the town hall meetings in particular, the country
initiated, engaged and continues to engage in a far-reaching, constructive dialogue on
racial issues between the races and among races.
Fourth, because ofthe commission's research, scholarship and public hearings, the
American public received precise, accurate and concrete information on our racial history
and destiny.
Fifth, due to the receipt of accurate and insightful information, the races gained a more
accurate perception about themselves and how they perceive each other. This information
brought the perception gap closer and debunked someofthe myths and half-truths that
have crept into the perceptions of one race's view of the other and itself
Si¥h, your leadership on this issue and the commission's work started a process that
reversed, or at least halted, the disturbing trend of "resegregation" occurring throughout
the nation.
Seventh, the commission provided concrete, specific recommendations for moving
forward to achieve a nation that gains strength from its dynamic racial composition.
Eighth, you stimulated a network of communities provided ...
�AGENDA
Mission/Outcomes: Clearly articulate the specific mission of this initiative and the outcomes that
will result-- 1) what is the mission ofthe commission and initiative? 2) why will this commission
be successful and not simply another study? 3) What will be different because ofthis President
and this commission in January of next year and twenty years from now (2 days).
Commission/Council: Discuss the vehicle's name.
Presidential decision: Engage the President in the decision process which requires review and
input.
Speech: Find a good venue and prepare a quality speech, which may include active involvement
in speech writing and practice (7-10 days).
Commission Members and Executive Director: Choose commission members and then vet
them (25 days from Presidential selection).
Outreach: Conduct outreach to inform appropriate people of initiative (at least 200 people from
various groups). This includes a small subset of people whom we will consult for advice on
commission members and the initiative idea generally (3-5 days).
Press strategy: Coordinate and implement a press strategy for roll-out (7-14 days).
Broader Equality Issues Plan: Develop our strategy for working on broader equality issues,
including proposals for a White House Conference on Hate Crimes and an event marking the
submission ofthe Employment Non-Discrimination Act (5-7 days).
l
Funding: Create funding mechanism.
FACA: Resolve FACA issues.
WH Staffing: Secure a point ·person to work with the commission (e.g. John Emerson on the
Summit) and decide who will work with the commission on policy matters (3 days).
Executive Order: Create E.O,
Background materials: Prepare background materials - tps, q&as and info sheets.
Alternative Dates: If we choose not to go on April 7. Other dates we think are available are
April 23, 24, 29 or 30.
··
Other Items ...
�Discussion on Mission
The commission will be charged with helping America prepare today for a 21st Century with a
rapidly changing racial composition. Their task is to do the following:
1) help lead all Americans towards "One America" by bringing the races together through
dialogue and education, and
2) raise and answer the tough questions facing an America with a dynamic and diverse
population.
In particular, the commission could focus on the following areas as they affect our diverse nation:
criminal justice system, education, housing,. employment, melting pot tensions and economic
tssues. In fulfilling their charter, the commission will work to
1) heighten awareness of the importance of rising above race;
2) promote reconciliation;
3) confront negative stereotypes;
4) close the gap between the perceptions of the races;
5) encourage rational discourse on divisive issues;
6) provide an update on the state of race relations and discrimination in the U.S. today,
including a report on our progress since the Kerner Commission;
7) provide recommendations for moving the country forward; and
8) offer a selection of realistic action items which you could pledge to pursue.
�March 31, 1997
MEMORANDUM FOR SYLVIA MATHEWS
FROM:
TERRY EDMONDS
SUBJECT:
RACE COMMISSION
Per our 11 am meeting today, I am forwarding you my 8 names for a race commission.
Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rainbow Coalition
Kweisi Mfume, NAACP
Henry Cisneros, Hispanic leader
Wilma Mankiller, Native American leader
Robert Woodson, African American conservative
John Singleton, African American film maker
Norm Mineta, Asian-American leader
Lois Salisbury, Children Now
This is a list of people whom I know to be thoughtful, committed and activist. I believe they
reflect diversity of race and philosophy. 1 have no suggestion for an executive director at this
time.
�-
-
----
- - - - - - - - -
-~~-
AGENDA
Mission/Outcomes: Clearly articulate the specific mission of this initiative and the outcomes that
will'result -- 1) what is the mission of the commission and initiative? 2) why will this commission
be successful and not simply another study? 3) What will be different because ofthis President
and this commission in January of next year and twenty years from now (2 days).
Commission/Council: Discuss the vehicle's name.
Presidential decision: Engage the President in the decision process which requires review and
input.
Speech: Find a good venue and prepare a quality speech, which may include active involvement
in.speech writing and practice (7-H) days).
Commission Members and Executive Director: Choose commission members and then vet
them (25 days from Presidential selection).
Outreach: Conduct outreach to inform appropriate people of initiative (at least 200 people from
various groups). This includes a small subset of people whom we will consult for advice on
commission members and the initiative idea generally (3-5 days).
Press strategy: Coordinate and implement a press strategy for roll-out (7-14 days).
Broader Equality Issues Plan: Develop our strategy for working on broader equality issues,
including proposals for a White House Conference on Hate Crimes and an event marking the
submission of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act'(S-7 days).
Funding: Create funding mechanism.
FACA: Resolve FACA issues.
WH Staffing: Secure a point person to work with the commission (e.g. John Emerson on the
Summit) and decide who will work with the commission on policy matters (3 days).
Executive Order: Create E.O.
Background materials: Prepare background materials - tps, q&as and info sheets.
Alternative Dates: If we choose not to go on April 7. Other dates we think are available are
April 23, 24, 29 or 30.
Other Items ...
�PREVIOUS
PRESIDE(I~jilMMISSIONS DEALING
WITH RACf~NS
OVERVIEW
Previously, two Presidential Commissions dealt with the subject of race relations. President Truman
established the President's Committee on Civil Rights in December 1946, to investigate racial
violence and recommend remedial measures. The second commission was the National Advisory
Commission on Civil Disorders, widely known as the Kerner Commission. President Johnson
appointed it on July 27, 1967, following riots in the mid 1960s.
In addition, two other historical gatherings dealing with race have occurred that have a bearing on
the current proposal. President Lyndon B. Johnson convened the White House Conference To
Fulfill These Rights, on June 1-2, 1966. Its purpose was to "seek a solution ofthe Negro Problem
since the Civil War," and to figure out how to best translate the promise of racial equality into
reality. Finally, the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library at the University of Texas in Austin, sponsored
a symposiwn on civil rights. Equal Opportunity in the United States, December 11-12, 1972. Its
primary purpose was to honor Johnson's contributions to civil rights, but it also dealt with the
unfinished agenda with respect to racial justice for blacks.
PRESIDENT'S COMMITTEE ON CIVIL RIGHTS
President Truman established the President's Committee on Civil Rights in December 1946, in
response to an impending racial crisis between blacks and whites. With the return ofhundreds of
thousands of black soldiers who had fought overseas in World War II, and the migration north of
thousands more searching for economic betterment, a new age of black aspiration had been ushered
in. Simultaneously, a violent white backlash persisted in the south, which relied on Jim Crow
segregation, poll taxes and literacy tests, and lynching to dissuade black advancement. Eventually,
tensions between blacks and whites erupted into race riots in several major cities.
Guided by Charles Wilson. President of the General Electric Corporation, the Committee thoroughly
examined the issue of civil rights, in both public and private forums. On October 29, 1947, the
Committee issued its report, To Secure These Rights. The report concluded that there was a large
gap between what the country stood for and the reality for millions of blacks. It recommended the
enactment of many civil rights laws, including:
•
•
•
Providing federal protection against lynching;
Banning poll taxes and protecting the right to vote;
Establishment of a permanent Fair Employment Practices Commission;
Expanding the Justice Department's civil rights section;
Desegregating the military;
Home rule for the District of Columbia;
Resolving the evacuation claims of Japanese-Americans interned during World War II; and
Proposals attacking segregation in education, housing, and interstate transportation.
�Trwnan enthusiastically endorsed To Secure These Rights, calling it "an American charter ofhwnan
freedom." On February 2, 1948, he sent Congress a message on civil rights followed by specific
legislation to dismantle segregation and ensure black voting rights. Noting that not "all groups are
free to live and work where they please or to improve their conditions of life by their own efforts,"
he urged Congress to enact into law the Committee's recommendations.
Most African-American leaders, the NAACP, and the black press embraced the president's efforts,
as did white liberal organizations such as Americans for Democratic Action. Ultimately, Truman
failed to get any of his legislative program enacted because of strong congressional opposition.
However, when his initiatives stalled on capitol hill, he issued executive orders to: 1) desegregate
the Armed Forces and 2) to fight discriminatory hiring practices by Federal agencies. In the end,
opposition to Truman's proposals was so great that he made only modest progress in fighting
segregation over the next two years of his term.
KERNER COMMISSION
This presidential commission was headed by Illinois Governor Otto Kerner. The Commission's
0fficial title is the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, however, it is widely known
as the Kerner Commission. It was appointed by President Johnson on July 27, 1967, following a
series of riots in dozens of American cities in the mid 1960s. The worst riots occurred in Newark,
New Jersey, and in Detroit, Michigan during the summer of 1967. In the wake of the Detroit Riots,
hundreds of black and white businesses were destroyed, forty-three people lost their lives, and over
7,200 people were arrested.
President Johnson appointed the Commission to find out whether any subversive or conspiratorial
elements were involved and to determine how future riots could be avoided. The Commission was
also charged with examining the reasons why ghettos persisted. It also explored the problems of
unemployment, family structure. and social disorganization in the ghettos, and the experiences of
other immigrants With those of blacks. In addressing the nation on the racial disturbances sweeping
the country, Johnson said, "[t]he only genuine, long-range solution for what has happened lies in an
attack -- mounted at every level -- upon the conditions that breed despair and violence. All of us
know what those conditions are: ignorance, slwns, poverty, disease, not enough jobs. We should
attack these conditions -- not because we are frightened by conflict, but because we are fired by
conscience. We should attack them because there is simply no other way to achieve a decent and
orderly society in America.··
On March l, 1968, the Kerner Commission issued its report, stating that the United States was
"moving toward two societies. one black, one white-- separate and unequal." The report warned
that racism and hatred were growing deeper and that communication between the two communities
was breaking down. Unlike the earlier Truman commission that largely focused on civil and legal
rights, the Kerner Commission pointed out the growing economic inequality among the races.
2
�Many civil disturbances in I 960s occurred in northern cities where the most oppressive vestiges of
segregation had not existed. There. African Americans were confronted with substandard housing,
meager job possibilities. and the absence of economic and political power.
The Commission recommended a massive government assault on the economic inequality between
the races, which would have cost billions of public dollars to implement in its entirety. The
Commission's key recommendations called for:
•
•
•
Creating public and private sector jobs in the inner cities aimed at the hard-core unemployed;
Eliminating desegregation in both secondary and higher education;
Improving the quality education in inner city schools;
Overhauling public welfare programs, including providing "a national system of income
supplementation," for the working poor; and
Eradicating inner city slums. including building low and moderate income housing
units.
Although the Commission uncovered no seditious or conspiratorial ingredients, many did not like
the report, possibly owing to the culpability it attributed to the white community. Generally, white
liberals applauded it; conservatives felt that its assessment was prejudiced and unfair; and blacks
regarded it simply as another report. Beyond this, critics say all levels of government largely
ignored the report. Reportedly, Johnson was deeply suspicious of the Commission's
recommendations, and refused to comment on the report, or allow the Commission to present it to
him. or even sign form letters thanking the members for their work. Johnson was convinced that
there was a conspiracy behind the riots.
Although critics charge that the Commission's recommendations were not immediately adopted,
others argue that the report significantly altered public opinion on racial matters and helped pave
the way for later successes. For example. de jure segregation was eliminated by 1960's civil rights
legislation and affirmative action and other programs were started to help close the economic gap
between blacks and whites. Also. in 1969, the Supreme Court ordered cities to desegregate their
schools immediately and in I 971. they approved the use of busing to accomplish this aim.
Moreover, Charles Evers was elected Mayor of a Mississippi city. Additional electoral victories
soon followed in Detroit. Cleveland. Los Angeles. Chicago, Gary, Indiana. and other cities. Thus,
most experts say that we have made progress, but that much remains to be done.
WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE FULFILL THESE RIGHTS
On June I -2, 1966. President Lyndon B. Johnson convened the White House Conference To Fulfill
these Rights. Its purpose was to "seek a solution of the Negro Problem since the Civil War," and
to "move beyond opportunity to achievement." President Johnson announced his intentions to hold
this conference at a speech he gave at Howard University. on June 4, 1965.
3
�Leading up the conference, the White House held a national planning session November 17-18,
1965. Attending was more than 200 scholars and practitioners from the civil rights, labor, business,
education, religious, and social welfare community who met for intensive working sessions on eight
subjects of concern. The result was a comprehensive set of recommendations dealing with four areas:
economic security and welfare, education, housing, and administration of justice.
In February 1966, the President appointed a 30-member Council to oversee the Conference. In
addition, White House and agency staff, and various consultants collected extensive background
materials and prepared background papers for the conference itself. The published proceedings
distilled the background materials and previously prepared recommendations for each area.
According to reports, more than 2,500 people participated in the conference. In retrospect, many
Conference's recommendations were later reflected in the programs of the Great Society.
CIVIL RIGHTS SYMPOSIUM PROGRAM:
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IN THE UNITED STATES
The LBJ School of Public Affairs in Austin, Texas, held a civil rights symposium on December 1112, 1972, Equal Opportunity in the United States, in which all the major civil rights and other
leaders at the time attended. Many of these leaders have since died, but other surviving participants
include Vernon Jordan, Roger Wilkins, Julian Bond, Gary Hatcher, Yvonne Brathwaite Burke
among others. Besides honoring LBJ, the main purpose of the symposium was to discuss what
should be done in the future with respect to civil rights. It was felt that we had already taken all of
the required legislative actions, and that the next steps were purely economic opportunity.
Chief Justice Earl Warren was the keynote speaker at the conference. Hubert Humphrey, Barbara
Johnson, Louis Stokes, and Henry Gonzalez, were among the other speakers. In addition, in what
was his last address before dying shortly after the conference, Johnson summed up the progress that
we had made with respect to civil rights over the years saying, "that it's time to leave aside legalisms
and euphemisms and eloquent evasions. It's time we get down to the business of trying to stand
black and white on level ground." He went on to ask the participants a series of questions:
Are the federal government and the state government, the foundations, the churches, the
universities, all doing what they can do to assure enough scholarships for young blacks?
Are our professions such as law, medicine, accounting, etc., sounding the call to make
sure that Blacks are taking the leadership courses to avail themselves of leadership
opportunities in professional careers?
Are our trade unions and those concern with vocational occupations do the same with
regard to apprenticeship and training programs?
•
Are employers who have already opened their doors to Blacks making sure that they are
4
�providing advancement opportunities up the career ladder?
Johnson concluded his remarks, saying "[w]e know there's injustice. We know there's intolerance.
We know there's discrimination and hate and suspicion. And we know there's division between us.
But there is a larger truth. We have proved that great progress is possible. We know how much still
remains to be done. And if our efforts continue and our will strong and if our hearts are right and
if courage remains our constant companion, then, my fellow Americans, I am confident we shall
overcome."
5
�
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Title
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Terry Edmonds
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Office of Speechwriting
James (Terry) Edmonds
Date
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1995-2001
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A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/show/36090" target="_blank">Collection Finding Aid</a>
<a href="https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7763294" target="_blank">National Archives Catalog Description</a>
Identifier
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2006-0462-F
Description
An account of the resource
Terry Edmonds worked as a speechwriter from 1995-2001. He became the Assistant to the President and Director of Speechwriting in 1999. His speechwriting focused on domestic topics such as race relations, veterans issues, education, paralympics, gun control, youth, and senior citizens. He also contributed to the President’s State of the Union speeches, radio addresses, commencement speeches, and special dinners and events. The records include speeches, letters, memorandum, schedules, reports, articles, and clippings.
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
Publisher
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William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
635 folders in 52 boxes
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
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Paper
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
UCSD [University of California at San Diego] – POTUS Race Commission
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Office of Speechwriting
James (Terry) Edmonds
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
2006-0462-F
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
Box 41
<a href="http://www.clintonlibrary.gov/assets/Documents/Finding-Aids/2006/2006-0462-F.pdf" target="_blank">Collection Finding Aid</a>
<a href="https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7763294" target="_blank">National Archives Catalog Description</a>
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
Format
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Adobe Acrobat Document
Medium
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Reproduction-Reference
Date Created
Date of creation of the resource.
12/9/2014
Source
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42-t-7763294-20060462F-041-011-2014
7763294