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Achievement Against the Odds 5/3/90 [OA 6898]
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Achievement Against the Odds 5/3/90 [OA 6898]
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Records of the White House Office of Speechwriting (George H. W. Bush Administration)
Speech Backup Chronological Files
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D
Originally Processed With FOIA(s):
FOIA Number:
S
S
FOIA
MARKER
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the George Bush Presidential
Library Staff.
Record Group/Collection:
George H.W. Bush Presidential Records
Collection/Office of Origin:
Speechwriting, White House Office of
Series:
Speech File Backup Files
Subseries:
Chron File, 1989-1993
OA/ID Number:
13717
Folder ID Number:
13717-007
Folder Title:
Achievement Against the Odds 5/3/90 [OA 6898]
Stack:
Row:
Section:
Shelf:
Position:
G
26
20
5
5
Davis/Martin
April 24, 1990
1990
Title: Odds
AFR
2
Draft: Two
32
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS: ACHIEVEMENT AGAINST THE ODDS, ROSE GARDEN
Thursday, May 3, 1990 ((Time))
( (Acknowledgements: Robert Woodson, etc. ))
((It's great to get outdoors again. Perhaps you saw on
the news last week that Millie was hanging around, just over the
other side of the hedge here -- when something bit her on the
nose. Now I'm not sure if it was a squirrel or a cat, but I just
to investigate.
((And, of course, you know that whenever I go anywhere,
a half dozen secret service agents follow right along.
or
imagine this -- the seven of us poking around the hedges,
non-unct.
looking for the culprit, when\
you guessed it it\\
the
1.5.Agent
sprinklers came on. III So, Millie -- girl, from now on, you're
on your own. ))\\\
We are here today because of the leadership of the Allstate
Foundation, and the vision of Robert Woodson and the National
Center for Neighborhood Enterprise.
For years, Bob has opposed the idea that big problems can
only be solved by big government solutions. He believes that no
federal program can begin to match the strength of our people and
our neighborhoods. He believes that to fight poverty, crime and
despair, we must first empower the powerless.
Empower Americans to help themselves.
2
Empower them to help their neighbors.
Empower them to become leaders, to make the coming century
yet another American century.
This is, in truth, happening, as the age of the individual
dawns around the world, from Moscow to Managua. So let us
remember, in this heartland of individualism, our own American
tradition of self-reliance. While government has a critical role
to play, we've been too willing in recent years to look first to
faceless bureaucracies in Washington for answers. We are
learning that if there is to be a better future, it must arise in
the hearts of the men and women who struggle daily against
poverty, ignorance and prejudice.
We are here today to honor a select few who are creating
such a future; seven chosen out of twenty thousand to receive the
first Achievement Against the Odds Award. They are not winning
Oscars; they are not recipients of the Pulitzer or Nobel Prizes.
But what they have done -- what they have achieved -- is, in
truth, every bit as great and beautiful as the work of any actor,
Kiss
Release
artist or scientist. For we have with us today seven men and
women who prevailed over handicap and heartache.
444
*** Take Charles A. Ballard. An orphan, he grew up to
become a teen father, chemically dependent and a prison inmate.
Now Charles has legally adopted and raised his son; earned a
Master's degree; and founded the Teen Father Program, which helps
thousands of teen fathers deal with their responsibilities.
(four)
3
*** Also with us is Bobby Drayton, who will tell you that
he was twice victimized, first by epilepsy, then by self-pity
But by age 17, Bobby had enough of feeling sorry for himself. He
decided to fight his condition through athletics, becoming one of
the toughest competitors on the Howard University gymnastics
team. Bobby Drayton also formed and headed youth programs for
disadvantaged kids. Like a gymnast on the parallel bars,
balances his success with service to others.
hisporits
*** Freddie Garcia grew up amid poverty, illiteracy and
discrimination In fact, some of his teachers and students
actually managed to convince X Freddie that he was a failure. And,
as so often happens, the prediction became self-fulling. Freddie
eventually became addicted to drugs, a criminal
4
But then he found his faith, earned a degree from the Latin
X
American Bible Institute, and founded Victory Outreach of Texas -
- a Christian-oriented rehabilitation center which, under his
endorsement?
leadership, has developed one of the most effective programs in
12
the fight against drug addiction, alcoholism and other life-
consuming problems. A man who has come back from the precipice
can best warn others of the dangers of drugs. Freddie is such a
man. He is living proof that success is also a self-fulfilling
prophesy.
*** Cheryl Hayes is a mother who was dependent on welfare,
and much worse, dependent 1) on drugs. Now she's the head of a
support group for youth with addicted family members. And she's
WRONG
4
also working hard with her family to invest 500 hours of sweat
equity" in the home she is building with Habitat for Humanity.
*** Or consider Kathleen Smallwood Johnson, whose father
yrs
was murdered when she was fourteen, and mother was murdered when
Ztr
she was sixteen So at an age that for most of us is the most
carefree time of our lives, Kathleen became the head of her
family.
But she raised her three brothers and sisters. She re-
entered college and graduated. She's now a successful attorney,
and a mother to her late X sister's three children and two children
of her own, and still has time to serve her community.
*** Brad Linnenkamp calls himself "physically challenged"
because he challenges cerebral X palsy with a tenacity most of us
can only imagine. Brad volunteers and now works full-time as a
counselor. He has no time to worry about his own problems
because he's too busy caring for others who are in greater need
than himself.
4
*** And finally, there is Vivienne S. Thompson. She is a
wheelchair-bound single parent. But Vivienne didn't let that
hold her back. She often confronts the barriers, some of
concrete, others of culture, that fenced-in so many disabled
Americans. As an anti-poverty leader in Boston, she also helped
establish the first Head Start class for severely disabled
handicapped low-income children.
Each of these seven Americans provides a definition of the
word "empowerment." Whether they turned to a higher power for
5
inspiration, or drew deep from the strength of their souls, they
represent the survival instinct in all of us, and something more:
A yearning to help others -- to be a guiding star to someone who
is lost, to be a point of light.
Zane Grey once wrote that: "To bear up under loss,
to
smile when tears are close, to resist evil men and base instincts
to seek ever after the glory and the dream
that is
what any man can do, and SO be great."
In this way, each of you have achieved greatness -- the kind
that brings out the greatness in others.
Congratulations. Thank you all, God bless you and may God
bless America.
Zane Grey Museem
Dr. Joe L. Wheeler
Zauresville, ohio
office (301) 891 - 4068
(614)872 -3143
home (301)757-7062
Wanderer of the Wasteland
Noted Scholar of Grey,
P 410 -411
has read all 13 million Words (Books)
Teaches Grey in College
all 5,000 Letters, Numerory Jerrous
Tr
National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise
1367 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036 / (202) 331-1103
FIRST ANNUAL ACHIEVEMENT AGAINST THE ODDS AWARD RECIPIENTS
1.
Charles Augustus Ballard
Charles Augustus Ballard is founder and executive director of The Teen Father
Program in Cleveland, Ohio. Established in 1982, The Teen Program is a
remarkable community-based agency that provides comprehensive outreach,
counseling, parental education, employment training, and conflict resolution
services to young fathers and their families.
Orphaned and separated from his three brothers at age 3, Mr. Ballard experienced
early in his life the pain of abandonment. His pain would later manifest in poor
school performance and a pattern of deviant behavior. He eventually dropped out
of school, became a teen father, ran away from home and joined the Armed
Forces at age 17. By age 24 he was chemical dependent, undesirably discharged
from the Armed Forces, convicted of a crime and serving a three year prison
sentence.
Mired in what seemingly was an endless cycle of adversity, Mr. Ballard began to
assess his life while in prison; and with the guidance of a fellow inmate, he
discovered self-respect, compassion, and love for others and God. He was
released from prison several months ahead of schedule, as he was considered
completely rehabilitated.
As a "free" man, Mr. Ballard was determined to make life better for himself and
others. He legally adopted his son and raised him. He took the GED test and
entered college in 1966. He graduated in 1970 and the same year entered
graduate school at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. After
graduating with a Master's Degree in May 1972, he began working in the
community to make a difference.
Since its inception, the Teen Father Program founded by Mr. Ballard has served
over four thousand teen fathers, teaching them to take control of their own lives
and to provide a future for their children. Mr. Ballard was born in 1936.
"Turning Problems Into Opportunities"
2)
Bobby Drayton
Bobby Drayton is an epileptic whose rise above adversity was both physical and
spiritual. In his early childhood, Mr. Drayton was pushed down a flight of stairs
while on his tricycle and suffered a head injury that developed into the chronic
seizure disorder, epilepsy. As an adolescent and into his early teens, Mr. Drayton
became discouraged by the medical prognosis that his illness was permanent. He
became immersed in self-pity and as his self-esteem worsened so too did his
epilepsy.
At the age of 17 during the summer of 1973, Bobby Drayton decided that their
must be a way to combat his condition. While a high school student in
Washington, D.C., he pursued gymnastics training to build his physical stamina.
He also became spiritually enriched by a newfound belief in God. During high
school, Mr. Drayton worked as a volunteer in his community, teaching gymnastics
to inner-city youths and slimnastics to adults and senior citizens. In 1974, he won
fourth place in a city-wide high school vaulting competition and continued to place
formidably in competitions as a member of Howard University's gymnastics team.
a mean musli
Mr. Drayton has trained and worked extensively as a Szechuan chef, while
maintaining an active interest in the sport of gymnastics. He formed a youth
program that provides disadvantaged and handicapped black youths with an
opportunity to participate on Howard University's gymnastics team.
Today at age 33 Bobby Drayton is founder and president of Courtesy Kids
Ministries Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides mentors, educational
services, and counseling to disadvantaged youth.
This fall, Mr. Drayton will attend George Washington University in the District of
Columbia to earn a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration. He is aspiring
as well to build a hotel in the summer of 1991, to establish an educational training
center for youth, and to forge a joint-venture program with the public and private
sector that assists handicapped and disadvantaged youths.
3)
Freddie Garcia
"There is a whole generation of young people who need to be reached before they
become casualties of addiction. Prevention is better that rehabilitation." Those are
the watch words of Freddie Garcia, a reformed drug addict, pusher and mugger
who founded Victory Outreach of Texas-- a Christian-oriented rehabilitation center
which, under his leadership, has freely provided one of the most effective
programs in the fight against drug addiction, alcoholism and life-controlling
problems. Victory Outreach has been in existence for more than 20 years and has
managed without the assistance of Federal resources.
Mr. Garcia, age 44, was born to patriotic but illiterate parents who wished for the
Mexican-American son every success. However, as a child, Freddie experienced
discrimination from teachers and students who perceived him as intellectually
inferior. As a result, his cherished belief that he could achieve academic
excellence gradually deteriorated and he dropped out of school.
After failing in his mind as a student, he married and later divorced. His failure as
husband was the final blow in a succession of adverse punches. He became a
heroin addict, a vagrant and a criminal in a struggle to feed his addiction.
However, he rallied from despair by establishing a relationship with God. He
attended and graduated from the Latin American Bible Institute.
Since his emergence from addiction and defeat, Freddie has shared his account
of struggle with countless numbers of youths who are immediately inspired by his
great comeback and, more importantly, are deterred from indulging in a life of
crime and drugs.
4)
Cheryl Hayes
A former "welfare" mother and drug addict, Cheryl Hayes has risen above her
dependencies on Federal welfare and illicit substances to lead a life devoted to
Christian fellowship. In 1986, after floundering for 16 years, Cheryl secured a job
with Wisconsin Correctional Service as a caseworker in their Outreach Home
Detention Program. The job was Cheryl's first step toward self-sufficiency. She
came off of welfare and began supporting her family of five children.
Ms. Hayes applied for a Habitat for Humanity home in early 1989 and is working
hard with her family to put in the 500 hours of sweat equity required of a Habitat
family. Soon she will be able to purchase and move into her new home.
Having publicly committed herself to Christ and the Church, Cheryl is expressing
her faith by serving as a mentor for youth in her congregation and community.
She served as Youth Coordinator and a Sunday school teacher at her church from
1988-1990. She developed a support group for youth with family members
addicted to drugs. The support group has prove invaluable to a community
ravished by drugs.
Through her many church and community involvements, Cheryl has had an
amazing impact in advocating concerns related to youth development and
leadership. In addition to raising her five children, Cheryl is raising a 16-year-old
foster son. Her presence as a chaperon at youth activities, her participation as a
counselor at church retreats, and her willingness to transport youth to and from
activities, makes it abundantly clear to youth that she cares about them.
Her experience as a recovering addict, former welfare dependent, and single
parent has led her to recognize and share the importance of spiritual values. She
expresses a radiant faith and a profound commitment to help at-risk youth.
5)
Kathleen Smallwood Johnson
Kathleen Smallwood Johnson is an exceptional woman whose achievements are
marked by a profound belief in God and self. In 1969, when Kathleen was 14
years old, her father was brutally murdered. Just two years later in 1971, her
mother was murdered. The oldest of four children, Kathleen-- still a child-- was left
to raise her siblings. She enrolled in college but was forced to withdraw due to the
family crisis. One of Kathleen's sister's was suicidal. The family unit became
dysfunctional as they mourned the tragic loss of their parents.
Though she had every reason to lose hope, Kathleen did not. She began
speaking at churches encouraging youth to surmount adversity and aspire for
excellence. She reentered college and matriculated successfully. Just as the
family was beginning to show signs of stabilization, in 1981 the troubled sister
committed suicide, leaving three children to be raised by Kathleen. Kathleen had
two children of her own. In 1983, Kathleen packed-up all the children, left Trenton,
NJ and moved to Connecticut where she enrolled in the University of Bridgeport
School of Law. In 1986, Kathleen was graduated and in 1987 became a member
of the New Jersey Bar.
An active community as well as public servant, Attorney Johnson serves on the
board of directors of the Montclair Child Development Corporation; the Montclair
Library; the local NAACP; and a host of other civic organizations. She is also
active in her church.
6.
Brad Linnenkamp
A native of Shawnee, Kansas, Brad Linnenkamp is a living testament to the fact
that he is merely "physically challenged," not "handicapped," by the disability
created when he was born with cerebral palsy 23 years ago. He has filled those
spaces in his life which might be reserved for self-pity with an ardent desire to help
others to overcome their handicaps -- despite the limitations imposed by his own
condition.
In September 1987, Brad began volunteer work in the Adult Day Care Program at
the Johnson County Mental Retardation Center. This is a goal-oriented program
of developmental and therapeutic services designed to maintain, increase or
maximize an individual's independent functioning in self-care, physical and
emotional growth, socialization, communication, education and pre-vocational
skills.
Defying conventional wisdom that he participate as a client, Brad devoted three
days per week to work one-on-one with those in day care on their individual
objectives, assist in group activities, personal care. But most important, he
provided the positive reinforcement that made a discernible difference in the lives
of all who were personally touched by his considerable inner strength.
This portrait in selflessness takes on an added dimension with Brad's consistent
demonstration of the courage he has shown in improving the quality of his own life
by inspiring and helping others to do the same. His rapport with each client is
characterized by that extra measure of support and praise that can only come from
one who understands the value of achieving greater personal independence.
Subsisting on his meager Social Security Income Assistance, Brad nonetheless
provided his own wheelchair-accessible transportation to perform his valuable
volunteer work.
In February, Brad was able to put his volunteer experience to work when he took
a job as an aide assisting developmentally disabled clients at Faith Village. The
dedication, enthusiasm for life and determination to enrich the lives of others
earned this remarkable young man the "Extra Mile Volunteer Award" for 1989
presented by the Volunteer Center of Johnson County, Kansas. Now Brad
Linnenkamp's exemplary life is being recognized nationally as he becomes one of
the inaugural winners of NCNE's "Achievement Against the Odds Award."
7.
Vivienne S. Thomson
Poverty, abandonment, single parenthood, life-threatening disabilities: a formidable
combination of obstacles to be sure. But Vivienne S. Thomson has emerged a
winner and inspiration to others by the sheer power of her will and determination.
Perhaps the inner strength of Vivienne's Native American (Choctaw) ancestors
helped her to survive her first tests -- extensive burns sustained in a fire during her
childhood and a fall during an epileptic seizure which induced paralysis. Then as
a wife and mother of two small children, she was deserted by her husband and
became a wheelchair-bound single parent at the age of 22.
But Vivienne opted to pick up the pieces of her life and work tirelessly to remove
both the physical and attitudinal barriers that confront people with disabilities daily
in work, shopping, travel, and the quest to live independently. In the process, she
transcended the particularity of her personal struggle to pursue a broader effort to
help others similarly situated or shackled by other limitations.
Accordingly, Vivienne Thomson was a four-time President of Action for Boston, an
anti-poverty agency -- the first with a physical disability. Her tenure was highlighted
by the establishment of a Head Start class for severely handicapped low-income
children, a group for which facilities did not previously exist. She has continued as
Vice President of this agency and serves as Chairperson of the Minority Disabilities
Task Force which has as its goal the creation of an Independent Living Center in
the minority community.
Despite yet another setback last June, the onset of the severely debilitating
Guillian-Barre Syndrome which resulted in a quadriplegic condition for a period of
time, followed by minor surgery, Vivienne continued her community outreach
activities on behalf of others -- including Cerebral Palsy and Easter Seal Telethons -
- and a full schedule of speaking out eloquently on the concerns of disabled
Americans.
While Vivienne Thomson has enjoyed previous recognition as a delegate from her
state to the 1977 White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals and was
named Ms. Wheelchair Achiever of Massachusetts in 1980, NCNE is pleased to
provide national exposure for her outstanding accomplishments through her
selection as one of the first seven recipients of an "Achievement Against the Odds
Award."