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firstl~1.doc
Page 1
For Immediate Release
Contact: Nancy Mathis/Sarah Zak
September 8, 1998
National School-to Work Office (202) 401-6222
FIRST LADY ANNOUNCES $1.8 MILLION SCHOOL-TO-WORK GRANT TO
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton today announced that the District of
Columbia will receive a $1.8 million award from the National School-to-Work
Office, which is jointly administered by the U.S. Departments of Labor and
Education.
The funds will be used to implement a School-to-Careers system ( as
School-to-Work is called in D.C.) that will serve the District's entire public school
system and its 77,000 students.
"This award recognizes a commitment to competitiveness that D.C. has
made to all its school children," said Mrs. Clinton. "I am pleased that our nation's
capitol has done the hard work of organizing a School-to-Work partnership that will
encourage academic excellence and open doors to the high-skill, high-wage jobs of
the future. "The entire Washington community should play a role in making sure
that our kids have a realistic view of what it will take to succeed in the 21st
century and are adequately prepared to meet those challenges."
The District's School-to-Careers plan calls for employers such as
BellAtlantic, the World Bank, Clyde's Restaurant Group, and the District
government to provide adult mentors and work-based learning opportunities to
students -- internships, apprenticeships and job-shadowing. In turn, the City's
public schools will develop new curriculum that helps better prepare students for
college and careers based on input from business, industry, organized labor, and
professional organizations. Teachers will be offered opportunities for both
additional training and summer internships in area businesses (including
high-technology) so they can better demonstrate to students how classroom
lessons are applied in the workplace.
The city of Washington began planning its School-to-Careers system with
$200,000 grant from the National School-to-Work Office in 1994 bringing the
total STW investment in the District (including today's award) to $2 million.
The National School-to-Work Office was established in 1994 through the
School-to-Work Opportunities Act which passed with strong bi-partisan support. Its
purpose is to provide states and local communities with venture capital to form
partnerships among schools, parents, students, employers, organized labor and
community organizations. Those partnerships connect the classroom with the
world of work to show students how academic achievement is crucial to their
firstl~1.doc
Page 2
success as a working adults.
-2-
Currently, 42 states, Puerto Rico and now, D.C., have received STW
implementation grants. The remaining states have received development funds and
have applied for implementation grants. The National School-to-Work Office has
also awarded grants in 189 local communities across the country.
*Note to Editors; a one-page description of D.C.'s School-to-Careers plan is
attached.
stl~1.doc
Page 3
firstl~1.doc
Page 4
distri~1.doc
Page 1
District of Columbia State Implementation Grant
Awardee: Government of the District of Columbia (D.C. Public Schools)
Contact: Noel F. Meekins (202) 724-7170
Award Amount: $1,800,000
School-to-Career, as School-to-Work is called in the District, is a cornerstone of the city's
larger efforts to reform its education system and reinvent its entire local governance structure to
better serve the needs of its 500,000 residents.
D.C.'s School-to-Career (STC) initiative has four, laudable goals to; enable all of the city's
youth to enjoy upward mobility, participate fully in a knowledge driven economy, achieve
long-term self-sufficiency, and become contributing members of the community.
A D.C. School-to-Careers Governing Council comprised of key employers, heads of city
agencies, and other interested parties will steer the city's efforts to implement and sustain a
comprehensive School-to-Work system. A School-to-Careers Office, housed within the School
Reform Office of the D.C. Public Schools, is responsible for day-to-day operations. Each city high
school will hire an on-site STC Coordinator.
D.C's efforts to offer School-to-Careers to all of the city's 77,000 public school students
will begin with high school. Ninth graders will be asked to select a "career pathway" based on
interest, aptitude, and discussions with their teachers, parents, and guidance counselors. Each
"pathway" provides a framework and context for learning and career exploration. "Career
Pathways" include: business and marketing; health and human services; arts and communication;
engineering and science; and industrial technology. Students may move among "pathways" as
their interests and aptitudes dictate.
In 9th grade, students will use their selected "pathways" as a means to focus on problem
-based learning and career investigation. By 10th grade, students will "job shadow" an employee
at the worksite. Eleventh graders will join in a structured relationship with an adult mentor who
gives the students support, career guidance, and opportunities to learn about specific jobs. In the
last year of high school, 12th graders work in internships -- paid or unpaid -- with employers for a
specific period. At each grade level, work experience will be directly related to the student's
selected "career pathway". In school, academics will be linked to work-based learning
experiences. Finally, each student will be asked to prepare a plan for post-graduation which will
address their plans for college and additional training.
The District hopes that by the second year of its implementation grant, it can begin to
extend STC opportunities to elementary and middle school students through efforts geared toward
career awareness and exploration (field trips to businesses, classroom visits from recognized
professionals, job-shadowing,etc.) Additionally, internship for teachers will be offered through
some of the STC partners including the D.C. Chamber of Commerce.
In an effort to include all of the city's students (85% of whom qualify for free or reduced
lunch programs), STC is working to link with non-school hour services for both students and
dropouts. The World Bank has committed to providing adult mentors and tutors, and STC has
made connections with existing federal initiatives - Job Corps, "One Stop" Centers, Summer
Jobs, and the Individuals with Disabilities Act to build on efforts already underway.
Key partners include: the Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO; the Washington
Teachers Union; Bell Atlantic; the World Bank: the University of the District of Columbia; the
distri~1.doc
Page 2
Washington Performing Arts Society; Clyde's Restaurant Group; and the Government of the
District of Columbia.
AFL/CIO-ECON RES-DEPT
ID:2025086967
MAY 28'98
18:07 No.026 P.01
FAX TRANSMITTAL
AFL-CIO
815 16th Street, N.W., Room 504
Washington, D.C. 20006
(202) 637-5177
Fax: (202) 508-6967
To:
Christy Macy
Date:
May 28, 1998
White House
Office of the First Lady
Fax #:
(202) 456-5709
From:
Christine Silvia
Public Policy Department
Comments:
Ms. Macy,
Karen Nussbaum asked me to send you a copy of a chart I recently pulled together for her. As
you can see, the chart shows that women's share of the labor force has increased dramatically
over time. If you have any questions about this chart, or if I can be of additional assistance,
please give me a call at (202) 637-5177.
Thanks.
Christine Silvia
du Joen Weme of
like was
Women's Share of the Labor Force, 1870-1997
MAY 28'98 18:07 No .026 P.02
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
AFL/CIO-ECON RES-DEPT ID:2025086967
0%
1880
1900
1920
1940
1960
1980
1997
1870
1890
1910
1930
1950
1970
1990
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment and Earnings, various years; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Handbook of Labor Statistics - Bulletin
2340, August 1989; Bureau of the Census, Statistical History of the United States From Colonial Times to the Present, 1976.
Note: Several series were used to create this chart. Data from 1870, 1880, 1890, and 1900 came from the Decennial census (January); data from
1910 came from the Decennial census (April); data from 1920 came from the Decennial census (January); data from 1930 and 1940 came from the
Decennial census (April); and data from 1950 to the present are from the Current Population Survey.
FIRST LADY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
REACH OUT AND READ ANNOUNCEMENT
NEW YORK CITY, NY
DECEMBER 1, 1998
1
I'm SO pleased to be here at Bellevue Hospital -- one of New
York's finest -- and to join this distinguished group of doctors and
educators who have made this event possible: Carlos Perez (executive
director of Bellevue Hospital Center); Dr. Barry Zuckerman (founding
director of Reach Out and Read); Dr. Leora Mogilner (director of
Reach out and Read at Mt. Sinai Medical Center). I also want to
acknowledge Richard Robinson -- president and CEO of Scholastic
Corporation, and Patricia Schroeder, former member of Congress and
president and CEO of the Association of American Publishers. We've
come together today to promote one of the most important ingredients
in a child's overall well being -- the love of reading.
Many of you have heard me talk about my fond memories of
reading to Chelsea when she was a little child. Bill and I used to stretch
out on her bed, hold her in our arms and either read her books or make
up new tales about imaginary characters who embarked on breathtaking
adventures. Just like our parents and grandparents did with us.
2
What we didn't know back then was that the stories we read to
children during their first years of life do even more than strengthen our
emotional bonds with them. As last year's White House Conference on
Early Childhood Development and Learning made clear, reading and
talking to our infants and toddlers helps them learn words and concepts.
It actually fires up the synapses and stimulates the growth of their brains.
And it lays the foundation for a lifetime of reading and imagination.
Yet when we speak to young parents about the importance of
reading and talking to their young children, many are puzzled by the
thought of reading to someone who can't understand or talk back. Some
worry that they're not good readers themselves or, sadly, that they can't
read at all. We must tell them, "It doesn't matter." All parents can open
a book, point to the pictures, and make up a story. All parents must hear
the message: Reading and talking are as important to our children's
brains as car seats and immunizations are to their health.
3
But how do parents know this? They won't always have access to
the latest research about child development. But they do take their
children to the doctor, and listen to their advice. Our idea was that
pediatricians should prescribe reading just like other good medicine.
And that they should fill that prescription on the spot by handing a
parent or care giver a book. But we knew they couldn't do this alone.
So 20 months ago, I issued a challenge to publishers, booksellers,
pediatricians, librarians, health centers, and other dedicated citizens to
work together to make sure that every infant and toddler who goes to a
doctor returns home with a book. The initiative was modeled on the
national Reach Out and Read program -- and we called it the
Prescription for Reading Partnership. And today, across the country, the
number of children who have been served by "Reach Out and Read"
doctors has swelled to more than 780,000 in 47 states. The number of
doctors trained to prescribe reading has jumped to 5,000 -- which means
that books are being prescribed at approximately 200,000 well visits a
year.
4
Today, I'm privileged to be here as you take an important next step
in this national campaign to promote reading for children -- by launching
the Reach Out and Read Coalition of Greater New York -- a city known
for its great publishing houses, hospitals, community health centers, and
nonprofit organizations. While your needs here are big, your hearts are
even bigger. The breadth of your coalition is remarkable -- over 100
member organizations have joined. And today, you are committing
yourselves to meet an ambitious goal -- to "prescribe" books to one
million children in the five boroughs, New Jersey, and Westchester
county by the end of the millennium. Thank you for all you have done
and all you will do -- to prepare our young people for the challenges of
the 2 st century.
I am especially honored to announce today that Scholastic, a
leader of the national Prescription for Reading Partnership, has expanded
its generous commitment to our cause. Scholastic is not only donating
50,000 books to the Reach Out and Read Coalition of Greater New
York. It is donating one book for every new child served by the
program over the next five years. Scholastic is also extending its local
challenge grant program to New York City so that for every $5,000
raised locally, 500 books will be given locally.
5
And, for every $100,000 raised nationally, 5,000 books will be
given nationally. Lastly, Scholastic will expand their multi-lingual book
program, which I had the honor of announcing last April in Chicago, to
include two additional languages- Bengali and Serbo-Croatian- as a
means to serve these growing communities of New York.
Thanks to these efforts -- more children will have books in their
hands -- encouraging them to read, encouraging them to learn, and
encouraging them to grow in new and expansive ways. I want to
commend Mr. Robinson and Scholastic for contributing so much to the
lives of our young people.
In a world in which well-off families can provide their
preschoolers with computer software that teaches them phonics and can
buy whole libraries of quality children's literature, it should not surprise
anyone that children from families without big pocketbooks may be at a
disadvantage when it comes to reading. In fact, children from affluent
communities begin first grade with vocabularies almost double those of
their peers in low-income communities.
6
We need to do more to level the playing field -- by supporting
high quality early childhood development programs, providing
education for parents, offering children the chance to own books of their
own and working towards another kind of literacy -- computer literacy.
So I would like to commend a new computer literacy program
that is also being launched today in New York, thanks to some of the
people here and their partners around the city. Over 10,000 pieces of
software are being donated by U.S. Kids Compute -- in conjunction with
the Learning Company. First Book will in turn distribute the software
across the country -- improving access for children who, for economic
or other reasons, have had little or no access to computers and
educational software. -
Last year, the President set an ambitious goal for our country: that
all children will read independently and well by the end of 3rd grade.
This challenge, coupled with new research about how best to teach
reading, has already sparked changes in elementary school classrooms
nationwide. Programs like the ones being launched today will help boost
our nation's efforts to reach the President's goal -- and ensure every
child in America has the skills to succeed in the 21st century.
7
Congratulations to all of you on this successful launch of your
new "Reach out and Read" partnership. I eagerly await the results of
your first year, and many years to come. I also want to thank you for
giving me the opportunity -- in a few moments -- to perform one of
my most favorite tasks -- reading a book to the children.
8
FIRST LADY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
REACH OUT AND READ ANNOUNCEMENT
NEW YORK CITY, NY
DECEMBER 1, 1998
I'm so pleased to be here at Bellevue Hospital one of New York's finest -- and to join
this distinguished group of doctors and educators who have made this event possible: Carlos
Perez (executive director of Bellevue Hospital Center); Dr. Barry Zuckerman (founding director
of Reach Out and Read); Dr. Leora Mogilner (director of Reach out and Read at Mt. Sinai
Medical Center). I also want to acknowledge Richard Robinson president and CEO of
Scholastic Corporation, and Patricia Schroeder, former member of Congress and president and
CEO of the Association of American Publishers. We've come together today to promote one of
the most important ingredients in a child's overall well being -- the love of reading.
Many of you have heard me talk about my fond memories of reading to Chelsea when she
was a little child. Bill and I used to stretch out on her bed, hold her in our arms and either read
her books or make up new tales about imaginary characters who embarked on breathtaking
adventures. Just like our parents and grandparents did with us.
What we didn't know back then was that the stories we read to children during their first
years of life do even more than strengthen our emotional bonds with them. As last year's White
House Conference on Early Childhood Development and Learning made clear, reading and
talking to our infants and toddlers helps them learn words and concepts. It actually fires up the
synapses and stimulates the growth of their brains. And it lays the foundation for a lifetime of
reading and imagination.
Yet when we speak to young parents about the importance of reading and talking to their
young children, many are puzzled by the thought of reading to someone who can't understand or
talk back. Some worry that they're not good readers themselves or, sadly, that they can't read at
all. We must tell them, "It doesn't matter." All parents can open a book, point to the pictures,
and make up a story. All parents must hear the message: Reading and talking are as important to
our children's brains as car seats and immunizations are to their health.
But how do parents know this? They won't always have access to the latest research
about child development. But they do take their children to the doctor, and listen to their advice.
Our idea was that pediatricians should prescribe reading just like other good medicine. And that
they should fill that prescription on the spot by handing a parent or care giver a book. But we
knew they couldn't do this alone.
So 20 months ago, I issued a challenge to publishers, booksellers, pediatricians,
librarians, health centers, and other dedicated citizens to work together to make sure that every
infant and toddler who goes to a doctor returns home with a book. The initiative was modeled on
the national Reach Out and Read program -- and we called it the Prescription for Reading
Partnership. And today, across the country, the number of children who have been served by
"Reach Out and Read" doctors has swelled to more than 780,000 in 47 states. The number of
doctors trained to prescribe reading has jumped to 5,000 -- which means that books are being
prescribed at approximately 200,000 well visits a year.
Today, I'm privileged to be here as you take an important next step in this national
campaign to promote reading for children -- by launching the Reach Out and Read Coalition of
Greater New York -- a city with of so many great publishing houses, hospitals, community health
centers, and nonprofit organizations. While needs here are big, your hearts are bigger. The
breadth of your coalition is remarkable -- over 100 member organizations have joined. And
today, you are committing yourselves to meet an ambitious goal -- to "prescribe" books to one
million children in the five boroughs, New Jersey, and Westchester county by the end of the
millennium. Thank you for all you have done and all you will do -- to prepare our young people
for the challenges of the 21st century.
I am especially honored to announce today that Scholastic, a leader of the national
Prescription for Reading Partnership, has expanded its generous commitment to our cause.
Scholastic is not only donating 50,000 books to the Reach Out and Read Coalition of Greater
New York. It is donating one book for every new child served by the program over the next five
years. Scholastic is also extending its local challenge grant program to New York City so that
for every $5,000 raised locally, 500 books will be given locally. And, for every $100,000 raised
nationally, 5,000 books will be given nationally. Lastly, Scholastic will expand their multi-
lingual book program, which I had the honor of announcing last April in Chicago, to include two
additional languages- Bengali and Serbo-Croatian- as a means to serve these growing
communities of New York.
Thanks to these efforts -- more children will have books in their hands -- encouraging
them to read, encouraging them to learn, and encouraging them to grow in new and expansive
ways. I want to commend Mr. Robinson and Scholastic for contributing so much to the lives of
our young people.
In a world in which well-off families can provide their preschoolers with computer
software that teaches them phonics and can buy whole libraries of quality children's literature, it
should not surprise anyone that children from families without big pocketbooks may be at a
disadvantage when it comes to reading. In fact, children from affluent communities begin first
grade with vocabularies almost double those of their peers in low-income communities. We
need to do more to level the playing field -- by supporting high quality early childhood
development programs, providing education for parents, offering children the chance to own
books of their own and working towards another kind of literacy -- computer literacy.
So I would also like to commend a new computer literacy program that is also being
launched today in New York, thanks to some of the people here and their partners around the
city. Over 10,000 pieces of software are being donated by U.S. Kids Compute -- in conjunction
with the Learning Company. First Book will in turn distribute the software across the country --
improving access for children who, for economic or other reasons, have had little or no access to
computers and educational software.
Last year, the President set an ambitious goal for our country: that all children will read
independently and well by the end of 3rd grade. This challenge, coupled with new research
about how best to teach reading, has already sparked changes in elementary school classrooms
nationwide. Programs like the ones being launched here today will help boost our nation's efforts
to reach the President's goal -- and ensure every child in America has the skills to succeed in the
21st century.
Congratulations to all of you on this successful launch of your new "Reach out and
Read" partnership. I eagerly await the results of your first year, and many years to come. I also
want to thank you for also giving me the opportunity -- in a few moments -- to perform one of
my most favorite tasks -- reading a book to the children.
FIRST LADY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
CHARTER SCHOOL MEETING
INDIAN TREATY ROOM
THE WHITE HOUSE
AUGUST 4, 1998
Thank you, Mike (Mike Smith -- Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary at US Department of
Education) -- for that introduction. I want to welcome everyone here today to the White
House -- for this important discussion on charter schools, and what we can all do to
ensure they succeed here in Washington, D.C. Welcome to Alice Rivlin, incoming chair
of the Control Board; Josephine Baker, chair of the DC public charter school board;
Tonya Vidal Kinlow -- chair of the charter school committee of the elected School
Board. A special welcome to the representatives from the School Board, and the leaders
of the DC Charter schools -- 17 of which are scheduled to open for the first time in only
a few short weeks.
Thank you to the panelists who have traveled here from across the country to share with
us their wisdom and "best practices" about how to open and manage successful charter
schools. Appreciation also to the people at the US Department of Education who have
been working so hard to promote quality public education and effective charter schools in
communities nationwide: Mike Smith; Judith Johnson, Deputy Assistant Secretary; and
Arthur Cole, Director of School Improvement Programs.
I also want to acknowledge the leadership of someone who is not here -- DC School
Superintendent Arlene Ackerman -- whom I met with recently. We discussed our mutual
support for reforms within the public education system. She has been a forceful
proponent for improving public education for every DC student -- and is bringing new
vision and energy to the job of superintendent. She's also been very involved in and
supportive of the charter school initiative here in DC. Unfortunately, we had to change
the date of this event -- and she had family obligations she could not break. Arlene sent
me a note reinforcing how much she wanted to be here -- and I am very pleased that
Eloise Brooks has joined us to represent the Superintendent.
I recognize how incredibly busy all of you are -- particularly those of you who are
responsible for opening your schools in just a few short weeks. And I applaud you for
taking the time to come here today -- to contribute to this discussion, and to share your
expertise.
We're all here today because we're advocates of public education -- and we believe that
every child -- across the country and here in DC -- deserves to attend a quality public
school. We're also here because we believe that charter schools can play a significant
part in revitalizing and strengthening public schools today -- by offering greater flexibility
from bureaucratic rules, so that parents, teachers, and the community can design and run
their own schools, and focus on meeting goals and getting results.
As you know, this Administration, and this President, are deeply committed to improving
public education -- and as part of that commitment, to expanding charter schools
nationwide. The President wants to expand public charter schools that are open to
everyone; that are non-sectarian; that are accountable for results; that provide real choices
to parents and students. The President believes, as I do, that charter schools are a way of
bringing teachers and parents and communities together -- instead of other efforts -- like
vouchers -- which separate people out -- siphon off much needed resources; and weaken
the school systems that so desperately need to be strengthened.
At the beginning of this Administration, there was only one charter school in the country.
This fall, over 1100 charter schools are expected to open their doors. A total of 33 states
-- plus DC and Puerto Rico -- have passed laws authorizing charter schools. In 1994 --
there was $6 million in the budget targeted to support charter schools. In 1998, nearly
$75 million in federal assistance is available to provide new and continuing grants to
states to help charter schools cover costs for planning and initial implementation. The
President has requested $100 million for FY '99.
Both the President and I have visited charter schools across the country that are leading
the way in offering important choices to public schools students and their parents. Many
of these schools are meeting the needs of students who had trouble succeeding in more
traditional public schools.
I visited one such school in San Fernando Valley in California, whose students were
mostly Hispanic, and where academic performance was low. Today this school is a
charter school. There are computers in every classroom; kids wear uniforms; parents are
helping out in the classrooms. Scores are up. So are expectations for high achievement. I
visited another charter school in Wilmington, Delaware, which was a great example of a
business/community partnership, with a math and science focus. So I've seen first hand
how charter schools can bring parents and teachers and businesses together to help meet
the educational needs of the community; and how lifting the sometimes stifling rules and
regulations of the bureaucracy can spark the energy and creativity of an entire
neighborhood.
And today, you will be hearing from some of the leaders of the nation's top performing
charter schools from across the country -- whose innovative approaches and partnerships
have transformed their schools; their students and their communities. And whose
inspirational leadership becomes a model for us all.
But the President and all of us here today -- are very well aware that the charter school
movement is still in its infancy. And like anything new and different that we undertake,
we know the challenge before us is a daunting one. While some charter schools have
thrived, others have already failed and been shut down. So we have to be very honest
about what works, and what doesn't work. And we have to learn from each other. That's
why this meeting today is so very, very important.
Today, you'll be discussing critical issues facing charter schools today -- like funding
shortfalls -- that result in some schools running out of money before they have a chance
to finish even the first year. We're working to ensure that doesn't happen -- by securing
proper and adequate funding for charter schools, as well as for all public schools. And
there are hopeful sign that many members of Congress agree with us. [Last Thursday, the
House Appropriations Committee ensured adequate funding for both charter Schools and
traditional public schools.]
You have an extraordinary opportunity to shape the lives and the future of America's
children. As a charter school, you have the advantages of greater flexibility -- from
designing the curriculum to the hiring of teachers. But you also hold a sacred public
trust. If schools accept the freedom from the bureaucracy -- but don't do the hard work
of being accountable for improving student achievement -- then the students lose. And
we all lose. I know that some of you have been working very hard to ensure that
public trust is maintained -- by developing an effective accountability plan with your
governing boards. And I've been impressed that those efforts could serve as a model for
the nation.
I know how much all of you are looking forward to today's discussion. You recognize
that if we are to make headway in this critical area of public education -- then we must
listen to those who have gone down this path before us. I hope that what you hear today
-- both the success stories and the considerable challenges -- will help the charter schools
in DC succeed and flourish. Surely we all have a stake in that success.
I regret that I am unable to stay for this discussion. So I will now hand you back to Judith
Johnson, who will open this up for discussion. But before she does, I want to again thank
all of you for coming here today. Given how extremely busy all of you are -- particularly
at this time of year right before school opens -- I commend you for taking the time to be
here -- to share your wisdom; to learn the lessons; to engage in a frank and honest
discussion. This is a time of great opportunity for the children and parents of our nation's
capital -- and for young people across the country. Let's work together to fulfill their
great promise.
FIRST LADY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
CHILD STUDY CENTER
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY'S SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
DECEMBER 1, 1998
1
Thank you, Mr. Corzine [CORE-ZIGN ] (chairman and CEO of
Goldman, Sachs & Co; and 1998 Gala Chair) for that kind introduction.
It's a great pleasure and honor to join you and Dr. Harold Koplewicz
[KOP-LE-WITZ], director of the NYU Child Study Center; Brooke
Neidich [NY-DICK ], chair of the Center, and all of you here this
evening. I want to begin by offering my heart-felt congratulations on the
launching of this Child Study Center, which I had an opportunity to
visit briefly this afternoon. Your vision to combine scientific research,
education and community outreach has made this the most
comprehensive child mental health facility in the region -- and one of the
largest in the nation. I am truly honored to receive the award you are
bestowing on me this evening.
But it is what all of you do -- on behalf of our young people every
single day -- that deserves our deepest appreciation and gratitude. For so
many years, when we talked about what children needed to grow up
strong and healthy - we thought primarily of their physical well
being. By devoting this Center exclusively to promoting the mental
health of children and adolescents -- you will help complete the circle
of comprehensive services that we now know young people need to
grow and learn and flourish.
2
Perhaps most important of all, the Center has placed scientific
research at the heart of its work with parents, educators, pediatricians,
and mental health providers - where it belongs.
That such a revered and pioneering institution as the NYU School
of Medicine has made this level of commitment to the mental health of
children and adolescents underscores the magnitude of the challenges
before us.
As many of you know, an estimated 12% of the population under
the age of 18 suffers from a psychiatric illness - and 8 million of
America's children are in need of help. Here in New York state - it's
estimated conservatively that 80,000 young people will suffer without
treatment -- often because their families can't afford it. The problem
becomes even more pressing when we look at other indicators that
contribute to poor mental health - children living in poverty; those
who are abused and neglected; those who are falling behind in school.
3
The tragedy of mental illness in children and adolescents is an all
too familiar part of our lives -- experienced in families that cross every
economic and social boundary. I've read some of the heart-breaking
words of the children who are part of the Center's "Childhood
Revealed" book of drawings. "I just feel like a piece of me inside is
missing" says 11-year old Andy. A 14-year girl draws a discarded
umbrella in the rain - and talks of watching her mother abuse drugs.
All of us are affected - parents and children alike.
Today, thanks to centers of research and education like this one -
and the work of the National Institute of Mental Health -- we have made
remarkable strides toward erasing the myths and misconceptions about
children's mental health. We've learned not only how to identify and
treat child and adolescent mental illness more effectively - but also
how to help prevent it in the first place. Research tells us that problems
are not inevitable -- they can be identified, prevented, and treated. The
fact that parents are major supporters of this Center says volumes not
only about the need for more support and information -- but also the
hope that you have given to children and families across the region.
4
This Center is a reflection of how far we've come over the years.
As some of you know, I first became interested in child
development when I was in law school, and I had the chance to study at
the Yale Child Study Center. I was privileged to work with one of the
pioneers in the field of infant behavior, Dr. Sally Provence. Later on, in
my work with children's organizations such as the Carnegie Council on
Children, I watched many dedicated men and women work to apply
current scientific knowledge and research in the public policy arena --
reinforcing my belief in the mutuality of research and policy.
One need only look at the progress we have made - and how we
have made it - in areas affecting children to appreciate the connection.
Could we have lowered the rate of infant mortality, eradicate childhood
diseases like measles and polio, or developed and released new drugs
and therapies without a nexus between medical science and policy?
5
Over the past decade, we've learned a breathtaking amount about
the importance of children's earliest experiences to their rapidly forming
brains, and their healthy development. Last year, the President and I
hosted the first-ever White House Conference on Early Childhood
Development and Learning. We wanted to give the leading experts in
the field of early childhood development - the scientists, pediatricians,
researchers, and others - the opportunity to explain their discoveries,
and to put this invaluable body of knowledge at the service of America's
families, doctors, policy makers, and educators.
It seems astonishing now that we used to think that a baby's
brain's structure was virtually complete at birth. Today, we understand
that it's a work in progress - that everything we do with a child --
hugging them, reading to them, answering them with a smile -- or
neglecting or abusing them -- can impact on that rapidly forming brain.
Similarly, before the NIH began conducting research into the emotional
lives of our young people, we used to think that children couldn't suffer
from depression. Now we know they do.
6
All of this new knowledge about brain development has profound
implications for society as a whole. As you know all too well - the
experiences of young children have a tremendous bearing on whether or
not they will grow up well adjusted or anxious and depressed
individuals, peaceful or violent citizens, focused or undisciplined
workers, attentive or detached parents themselves. Whether, in other
words, they will be able to fulfill their God-given potential, or be
hobbled by problems that will rob them of the joy and productivity of a
full life.
This new research and related studies have important implications
for policy makers as well. In Washington, we have to pay much more
attention to what science is telling us -- and ensure that the policies we
craft reflect that knowledge and understanding. Knowing the importance
of the early years in a child's development -- for example -- tells us we
must pay very close attention to the quality of child care we provide.
New research in the area of children's mental health points to the
importance of intervening early in a troubled child's life. Studies
showing that children whose fathers are involved in raising them tend to
be less violent and have higher I.Qs underscore the importance of
developing programs that help fathers be better parents.
7
Part of what is so exciting about this Center's work is your focus
on translating scientific research into practical skills for those who touch
the lives of children every day. Until that knowledge is part of our
everyday approach to how we deal with children, all the scientific
discoveries in the world won't help our children cope; or learn; or
overcome their problems. I commend the Center's outreach efforts to
help parents become better parents -- and to help teachers improve how
they manage the classroom -- and identify at-risk students. I also want
to encourage your national public awareness campaign on child and
adolescent mental disorders.
We still have a long way to go in bringing these difficult issues out
into the open, and we must begin by doing a better job of educating
parents and teachers and the entire community. Information, research,
and a strong dose of honesty is the only way we can begin to diminish
the fear and ignorance that can only perpetuate the problems of mental
illness.
8
Much of the invaluable information and knowledge we have
gained over the years is the result of the work of scientists, doctors, and
researchers like many of you here this evening. But we have also gained
it through the work of the federal government. The government
supports over 90% of all children's research, and since 1993 - our
investment in this work at the NIH has increased 25%.
This year, my husband signed into law the largest single dollar
increase for the NIH in its history. This $2 billion across the board new
investment will help stimulate breakthrough research into mental health
and child development, funding important research in areas from mental
health to how children learn to read to infant day care.
Another top priority for this Administration is to sharpen the rigors
of psychiatric and other drug research to benefit our nation's children.
Like many of you, the President and I have always been concerned that
drug companies don't sufficiently test whether medicines are safe and
effective for children. And just last week -- the Food and Drug
Administration issued ground-breaking new rules that require drug
companies to conduct wider testing of drugs in children.
9
For too long, doctors have had little guidance in how to administer
drugs to children and adolescents. Soon, children will be able to share in
the recent progress being made in the area of drugs - including those
that combat AIDS. These new rules will also have important
implications for drugs that treat child mental health disorders. I want to
thank all of you who joined the President in this important initiative.
The children you help treat and guide today will be the next
generation's leaders, doctors, lawyers, educators, law enforcement
officers; and perhaps most importantly - parents. Their future depends
on the investments we make today: in early childhood development
programs and child care; in after school programs; in child health care
coverage and in pre-and post-natal care for young mothers. Their future
also depends on investments in Centers like this one - which will help
ensure more hopeful futures for young people who are in trouble and in
need of help - and which will help ensure that fewer children need
these services in the first place.
We don't need any more research to know such investments will
yield great returns tomorrow -- in better health, fewer social ills, and
ever-greater opportunities for our citizens.
10
As we approach a new millennium, and begin thinking about what
gifts we can give to our children and future generations, let's rededicate
ourselves to the promotion of children's well being in every domain -
physical, social, intellectual and emotional. We are coming closer to the
day when we can ensure that every child in American can fulfill his or
her God-given potential -- free of pain and suffering, filled with
confidence and hope, and ready to embrace the extraordinary
challenges of the 21st century. It's perhaps the greatest challenge we
face. But with the hard work and dedication of people like yourselves
- it's a goal we can and will attain.
Thank you.
11
1974
Buckley Amendment enacted to protect privacy of
Children Out of School in America, CDF's first major
children's school records. CDF worked closely with
report, documents 2 million children not enrolled in
Republican Senator James Buckley and later pub-
school, including 750,000 children with disabilities.
lished pamphlet for parents about law's protections.
In addition to a multi-state door-to-door survey with
local community groups to find out why children were
CDF filed successful lawsuits against state of
out of school, the report also analyzed federal census
Louisiana to stop the exportation of special needs
and Office for Civil Rights special education data for
children to costly out-of-state Texas institutions far
505 southern school districts.
away from families and in often inhumane conditions.
CDF also filed successful lawsuit to separate children
Monitoring office established to implement court order
from adult prisoners in South Carolina jails after
establishing the right of children with disabilities in
documentation of detention of children in adult jails
District of Columbia schools to receive an education.
in every South Carolina county. Five of six plaintiffs
- two of them truants - had been brutally raped
First CDF state office opened in Mississippi to docu-
and beaten by adult prisoners.
ment the problems of special needs children, organize
parents, and challenge the exclusion of disabled
1975
children from schools in that state. Mississippi had
School Suspensions: Are They Helping Children? published.
no compulsory school attendance for any child, having
Documented 1 million children suspended from
repealed it to avoid school desegregation.
school in study of only half of the school population,
mostly for non-serious offenses and many without
The Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment
due process.
Program (EPSDT), the child health program within
Medicaid, promulgated regulations to implement
CDF's Child Health division established.
legislation.
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act
(P.L. 94-142) enacted, creating federal right to edu-
passed which prohibited detention of children with
cation for disabled children (now the Individuals with
adult prisoners. CDF's testimony and data played
Disabilities Act). Before 94-142, Office of Education
key role.
data showed 37.5% (3 of 8) disabled school-age children
unserved by schools; today, fewer than 1% are neither
CHILDREN OUT OF SCHOOL
IN AMERICA
DEAR LORD
BE GOOD TOME
THE SEARS AND 50
WIDEAALS SO SMALL
Mariacole
A Report by the
CHILDREN'S DEFENSE FUND
of the Washington Research Project, Inc.
DATE: 07/12/98 TIME 05:37 PM TO: 9,14106641406
FROM:
PAGE: 002-009
FIRST LADY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN CELEBRATES
THE YEAR OF HUMANITIES AND ARTS (YoHA)
AND THE ARTS OF CITIZENS PROGRAM
HILL AUDITORIUM (TRANSCRIPT)
APRIL 28. 1998
Thank you. Thank you very much. President Bollinger and Provost Cantor, administrators.
faculty. students. alumni of this great university, members of the Ann Arbor community. elected
officials, distinguished guests and friends. It is a pleasure to be back here in Ann Arbor and back on
this campus. back in this concert hall. Not only have many great American artists performed on this
stage, the building is a monument to the creative expression of one of the nations finest architects.
Lewis Kahn.
So I am very pleased that not only am I a degree holder from this university, but that I feel a
part of this community. We gather todav for the continuation of an important discussion that was
started here last year about the humanities and the arts. and what they mean to us. what they should
mean to us, what they must mean to us. and to our country. I was thinking, as I listened 10 President
Bollinger speak. that this year-long series that you have had going on the campus is particularly apt
because certainly--as we move toward the end of this century. and indeed toward a new
millennium--we are going to be thinking more often and more deeply about who we are, where we are
going. what we mean to one another, and what our lives mean to ourselves.
I want to thank the leadership of this university for helping all of us to begin that discussion. I
would like to thank Lee Bollinger for his many contributions: as a legal scholar. as the President of this
University, and perhaps even more importantly as an advocate for the principles and traditions of
American public higher education. Through his dedication. (Applause) this university continues to
stand for what is best in the history of our country. I know that President Bollinger, among his many
academic accomplishments. is something of a First Amendment scholar. I. too, am a great supporter of
the First Amendment, but I canlt help but think that il might have just passed even though his mind that
censorship would be in order given the recent UPI college ratings, as opposed to those by the AP.
(Laughter and applause)
But staying true to his values. you did not hear that from him. (Laughter)
The classrooms and laboratories on this campus remind us of the value of a diverse student
body and faculty. and the benefits they bring to a university community. I was (Applause). I was very
impressed and moved by the opinion piece that was written by the President Bollinger and Provost
Cantor that appeared today in the Washington Post entitled. The Educational Importance of Race I
commend it to everyone on this campus--and indeed on every campus--because it talks about, in a very
clear way, the challenges as we attempt to bring our university systems into the future with our values
and ideals intact. I want to thank Provost Cantor for your advocacy on behalf of the Arts and
humanities, and for the time and energy you have committed to helping Congress explore the role of
women in our nations military. (Applause)
I wold also like to thank, as well. Associate Vice Provost Julie Ellison. Director of the Year of
the Humanities and Arts. and David Scobey, Director of the Arts of Citizenship Program. for sharing
with students, faculty. and the Ann Arber community their vision of the dynamic relationship between
the arts and humanities, and a democratic society. When one thinks about the title of this series, lArts of
Citizenshipl, it could be just as well stated 1Arts and Citizenshipl because, to my mind. they are very
closely related. The arts play an integral role in determining what we mean by citizenship. Certainly
when I use the word arts, I'am including arts and humanities. They also tell us something about how
we practice the art of citizenship, what it means to be part of a large. diverse, pluralistic democracy,
particularly at this point in history.
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So this conversation does come at à propitious time. As I was thinking back on the last 1.000
years, as we are about to end this millennium. I was reminded of all of the dire predictions that were
occurring around that time. I donit know if you have ever heard of a prolific and rather controversial
monk by the name of Raoul Glaber. who lived in the 10th century. who consistently warned his local
citizency of impending doom. Now. perhaps because of his checkered career--he was expelled from
several monasteries-- he didn't attract much of a following. The earth did not implode as he predicted.
In fact. we have a lot of progress that we can look to over the next ten centuries, even though we still
can mark those last 1.000 years. as well, by plagues and genocides and other unbearable human
suffering.
But Raoul Glaber comes from a long line of doomsayers and pessimists about the human
condition The kind of people who are always looking for what is wrong with the advancements that
occur. who are always pointing fingers at one another and predicting the end of civilization as we
know it.
Yet despite the doomsayers--and despite all of our own follies and missteps and tragedies--we
have a for to look back on with pride because timels passage also allowed for the discoveries of
Galileo and Newton. the art of an El Greco. or Rubens or Picasso. the writings of a Murasaki, a
Shakespeare, Tagore, Neruda. the ideas of Locke and Gandhi, and so many more. We can also look at
those who were political actors who helped move the idea of human progress forward. We can look at
those who built a strong economy. created inventions and scientific discoveries, all of which unleashed
human potential and We know that for the last thousand years. from Islamic communities
spreading north across Africa to Native American Indian tribes right here in the upper Michwest, people
created new forms of art, built cities, designed new systems of cultivation, remapped their worlds. and
thought up new ideas.
Now fueling all of these scientific, intellectual and artistic advances was. of course. the human
imagination. An imagination rooted not only in the knowledge and understanding of the past. burin the
ability to dream and envision a future. An imagination that allowed men and women throughout time 10
say the archetypal doomsday monks. and yes to their own ideas of the possibility of a more
positive and more possible tomorrow.
Today we find ourselves at the end of another century, and even another millennium. There is a
lot that will occur in the next several years. all kinds of retrospectives, people talking about the past.
worrying about the future. But what 1 hope is that conversations like the one taking place here. about
the humanities and the arts, will help us think more clearly about what is at stake as we plan our own
individual futures and as we think about that larger, public, common good. There are many
unanswered questions about what will happen in the 21st century. Will this century finally yield a cure
for cancer? Will we find another Mozart? Will we end poverty, or perhaps even. aim and come near to
lasting world peace?
Maybe some of that, but certainly not all of it. Because. we will continue as human beings,
having to strive to overcome the age old problems that have beset us. Yet we also have a darker view
of what might occur. Will the next 100 years give rise to more ethnic and racial hatred. a wider chasm
between the rich and the poor. the spread of biological or chemical warfare. or even a brave new
world of genetically engineered people who look and act the same?
Now. when I think about the future. I come down. as you might guess. on a more optimistic
note than a pessimistic one. I am congenitally. I suppose. optimistic. But I have also seen enough
progress in my own lifetime to believe that we can continue to overcome the challenges that divide us
and make progress together. But I have to confess that I am worried about certain trends that 1 see
around me every day. Trends that could. without being checked by our knowledge of our history, our
understanding of ourselves. and a willingness to work together to create a consensus about what we
wish for our future. trends that could undermine our conceptions of ourseives as human beings and
make it more difficult for us to have a common future.
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Now, those trends are self-evident. What does it mean that we have such instantaneous
communication and such rapid technological advancement? Well, of course, in many ways it means
great opportunities. It means that we can be in touch with people around the world. It means that we
can have more information than we ever dreamed possible. Yet. it also means that we can retreat into
anonymity. that we can be less personal in our dealings with one another. that we can hide behind a
computer keyboard and communicate with the world only at a distance. It means that we can be so
glutted by information that we canlt make any sense out of it: that we have no context for it: that we are
bombarded day in and day out by factoids that donlt add up to knowledge and wisdom, but threaten to
drown us in irrelevancy.
i worry, too, about the need that so many people have to hang on to their own identity as they
most narrowly define it. How do they reach out into the wider world when the wider world seems so
confusing and so threatening? In fact. one of the most frightening developments that I have personally
been studying and thinking about is the way mass communications has played a role in the genocides
of Rwanda and Bosnia. where people who before had lived at least peacefully with one another were
whipped into frenzies of hatred and fear because of the messages that were coming across the
television, the radio, and even the computer. People who didn't know how to make sense of those
messages were pushed into action because of what they were being told. I also wonder about how we
will survive as a democracy. and how we will retain a sense of citizenship when there is so much
pressure on a daily basis to move us toward a society of consumers and away from a democracy of
citizens.
The emphasis on our consumer culture distorts our sense of self. It threatens the essence of our
pluralistic society, and yet, it seems bevond our control to stop. More and more messages pour out.
more and more quickly. influencing particularly the minds and lives of young people. Why are more
young American teenagers smoking? Well, there is overwhelming evidence that they are enticed to do
so. that it seems like a very grown up. rebellious thing to do. That the messages they receive--either
directly or indirectly through the wider culture--create an atmosphere in which they think itls a choice
that will enhance their sense of self-being.
Why are more American children driven to violence? We are seeing more and more evidence that it
does matter what is in the popular culture. It really does count how many hours of television you watch
with how many violent episodes, how many murders. how many killers who are not remorseful at the
end of the plot. That especially if you are a child from a situation that is not as stable as one would like.
you are particularly prone 10 those messages. to that image of reality that comes directly at you through
that small machine in you living room or your bedroom. Why do so many American children judge
their worth by the logo-on-their sneakers instead of the good deeds that they might do or the homework
that they finish at night?
Well, you know as well as I that the consumer culture driven by our free market economy
demands more and more buying on the part of more and more consumers. So messages are aimed now
not just at thirteen and fourteen year olds, but at eight and nine years olds because in order to keep this
great engine going. we have to create a lot of unmet wants. a lot of frustration in the minds of people.
Now. this is not in and of itself any great cause for worry. We have certainly overcome a lot of
challenges in the past. But. combining all of these trends together I think should cause all of us to stop
and think, am [ being seduced? What am I giving up in my thinking and in my spirit to the consumer
culture, to the machine of technology?
How do I keep some distance? How am I sure that I have the right balance in my life? How do
I retain the most precious possession I have, my role as citizen. and enjoy the blessings that I am given
because those who came before us understood the importance that democracy places on the role of
citizen? If one steps back and thinks about the images we have of the future, that is also a little
disquieting. I did a survey about what we think might happen in the century or millennium to come.
The overwhelming popular images are of movies in which desolation has occurred because of war.
where road warriors are fighting one against the other, where there are people living under great glass
bubbles or in very sterile atmospheres because we have polluted and degraded our environment.
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We don't have a picture in our heads of the kind of society that we want, and expect to live in
the future. In part. that is because change has been SO fast in the last decades. faster than at any point in
human history, and we are only now being able to digest it. I have often heard it said that. you know.
human evolution proceeded over tens of thousands and millions of years, but within this last century
we have been stretched. physically, and emotionally, and mentaily. and spiritually. unlike any of our
ancestors ever have before. So how do we take all of these trends, and how do we begin to understand
what they are doing to us so that we can assert control over them. and what do the arts and humanities
have to do with all of that anyway?
Well, I-would argue that the arts and humanities still.give us the best guide we will ever have to
thinking through the problems of today and fomörrow. It is not a luxury to read the great poetry of the
7*
past, to ponder Shakespearels plays, to think about the Greek philosophers. to wonder in our own
minds what modern poetry anci-literature and film are saying to us. Instead, I think it is a responsibility
because as we think hard about these challenging ideas that come to us from those who are our
scholars and our artists, we will be better equipped in our own lives and in our public life to go on.
One of the people who has been most astule in looking at the consumer culture and what we
have done in modern days that undermines our sense of well-being with one another, our obligation
toward each other. is the Czech President and playwright. Vaclav Havel. He has written and spoken at
great length about how in the pressure of modern culture we are homogenizing our desires and tastes.
Now. one would think that if everybody in the world were blue jeans and a certain kind of sneaker. as
they do on every continent I have visited, if everybody listened to the same kind of music and watched
Baywatch around the world -(Laughter)- that would bring us closer together as a people. That, you
know. gee, somebody watching Baywatch in Bangladesh would feel really close with somebody
watching Baywatch in Bolivia. for example. (Laughter) But what Havel points out, which I think is
right. that almost in an unconscious way. if you will. there is a rebellion against this homogenization.
There is a rejection of it even while people take more and more of it in.
One reads about horrific events in India where people are burning brides because the dowry
didn't bring a color television but only a black and white one. One reads about people in Africa. who
are living in terribly distressed situations, who are spending every dollar they have to try to put on the
accoutrements of what they think of as the modern American pop culture. And yel, beneath that
superficial homogenization. we are seeing a great striving for identity and a great need to separate
ourselves from one another because human beings have to feel as though they have some identity that
is of importance in their eyes. in the eyes of those whom they look to for validation.
If we stop and think about the trends that are sweeping the world, then I think it is fair to say
that we are moving in a direction where all of the haves--which include us in this room. people of
education and affluence and particularly people fortunate enough to live in strong, stable, functioning
democracies--will be more and more caught up in the world of materialism as we work harder and
harder and longer and longer hours to deal with the machines that are taking greater control over our
lives. It is hard to escape. We have 24 hour television channels. We have 24 hour fax machines. You
are never oui of touch. You never have a moment to stop and think. Decisions are demanded from you
all the time. The e-mail messages come over and people expect responses to them.
It is hard for the aris and humanities to flourish when their is very little space left in the popular
culture. That is why we have to do all we can to support them. and to make it clear that they are not a
R
luxury. but they are essential to the refueling of the human imagination. (Applause)
If one thinks about our earliest human ancestors. they did not first invent money. They first drew on the
walls of caves. They first created figurines that had religious and other significance to them. What were
they trying to sav? What were they doing? They were finding that special human trait, that attribute of
imagination and using ii. I can just imagine scenarios of some kind of young man or woman wandering
around not paying attention to the mammoth hunt. (Laughter) And all of the relatives are saying, IYou
know, he just isnlt with it! He is going to get us all killed!! (Laughter) And then back in the cave that
night with the flickering fire, everyone else asleep. he is taking the charcoal and he is drawing a
mammoth. So all of a sudden out of his imagination comes an opportunity to share an experience that
maybe someone who had never seen one before could now understand.
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We created the arts SO that we could advance human beings, so that our imagination could have
an outlet. We saw it as a way to communicate in ways that we couldn't. just by doing and being. It is
one of our earliest ways of defining ourselves as human. It is through history and
philosophy-(Applause)- literature and painting, music, sculpture, poetry. photography. dance
architecture, design, all of it, that we can reclaim the popular imagination, that we can rekindle our spirit
of citizenship and exercise the power of our ideas, experiences and feelings to promote a brighter
vision of the future.
In our country. there is too often an assumption that the arts and humanities are an exclusive
preserve of the rich or the best educated or some cultural elite. Yet from our own personal experiences,
we know otherwise. How many of us have felt our hearts stir at a favorite song or a painting or a
haunting passage in a novel or a dancerls elegant leap? About a week or so ago, I read a very
provocative opinion editorial in the New York Times where a classics professor talked about what
Thuc vdides meant to his community college students. He said, II have taught at some of the great
colleges in America, but in these community colleges, in these state universities where young people
and not so young ones are enrolled and often working full time, they come to Thucydides with their
own personal experience. And all of a sudden, the world of ideas and history opens up to them. How
many of us have had an experience like that?
I remember very well when I was probably in junior high coming across a print of Guernica.
Looking at that provocative painting that Picasso had done after the fascist bombing of Guernica, I
finally realized that art was more than aesthetic. It was a way of communicating, a way of taking people
beyond the boundaries of their own experience and giving them a greater understanding of the world
around them. Guernica taught me about the human condition. I had never seen anything like that in my
own life. I was born in Chicago. I grew up in a very safe suburb in the outskirts of Chicago. I had
never even heard of such a thing like the Spanish Civil War. And yet here it was, a painting which said
to me, this is what people can do to each other. People thousands of miles from where I lived, but who
I, in some way, felt connected 10. Art and culture have always been a part of my life, not in any
practicing way I have absolutely no talent whatsoever (Laughter), but as an observer, as someone
who tries to appreciate what I see and hear.
In fact, I really attribute my long-time marriage and relationship with my husband 10 art.
Now, that is a headline! (Laughter and applause) I was standing in line at the Yale Law School to
register for classes the following year and struck up a conversation with this young man I had seen
wandering around the law school. (Laughter) He likes to say that we noticed each other because we
each did not attend a certain class very often. so when we showed up it was rather noticeable. But
whatever the story, we began talking and didn't finish talking after we signed up for classes. We began
to walk around the Yale campus. He suggested that we go to the University museum 10 see a wonderful
exhibit of Rothko paintings and to show me one of his favorite Henry Moore sculptures. We arrived at
the door of the museum only to find that it was closed. And my husband. being the person he is.
convinced the janitor to let us into the museum. (Laughter and applause) And the bargain we struck
was that WE could go into the museum if first we collected the trash that had filled the courtyard of the
museum. So in we went where we spent a memorable afternoon looking at the Rothkos and looking at
the sculptures. Now, that was my first date with Bill Clinton, but it also was my first date with Rothko
and Henry Moore. And all three of them have stayed a part of my life ever since. (Laughter and
applause)
I hope that every one of you either has had, or will have an experience like that with some
aspect of the arts or humanities. And it is why I believe it is so important that we do all we can to make
sure that the arts and humanities are available in every school in America, in every community in the
entire nation. (Cheers and applause) I have to confess that I find it disheartening when members of
Congress. or local school boards. or state governments decree that public support of the arts and
humanities is a luxury that we cannot afford. (Applause) I have seen what it does in the lives of young
people who we donlt ordinarily think of as season ticket holders to the symphony or the opera. Just
last week I visited a junior high school in an inner city Washington neighborhood whose students are
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drawn mostly from housing projects nearby. I brought with me our three most recent Poets Laureate.
And I was delighted to have them with me to see inaction a program that is funded by the National
Endowment for the Arts throughout the Writer Core where writers and poets are assigned to work
with these young people.
The students we saw were engaged in what is called a poetry slam. Now, 1 did not know what
that was. (Laughter) If you have never seen arpoetry slam. it is a high speed, high-spirited competition
in which students face off against one another by reading their own poems and then being scored like
ice skating at the Olympics from a group of judges. These-students. all of them African-American. all of
them from poor homes, recited poems that just made my heart leap. Some of them had poems about
their own names, or about the plight of a homeless man-in their neighborhood, or the contributions of
Duke Ellington. They talked of their pride-their joys, their pain. They also talked about how poetry,
and learning how to-write poetry to express themselves enabled them to put their anger and pain on
paper instead of acting it out. They talked about how writing poetry had given them confidence. a
sense of purpose and accomplishment. One boy recited a poem with wonder lines-like this, II am so
musical that when I write songs, you sing them for the rest of your life.I (Laughter)
Later that evening. at the White House, the President and 1 hosted the Poets Laureate in a
celebration of American poetry. Robert Pinsky and Robert Haas and Rita Dove read American poets
like Emily Dickinson and Wallace Stevens and William Carlos Williams and so many others. We had
this broadcast, cybercast, over the Internet, and I think it is archived if any of you are interested. But in
the audience in the East Room that night we also asked some non-poets to read their favorite poem. A
disabled veteran from a veteranls home, in a wheelchair, read with a wonderful. gravelly voice Robert
Frostls Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening. He said it kept him going because he, 100, despite
his serious injuries, had miles to go. A minister from Boston told how, as a young, rebellious man in
high school. he had been taken under the wing of a teacher who introduced him to poetry and
literature. took him off the streets. And he read a poem that had made an impression on him as 3 young
man and which he still read. Henry Wadsworth Longfellowls Psalm of Life. A high school teacher
from Virginia. flanked by several of his students. Brought many in the audience 10 tears when he
recited Dudley Randallls Ballad of Birmingham. A little seventh grader, who was part of the poetry
slam competition from the District of Columbia, stole the show when she offered a spirited and
touching reading of Langston Hughesl Life Is Fine.
Now. whether you watched in the audience, or on your computer screen. or C-Span or at one
of the satellite downlink sites. you had to come away from the evening with a much greater sense of the
richness of our nations tradition of poetry, but also how that poetry has influenced us as a nation and
recorded what we have done during our passage these last more than 200 years. lt is essential that we
continue to celebrate the arts and humanities. And you are showing us here at this university how to do
it. it is also essential that we take the arts and humanities into places where they are not so commonly
discussed or understood. We have seen how the arts can transform the lives of children at risk. We
need to do more of that.
I am concerned that, at a time when we need the arts more than ever, music and art in our
schools are being cut back. So many young people no longer have access 10 music lessons or art
lessons during the school day. One of mv hopes for the millennium is that all of us who care about the
arts and music, particularly in our schools, will do what we can to put them back into all schools SO that
of
all students have access to them. (Applause) There is another very essential role of the arts and
humanities At atime when our nation is still dogged by racial insensitivities and unfounded
&
stereotypes, what better way to come to terms with our multiethnic. multiracial way of life than to share
in each otherls ideas, emotions, tastes and attitudes. Reading of Langston Hughest poem helps us
understand what-an experience different from our own might be.
I think it is very important that this university pursue the particular goal that it has had of having
a diverse campus. I want to thank again President Bollinger and Provost Cantor for their words
because in this op ed piece they write, Institutions of higher education have pursued a conception of
education that emphasizes the joys, the variety and the benefits of emerging with different experiences
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and perspectives. This means we ask of every applicant, what will you contribute to the whole, not
where do you stand in splendid. isolated comparison with everyone else.l (Applause) When I read that
today, I thought back to an experience I had in 1965 that I have not thought of very much since then.
When I grew up in my suburb. it was all white. I attended all white schools from kindergarten
through high school. I never had any real contact with Black or Hispanic or Asian youngsters my age. I
was very lucky that when I was in high school, I had a minster ai my church who said very forthrightly
to all of us middle class. white suburban kids, there is a big world out there. and you are not even
going to understand how to deal with it unless you get beyond the boundaries of your own experience.
He took us down to the City of Chicago where we would have evenings with black youngsters at
churches and Hispanic youngsters at churches. We didn't become friends, but you know what we did
in those evenings? We talked about poetry and paintings. I will never forget a discussion with a group
of Hispanic youngsters where we talked about a wonderful EE Cummings poem in which it starts. I
Dying is fine. but, oh, baby. death is notl. Something like that. Dont hold me 10 it. (Laughter) IBut
death. oh. babyl oh, I know what it is. IDying is fine. but death, oh, baby. I wouldnlt like death if
death were good.I
We talked about that. The experience of the Hispanic kids was very different because every
one of them had seen somebody die. People in our families died in hospitals. They died a long way
from where we were. They didn't die at home, and thev didn't die on the streets. All of a sudden I
realized that there were very different experiences that I did not have a clue about. When I did go to
Wellesley, I was, for the first time, attending school with women who were different from me. They
were black. They were brown. They came from other places. had other experiences. And I remember
going 10 church one Sunday with a young African-American woman who became a friend of mine. I
had never gone anywhere with an African-American before. We went off campus. and we went to this
church. I can remember talking with people later about what an amazing experience that was for me.
She and I became great friends, but I never would have had that opportunity if I had gone to school at
a place where everybody looked like me and everybody had the same background as I did.
It opened my eyes in a number of ways. That is why it is so important that. if we believe in the
message of the arts and humanities, we take it to its conclusion, which is, that we all have much to learn
from each other and each otherts rich cultural traditions and histories. You are doing that in a very
practical way here in Ann Arbor in one of the oldest historic neighborhoods. The Broadway bridge
reconstruction effort will unite people young and old from throughout Ann Arbor. You will be
exploring local culture through history and writing. photography. design and other disciplines. It is a
wonderful example of how the arts and humanities can provoke imaginations of people in an entire
community and how you can literally build a bridge to the future. You know. my husband and I are
very partial to bridge metaphors (Laughter) because we think that they happen to very well display
10 us. in a lot of different ways, what it is we are trying to do. How we imagine. how we envision what
comes next.
To that end, we have chosen in the White house to use the millennium as a way to honor the
past and imagine the future. Again. that word. limagine.I Because we do believe in the importance of
imagination. The founding fathers imagined-America. Who could have dreamed what they imagined
only a few years before? Imagination has fueled the American dream in the lives of countless men and
women. Imagination is what keeps us going day in and day out, and time and time again. here in
America, we have supported the arts because we have understood they are the fuel for imagination.
In 1962, when President Kennedy asked for public support of the arts, he reminded Americans
that Abraham Lincoln ordered work to go forward on the capitol dome during the-Civil War. I would
add that one of the great sources of solace President Lincoln had during the Civil War was poetry he
read-and-wrote, plays that he saw, people who inspired him to keep imagining. Franklin Roosevelt, in
the midst of World War II, dedicated the National Gallery of Art in Washington. And President
Kennedy said about them, IThese leaders understood that the life of the arts, far from being an
interruption, a distraction in the life of the nation. is very close to the center of a nations purpose and is
a lest of the quality of a nations civilization.l We are now facing that test ourselves.
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That is why in the White House we are sponsoring a millennium program that invites speakers
to come, like the Poets Laureate, to lecture about topics ranging rom Americals founding ideas to
creativity and science. That is why-we are going to showcase American art; so that we can see what we
have contributed to this great march of human civilization. Universities have a special role to play in
3
making sure we are all conscious of the importance of the arts and humanities because it is a university
that provides a safe haven for unconventional ideas and thoughts. that gives space for people to
exercise their imaginations. that are incubators of culture. These are the places where we can test our
ideas. our emotions, our experiences, and attitudes, which is why we do not need to do it in front of a
mirror. We need to do it in a larger community that reflects back to us new ideas, new emotions. and
new experiences. By doing so, we are, therefore, able to make choices for ourselves as to what kind of
people we wish to be and what sorts of citizens we intend to be.
As theYear of the Humanities and Arts of Citizenship program here have shown, you can
provoke thought, you can create collective discourse and you need to continue doing that. The arts and
humanities really are such great equalizers for all of us. In front of a painting like Guernica or a
beautiful piece of poetry, we are all in awe and we all have to reach deep down inside. So, together, let
us honor the past and let us imagine the future. By doing so, let us live up to the ideas of our
democratic way of life by placing the arts and humanities front and center in the ongoing effort to make
America a more perfect union. Thank you very much. (Standing Ovation)