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August 11, 1998
Huma flr destribute to Opelanner 1
2
Bobbie Greene
Office of the First Lady
kgpt are set
Dear Ms. Greene:
Enclosed are documents prepared by Professor Christopher Edley for the First Lady and
her staff. Thank you for distributing them.
Jane Sincerely, Price Smith
Jane Price-Smith
Administrative Assistant, The President's Initiative on Race
ONE AMERICA:
THE PRESIDENT'S REPORT TO THE NATION
ON RACIAL AND ETHNIC JUSTICE IN THE 21ST CENTURY
What I hope to accomplish with this report/book:
Authoritative social scientific background information on demographics, disparities,
discrimination, and intergroup relations;
My vision of One America in the 21st century, and why it is preferable to some alternatives
that are implicit in public discourse, and how the motivation for that vision is rooted in our
history and cherished ideals;
Some models or examples of how we can constructively engage one another on hard
questions, and the promising practices that may build bridges connecting people across lines
of color and class;
A workplan for the nation - not just what the Federal government should undertake this year
and next, but what all of us can do together and individually. Federal, state and local
governments; private sector and voluntary sector; in our public lives and our personal lives,
to help build One America with racial and ethnic justice
***
Introduction: One America in the 21st Century
Context for the book; why I launched this; 21st century challenges; no subject more
vexing; my personal experiences and motivation, in private and public life; summary of
core themes and vision; appreciation to the Advisory Board; some highlights of the book;
closing message to Congress and to the American people.
Chapter 1. Were Is America On Race, And Where Are We Going?
Salience of race/ethnicity in our daily lives; demographic trends; disparities; authoritative
evidence on the extent of discrimination and prejudice; information on integration, social
relations; thematic social policy history since Myrdal/Kerner; most salient progress to
date; the effects of race on our political and policy discourse.
Chapter 2. More Than A Dream: Racial And Ethnic Justice In The 21st Century
My vision of One America with racial and ethnic justice in the 21st century, and why his
vision is preferable to competing visions. Seeking clarity about our value commitments
and ambitions for One America. [The section should be significantly historical,
illustrating the conceptual points with references to historical struggles and statements,
revealing the competing visions in the views of notable figures, past and present.]
Chapter 3. Wrestling Lessons: Constructive Engagement Of Our Vexing Differences
[Modeling how to think about complex, hard questions involving race.] Tackling tough
questions that divide us requires attention to the facts, and a search for the kernel of truth
1
in what the other side of the debate is saying. Beyond the black-white paradigm:
distinctiveness created by colonization, conquest and culture; the importance, and limits,
of the old model. Examples from the unfinished agenda of combating discrimination,
bigotry and exclusion - including: how much does race still matter; affirmative action
and race-conscious policies; merit; the definition of discrimination; profiling. Examples
from the new agenda of inclusion and opportunity - including: how much do we care
about integration; identity politics and ethnic conclaves; bilingualism; reconciling tribal
sovereignty and interdependence; immigration and nativism.
Chapter 4. Promising Practices: How To Build Bridges That Connect People Across Lines
Of Class And Color, Creating Community And Opportunity
Chapter 5. The Record Of The Clinton-Gore Administration
[Organized as historical narrative, rather than laundry list; programmatic details from
NEC/DPC/agencies in an appendix. Clear presentation of the values framework for the
Administration's agenda; cf. Between Hope and History.]
Chapter 6. A Workplan For Our Nation
[Workplan organized by sectors/subject matter; and including within each, federal, state,
local, private and personal elements. This is not just about the federal government,
and not just about government. Very few elements will have FY 2000 budget
implications. Key areas for focus include: (a) education; (b) civil rights enforcement; (c)
economic opportunity and community development; (d) criminal justice; (e) civic
participation, voting and citizenship; research needs.]
Chapter 7. Leadership For One America
[A call to action, appealing for the recruitment of a cadre of leaders from all sectors who
will dedicate themselves to learning, teaching and practicing the difficult tasks of
building One America for the 21st century. A plan to sustain and expand the efforts now
underway around the country. Explicitly challenging: elected officials; faith community;
corporate community; youth educators; organized labor; the media.]
Chapter 8. Conclusion
Previous presidents - personalized examples of how some of them chose to move
forward, and others didn't. Tragedies seeded or averted. Opportunities seized and
squandered. Optimism about the our ideals and our spirit. Our standing in the eyes of the
world, and in the judgment of historians. We must not be mere participants in the history
of this struggle. We must be the authors of that history. Our standing in the hearts of our
children and grandchildren; what we owe them. We must lighten their burdens and
brighten their futures, each and all. Closing message: response to a letter from a grade
school child; and a prayer.
***
2
Version 6-1
I
ONE AMERICA:
THE PRESIDENT'S REPORT TO THE NATION
ON RACIAL AND ETHNIC JUSTICE IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Note: This is only an evolving outline of ideas and subjects. It is not an
effort to capture the appropriate language with which to communicate the
President's ideas to a general audience. It is only intended to guide
research, outreach and deliberation.
Executive Summary
Introduction: One America in the 21st Century
A.
Opening:
1.
Why, as the last President of the 20th century, I launched this initiative.
America faces several challenges at home and abroad as we enter the
new century; Among these is the challenge of making the most of the
opportunities created by our growing diversity, while avoiding the
tragic mistakes we've seen too often in our nation's history and around
the globe.
No subject has been more vexing - threatening our domestic
tranquility, testing the sincerity of our deepest civic values, shaping
our public policies and even our most private thoughts about one
another. The difficulty and pervasiveness of the problem perhaps
explains the temptation to let things drift along, absent an explosive
crisis. Perhaps there's been too much of that in recent decades. But we
cannot afford that any longer, if we ever could.
2.
What we mean by "race"
Since 1960s, greater complexity of "race" and identity; historical
contingency; beyond black-white; ambivalence in the Hispanic
context; "white" ethnics; Arab-Americans; Jews; Native Americans and
the interrelationships of race, culture, sovereignty.
Intragroup heterogeneity and even tensions
B.
Personal context
1.
Observations from 1950s and 1960s: horror and hope
Personal impressions of the Civil Rights movement - what it meant to
me then, and what it means to me today.
2.
Gubernatorial experiences - not a record of accomplishments, but a few
examples of challenge, struggle, failure or success, as a window on the
post- civil rights movement evolution of our nation's work on the issue.
Voting rights/districting; hiring/affirmative action? The politics of
race.
C:\Documents\Book\POTUS book 6-1.doc: 8/11/98
p.1
Compaing notes with other political and civic leaders in the 1970s and
1980s.
C.
Summary of core themes and vision
1.
Vision of community: Celebration of our diversity, not mere tolerance of
our differences; building inclusive communities and organizations to take
advantage of the benefits and strengths. (Examples from forums, etc.)
2.
Vision of opportunity: Opportunity enjoyed so equally that there is no
discernable legacy of slavery, colonization or conquest; of Jim Crow or
internment. (Examples from forums, etc.)
3.
Vision of responsibility: responsibilities of citizenship; responsibility of
reaching out to others. (Examples from forums, etc.)
4.
We must do this for our children and their children. We must do this to
honor those who have sacrificed over the generations in earlier battles to
put our sacred civic values into practice. And I believe we must do this to
honor the God who has created us all equal, and blessed our nation in so
many countless ways.
D.
The Advisory Board and its work
1.
What has been accomplished since launching this initiative - the work of
the Advisory Board, the engagement of scores of thousands of people in
communities and organizations around the nation.
2.
Appreciation to the Advisory Board, and to the many people throughout
the nation who responded to our call to engage in a national conversation
on race, or to redouble their efforts already underway.
E.
What I hope to accomplish with this report/book:
1.
Authoritative social scientific background information on demographics,
disparities, discrimination, and intergroup relations;
2.
My vision of One America in the 21st century, and why it is preferable to
some alternatives that are implicit in public discourse, and how the
motivation for that vision is rooted in our history and cherished ideals;
3.
Some models or examples of how we can constructively engage one
another on hard questions, and the promising practices that may build
bridges connecting people across lines of color and class;
4.
A workplan for the nation - not just what the Federal government should
undertake this year and next, but what-all of us can do together and
individually. Federal, state and local governments; private sector and
voluntary sector; in our public lives and our personal lives, to help build
One America with racial and ethnic justice
F.
Some highlights of this report to the American people:
1.
Headlines from promising practices and dialog efforts (chapter 5)
2.
Headlines from the workplan: enforcement, education, criminal justice,
health disparities, history initiative (chapter 7)
3.
Headlines from leadership/next steps (chapter 8)
G.
Closing message to the Congress, and to the American People.
C:\Documents\Book\POTUS book 6-1.doc: 8/11/98
p.2
Chapter 1.
Where is America on race, and where are we going?
1.1.
The salience of race and ethnicity in our everyday lives
(a)
How it intrudes on us in various ways, explicitly or subtly.
(b)
For some of us, our communities are homogenous and we live in a racial
or ethnic enclave with exposure to racial differences almost entirely
through mass media. Others of us have constant reminders about the
differences in America.
(c)
For example
[real stories
]
1.2.
Demographic history and trends
(a)
Population and population characteristics
(b)
Intermarriage; multiracial families, the census category controversy
1.3.
Social policy history.
(a)
What the Kerner Commission said
(b)
Narrative starting with Myrdal, through Kerner Commission, to Clinton
Inauguration. Organized to focus on:
Hinging events, or milestones in 5-7 key policy sectors:
antidiscrimination law; political rights and participation; education;
economic opportunity (jobs, training, economic development); criminal
justice; housing; health
Weaving through the narrative a half dozen conceptual themes that are
the framework for the narrative - how are ideas have evolved, and our
struggles been shaped, with reference to:
-
Federalism - what's the proper role of different levels of
government;
Public-private-personal? Includes the roles of market and family;
includes the nature redistributive norms - as in the establishment
of food stamps, or SSI; EITC, but not a guaranteed income or job;
etc.
-
Targeting by race or income, versus broad-based programs
-
Black-white, versus more complex multiculturalism (this includes
rising consciousness about Native American issues, as well as
burgeoning Hispanic and Asian populations)
-
Norms of tolerance, inclusion and antidiscrimination
Pivotal figures: include within the narrative some examples of
individuals who have made a big difference - Eisenhower at Little
Rock; MLK at Montgomery and Birmingham; Nixon on Native
Americans; etc.
Stressing the nature of the choices we faced and made at each juncture.
C:\Documents\Book\POTUS book 6-1.doc: 8/11/98
p.3
1.4.
Disparities, and what we know about the effectiveness of past policies
intended to help.
(a)
A survey of sectoral conditions today: Socioeconomic indicators: income,
wealth, business ownership, employment, education, housing, health,
criminal justice variables, benefits program participation
The sectoral drawing on CEA Factbook and on NAS/NRC study]
[An especially detailed look at education and economic mobility]
Voting and civic engagement - voting rights, voter registration and
participation, elected officials, other dimensions of participation
(b)
The broad sweep of social policies, and what conclusions to draw about
their effectiveness
1.5.
Discrimination: authoritative data using various methodologies: How much
discrimination is there?
(a)
Definitions: not looking at mere disparities; considering both traditional
econometric methods and the compelling evidence from "testers"
(b)
Sectors: employment, housing, retail sales, credit, business/contracting
1.6.
Intergroup relations: how integrated are our lives, how have attitudes and
stereotypes changed, etc.
(a)
What is the significance of group separation or segregation? Why does it
matter? Connection to the vision of One America; separateness of our
communities leading to divisions in perceptions and even values, with
implications for our broader sense of community and our ability to live
and work together.
(b)
One community, or many?
Patterns of residential, school and occupational segregation; trends and
historical comparisons
-
Religious life
-
Other dimensions of social life
(c)
Attitudes: tolerance, etc., over time.
Racial attitudes
Ethnic attitudes, e.g., Arab-Americans facing discrimination
1.7.
Summation:
(a)
The effects of race on our civic discourse: how race poisons politics and
policymaking, overtly or subtly; examples of how not to address issues of
opportunity, responsibility and community.
(b)
Most salient elements of progress to date
(c)
Our most challenging work ahead
C: \Documents\Book\POTUS book 6-1.doc: 8/11/98
p.4
Chapter 2.
More than a dream: Racial and ethnic justice in the 21" century
[The President's vision of One America with racial and ethnic justice in the 21st
century, and why his vision is preferable to competing visions. Seeking clarity
about our value commitments and ambitions for One America. This pivotal
section is an elaboration of the framework sketched in speeches and in the
introduction to this Report. The section should be significantly historical,
illustrating the conceptual points with references to historical struggles and
statements.
What follows in analytical material - a start for eliciting the President's views
and theories. The book would not be written or organized in this manner.]
*
2.1.
Models: There several ways to think about national identity, and about racial
and ethnic justice, each of which has valuable and even compelling claims on our
values, but which ultimately are inadequate and/or unattainable:
(a)
Neutral formalism: Eliminate race-conscious barriers in law; achieve
"colorblindness" in official and personal conduct: Martin Luther King,
Jr.'s "I have a dream" formulation, as commonly misconstrued.
Clear problems as an instrumental prescription (MLK acknowledged
this in his support for race-conscious measures), but what about as
ideal, as vision?
Seems unattainable if there are group-correlated inequalities because
these will fuel stereotypes and, in turn, be incorporated into attitudes,
and from these into private practices and public policies.
(b)
Assimilation, with racial differences vanishing in importance.
May imply a radical kind of assimilation, in which I have to give up too
much of who I am in order to be accepted in this One America. That's
unacceptable.
(c)
Celebratory pluralism: Racial differences as analogous to religious
differences.
Religious diversity analogy:
America is the most religious of industrialized nations, but we do
not worship in the same way; indeed, some scholars assert that
religion flourishes precisely because of religious freedom.
We do not merely tolerate this diversity, we celebrate it. It is one
aspect of America about which we are intensely proud.
Fine, but needs an element of distributive justice as well.
(d)
Rawlsian distributive justice: Definition: no discernable evidence that
America had a history of slavery, conquest or colonialism.
For example, no inherited legacy of disadvantage as reflected today in,
for example, the incredible wealth disparities.
C: Documents \Book\POTUS book 6-1.doc: 8/11/98
p.5
Fine formulation, but incomplete. It needs an element to ensure
community; interactions across lines of differences. Even if it were
possible, we wouldn't want fully equal individuals separated from one
other by walls and distance.
We care about integration. And we should. Because
(e)
Clintonian Synthesis, and its basic implications for policy and practice
The sources of our values
-
Civic sources - Declaration of Independence, etc.
-
Family and communal sources
-
Spiritual sources
The connection between national identity and our conception of justice
What a just One America should and will look like.
Why I believe we can and must do it.
Chapter 3.
Wrestling Lessons: Constructive Engagement Of Our Vexing
Differences¹
3.1.
Beyond the Black-White paradigm. What that means, and why it is necessary.
The distinctiveness created by colonization, conquest and culture; the
importance, and limits, of the old model.
Immigration policy and attitudes - distinguishing a principled pursuit
of One America from divisive and even nativist proposals.
Language, culture and subgroup identity - especially the issue of
bilingual education and English acquisition.
Will other Americans accept a Spanish-speaking 51st state, if the people
of Puerto Rico seek admission to the Union?
The special challenges of Native American justice. Tribal sovereignty:
what it is, and what is must be in the 21st century.
3.2.
The unfinished agenda of combating discrimination, bigotry and exclusion:
(a)
How much does race still matter?
What is discrimination, and how much of it is there?
I
The purpose of this chapter: Using just a handful from the menu of topics below, model how we can face
up to some of the hardest questions dividing us in an honest and constructive way; teasing out the policy
implications of the values and vision by grappling with some questions that animate the national
conversation. Make use of short essays that will be contributed by a diverse group of "thinkers", leaders
and citizens; the essays will be separately published in a companion document.
List of topics for this chapter to be developed; the following items are among the menu of possibilities, for
POTUS selection. The book's discussion of each question would (i) respectfully note and engage a broad
range of views, searching for the "kernel of truth" in opposing positions; (ii) develop the President's view
on the matter by reference to the Vision presented in Chapter 4; (iii) sketch the practical implications for
public policies and private practices - with some of those implications detailed in later chapters of the
book.
C: \Documents book 6-1.doc: 8/11/98
p.6
How much observed disadvantage is fairly attributable to
discrimination or its lingering effects? (Includes discussion of the
"culture" critique.)
Absent specific discrimination, How important are diversity, inclusion
and integration as ideals, and as social policy objectives? Why?
When we act in public and private life to close the opportunity gap,
when is racial targeting appropriate, and when not? What are the moral,
practical and legal considerations?
Since affirmative action is so controversial, should we abandon it?
[Recapitulation of "Mend it, don't end it."]
(b)
Profiling in the criminal justice system: where do we draw the line
between efficient allocation of resources, and impermissible stereotyping?
(c)
What about "apologizing" for slavery, conquest, and colonization?
3.3.
The new agenda of inclusion and opportunity:
(a)
Do we still care about integration? What price, what burdens are we
willing to bear?
Education
Housing
(b)
Identity politics and ethnic enclaves
(c)
Public policies: with, or without, racial targeting?
(d)
When is a public policy battle, such as bilingual education or affordable
housing or welfare reform, a covert battle about color? And when, in our
civic discourse, must be face issues of race in order to address issues of
opportunity?
Chapter 4.
Promising Practices: How To Build Bridges That Connect People
Across Lines
4.1.
Topic: examples of public and private efforts to promote racial reconciliation
and racial justice
4.2.
We need important changes in public policies and private practices to change
the social and economic facts in people's lives, but policy initiatives will founder
and fail to command consensus unless build on a foundation of moral and
political agreement. That kind of agreement requires that we feel more connected
to one another, across our differences. So we need promising practices for how
people can come together to improve understanding and, ultimately, to make a
difference.
(a)
Criteria for making these judgments - although not every practice fits with
every criterion :
Does it help build bridges across lines of class and color?
Is it action that improves people's lives, or does it lead to such action?
Is it sustainable over time, and can it be used by others elsewhere?
C:\Documents\Book\POTUS book 6-1.doc: 8/11/98
p.7
(b)
The importance of effective dialogue
The work of the Advisory Board and its staff;
Description of the guidelines for effective conversations on race, as
developed by PIR staff in consultation with experts and practitioners
(c)
Examples of promising dialogue programs
Examples and descriptions from different sectors: government,
business, the media, the faith community, education, nonprofit sector,
etc. And in different modalities: dialogue; education efforts; service
efforts; action efforts, etc. (Excerpting from the web site and from a
separate, detailed compendium volume we will publish)
-
City Year
-
Americorps
-
Search for Common Ground
-
Bell Atlantic, Levi Straus (?)
-
A World of Difference
-
Students Talking About Race (STAR)
-
Etc.
Unpromising practices: what doesn't work, and makes our problems
worse
4.3.
Establishing an ongoing program to recognize and replicate promising
practices
(a)
Announce (pre-cooked) creation of a private program analogous to the
Ford Foundation-funded Kennedy School program on Innovations in
Government, which produces annual awards and publishes case studies
Chapter 5.
The Record Of The Clinton-Gore Administration
[Organized as historical narrative, rather than laundry list; programmatic details
from NEC/DPC/agencies in an appendix. Presented to show debate and struggle
(within the Administration and with Congress) over the conceptualization the
Opportunity Agenda and the appropriate means; an overlay of debate about the
role of government generally, and of the Federal government in particular.]
Chapter 6.
A Workplan For Our Nation
[Workplan organized by sectors/subject matter; and including within each,
federal, state, local, private and personal elements. To repeat: This is not just
about the federal government, and not just about government. Few items will have
FY 2000 budget impacts. Several will have "down payments" represented in
Administration accomplishments and earlier proposals.]
6.1.
Education and Economic Opportunity
C:\Documents\Book\POTUS book 6-1.doc: 8/11/98
p.8
(a)
Closing the opportunity gap in K-12 education
(b)
Closing the gaps in higher education and technical education
(c)
Combating the twinned calamities of racial isolation and poverty
concentration, in schools and in housing.
(d)
Leveling the economic development playing field, and affirmatively
mitigating disincentives for job-creation in struggling communities.
(e)
Building a stronger entrepreneurial class -initiatives in business formation
and development (apart from government contracting programs, which
deserve continued support to remedy discrimination where it exists).
6.2.
Enforcing our antidiscrimination laws and values
(a)
Strengthening law enforcement -- federal and state, public and private;
increasing voluntary compliance with antidiscrimination laws and
principles
(b)
The legal framework for opportunity - shaping federal and state civil
rights law and law enforcement to promote educational and economic
opportunity
(c)
Data and research:
authoritative time-series data measuring the extent of discrimination in
various sectors and regions, using both statistical and "tester"
methodologies.
We must be able to answer the questions, "How much discrimination is
there, and are we making progress?"
6.3.
Public safety and the administration of justice
(a)
The entitlement to a safe community
(b)
Youth focus: Just as we invest in child nutrition to save lives, we must
find a way to make the interventions needed to prevent the reckless or
desperate turn to crime
6.4.
Health and Services
(a)
Health disparities initiative
(b)
The insurance gap
(c)
Elder services [?]
6.5.
Citizenship and Civic Life
(a)
Voter registration and participation as civic obligation
(b)
Naturalization and immigrant integration
(c)
The news and entertainment media
Enormous power for good of ill; limited accountability to government
because of the First Amendment, which if of course as it should be. But
the media are accountable to us in a different sense, and have both
rights and responsibilities. What are those in connection with the
struggle for a racially just One America?
C:\Documents\Book\POTUS book 6-1.doc: 8/11/98
p.9
Cf., the issue violence in the media
(d)
School and university curricula
Bold initiative to expand/improve the teaching of history, viewing the
study of history as instruction in dealing with difference; cf.
NDEA/Sputnik.
More generally, curricular improvements so that Americans understand
more about Americans
(e)
Bold initiative to enlist the faith community in this work, tapping not just
their resources in free basements and mailing lists, but their spiritual
resources.
6.6.
Research needs
(a)
Missing data - under-analyzed groups and subgroups, especially Native
Americans and Asians.
(b)
Authoritative tracking of disparities to mark our progress into the next
century.
(c)
Periodic report card [by the "follow-on entity"]
Chapter 7.
Leadership For One America
7.1.
Call to action
(a)
I am issuing a call to action, appealing for the recruitment of a cadre of
leaders from all sectors who will dedicate themselves to learning, teaching
and practicing the difficult tasks of building One America for the 21st
century.
(b)
What the Federal government's ongoing commitment will be - the
"follow-on entity"
7.2.
A plan to sustain and expand the efforts now underway in communities and
organizations around the country.
(a)
In general terms: Holding ourselves accountable for the quality of our
leadership: creating effective watchdog and feedback mechanisms.
(b)
Sectoral leadership and action: I am assigning responsibility for nurturing
this community-based engagement by explicitly challenging certain
sectors, organizations and leaders.
Elected officials
Faith community
Corporate community
Youth
Educators
Organized labor
The media
Others??
C:\Documents\Book\POTUS book 6-1.doc: 8/11/98
p.10
(c)
Community leadership and action: Community-based workplans to be
developed by local partnerships, reporting to their communities. [One
America Partnerships?]
(d)
Federal leadership and action:
Strengthening the Civil Rights Commission and its state partners. A
network of means to monitor the roles and activities of political leaders,
corporate leaders, civic leaders, the media.
[An ongoing Federal council or other "follow-on entitity"]
Chapter 8. Conclusion
8.1.
Reprise
8.2.
Personalized examples of how previous presidents chose to move forward,
and others didn't. Tragedies seeded or averted. Opportunities seized and
squandered. Optimism about the our ideals and our spirit. Our standing in the
eyes of the world, and in the judgment of historians. We must not be mere
participants in the history of this struggle. We must be the authors of that history.
Our standing in the hearts of our children and grandchildren; what we owe them.
We must lighten their burdens and brighten their futures, each and all.
8.3.
Closing message. Response to a letter from a grade school child. A prayer.
***
C:\Documents\Book\POTUS book 6-1.doc: 8/11/98
p.11
ONE AMERICA:
THE PRESIDENT'S REPORT TO THE NATION
ON RACIAL AND ETHNIC JUSTICE IN THE 21ST CENTURY
What I hope to accomplish with this report/book:
Authoritative social scientific background information on demographics, disparities,
discrimination, and intergroup relations;
My vision of One America in the 21st century, and why it is preferable to some alternatives
that are implicit in public discourse, and how the motivation for that vision is rooted in our
history and cherished ideals;
Some models or examples of how we can constructively engage one another on hard
questions, and the promising practices that may build bridges connecting people across lines
of color and class;
A workplan for the nation - - not just what the Federal government should undertake this year
and next, but what all of us can do together and individually. Federal, state and local
governments; private sector and voluntary sector; in our public lives and our personal lives,
to help build One America with racial and ethnic justice
***
Introduction: One America in the 21st Century
Context for the book; why I launched this; 21st century challenges; no subject more
vexing; my personal experiences and motivation, in private and public life; summary of
core themes and vision; appreciation to the Advisory Board; some highlights of the book;
closing message to Congress and to the American people,
Chapter 1. Were Is America On Race, And Where Are We Going?
Salience of race/ethnicity in our daily lives; demographic trends; disparities; authoritative
evidence on the extent of discrimination and prejudice; information on integration, social
relations; thematic social policy history since Myrdal/Kerner; most salient progress to
date; the effects of race on our political and policy discourse.
Chapter 2. More Than A Dream: Racial And Ethnic Justice In The 21st Century
My vision of One America with racial and ethnic justice in the 21st century, and why his
vision is preferable to competing visions. Seeking clarity about our value commitments
and ambitions for One America. [The section should be significantly historical,
illustrating the conceptual points with references to historical struggles and statements,
revealing the competing visions in the views of notable figures, past and present.]
Chapter 3. Wrestling Lessons: Constructive Engagement Of Our Vexing Differences
[Modeling how to think about complex, hard questions involving race.] Tackling tough
questions that divide us requires attention to the facts, and a search for the kernel of truth
1
in what the other side of the debate is saying. Beyond the black-white paradigm:
distinctiveness created by colonization, conquest and culture; the importance, and limits,
of the old model. Examples from the unfinished agenda of combating discrimination,
bigotry and exclusion - including: how much does race still matter; affirmative action
and race-conscious policies; merit; the definition of discrimination; profiling. Examples
from the new agenda of inclusion and opportunity - including: how much do we care
about integration; identity politics and ethnic conclaves; bilingualism; reconciling tribal
sovereignty and interdependence; immigration and nativism.
Chapter 4. Promising Practices: How To Build Bridges That Connect People Across Lines
Of Class And Color, Creating Community And Opportunity
Chapter 5. The Record Of The Clinton-Gore Administration
[Organized as historical narrative, rather than laundry list; programmatic details from
NEC/DPC/agencies in an appendix. Clear presentation of the values framework for the
Administration's agenda; cf. Between Hope and History.]
Chapter 6. A Workplan For Our Nation
[Workplan organized by sectors/subject matter; and including within each, federal, state,
local, private and personal elements. This is not just about the federal government,
and not just about government. Very few elements will have FY 2000 budget
implications. Key areas for focus include: (a) education; (b) civil rights enforcement; (c)
economic opportunity and community development; (d) criminal justice; (e) civic
participation, voting and citizenship; research needs.]
Chapter 7. Leadership For One America
[A call to action, appealing for the recruitment of a cadre of leaders from all sectors who
will dedicate themselves to learning, teaching and practicing the difficult tasks of
building One America for the 21st century. A plan to sustain and expand the efforts now
underway around the country. Explicitly challenging: elected officials; faith community;
corporate community; youth educators; organized labor; the media.]
Chapter 8. Conclusion
Previous presidents - personalized examples of how some of them chose to move
forward, and others didn't. Tragedies seeded or averted. Opportunities seized and
squandered. Optimism about the our ideals and our spirit. Our standing in the eyes of the
world, and in the judgment of historians. We must not be mere participants in the history
of this struggle. We must be the authors of that history. Our standing in the hearts of our
children and grandchildren; what we owe them. We must lighten their burdens and
brighten their futures, each and all. Closing message: response to a letter from a grade
school child; and a prayer.
***
2
Version 6-1
/
ONE AMERICA:
THE PRESIDENT'S REPORT TO THE NATION
ON RACIAL AND ETHNIC JUSTICE IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Note: This is only an evolving outline of ideas and subjects. It is not an
effort to capture the appropriate language with which to communicate the
President's ideas to a general audience. It is only intended to guide
research, outreach and deliberation.
Executive Summary
Introduction: One America in the 21" Century
A.
Opening:
1.
Why, as the last President of the 20th century, I launched this initiative.
America faces several challenges at home and abroad as we enter the
new century; Among these is the challenge of making the most of the
opportunities created by our growing diversity, while avoiding the
tragic mistakes we've seen too often in our nation's history and around
the globe.
No subject has been more vexing - threatening our domestic
tranquility, testing the sincerity of our deepest civic values, shaping
our public policies and even our most private thoughts about one
another. The difficulty and pervasiveness of the problem perhaps
explains the temptation to let things drift along, absent an explosive
crisis. Perhaps there's been too much of that in recent decades. But we
cannot afford that any longer, if we ever could.
2.
What we mean by "race"
Since 1960s, greater complexity of "race" and identity; historical
contingency; beyond black-white; ambivalence in the Hispanic
context; "white" ethnics; Arab-Americans; Jews; Native Americans and
the interrelationships of race, culture, sovereignty.
Intragroup heterogeneity and even tensions
B.
Personal context
1.
Observations from 1950s and 1960s: horror and hope
Personal impressions of the Civil Rights movement - what it meant to
me then, and what it means to me today.
2.
Gubernatorial experiences - not a record of accomplishments, but a few
examples of challenge, struggle, failure or success, as a window on the
post- civil rights movement evolution of our nation's work on the issue.
Voting rights/districting; hiring/affirmative action? The politics of
race.
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Comparing notes with other political and civic leaders in the 1970s and
1980s.
C.
Summary of core themes and vision
1.
Vision of community: Celebration of our diversity, not mere tolerance of
our differences; building inclusive communities and organizations to take
advantage of the benefits and strengths. (Examples from forums, etc.)
2.
Vision of opportunity: Opportunity enjoyed so equally that there is no
discernable legacy of slavery, colonization or conquest; of Jim Crow or
internment. (Examples from forums, etc.)
3.
Vision of responsibility: responsibilities of citizenship; responsibility of
reaching out to others. (Examples from forums, etc.)
4.
We must do this for our children and their children. We must do this to
honor those who have sacrificed over the generations in earlier battles to
put our sacred civic values into practice. And I believe we must do this to
honor the God who has created us all equal, and blessed our nation in so
many countless ways.
D.
The Advisory Board and its work
1.
What has been accomplished since launching this initiative - the work of
the Advisory Board, the engagement of scores of thousands of people in
communities and organizations around the nation.
2.
Appreciation to the Advisory Board, and to the many people throughout
the nation who responded to our call to engage in a national conversation
on race, or to redouble their efforts already underway.
E.
What I hope to accomplish with this report/book:
1.
Authoritative social scientific background information on demographics,
disparities, discrimination, and intergroup relations;
2.
My vision of One America in the 21st century, and why it is preferable to
some alternatives that are implicit in public discourse, and how the
motivation for that vision is rooted in our history and cherished ideals;
3.
Some models or examples of how we can constructively engage one
another on hard questions, and the promising practices that may build
bridges connecting people across lines of color and class;
4.
A workplan for the nation - not just what the Federal government should
undertake this year and next, but what all of us can do together and
individually. Federal, state and local governments; private sector and
voluntary sector; in our public lives and our personal lives, to help build
One America with racial and ethnic justice
F.
Some highlights of this report to the American people:
1.
Headlines from promising practices and dialog efforts (chapter 5)
2.
Headlines from the workplan: enforcement, education, criminal justice,
health disparities, history initiative (chapter 7)
3.
Headlines from leadership/next steps (chapter 8)
G.
Closing message to the Congress, and to the American People.
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Chapter 1.
Where is America on race, and where are we going?
1.1.
The salience of race and ethnicity in our everyday lives
(a)
How it intrudes on us in various ways, explicitly or subtly.
(b)
For some of us, our communities are homogenous and we live in a racial
or ethnic enclave with exposure to racial differences almost entirely
through mass media. Others of us have constant reminders about the
differences in America.
(c)
For example
[real stories
]
1.2.
Demographic history and trends
(a)
Population and population characteristics
(b)
Intermarriage; multiracial families, the census category controversy
1.3.
Social policy history.
(a)
What the Kerner Commission said
(b)
Narrative starting with Myrdal, through Kerner Commission, to Clinton
Inauguration. Organized to focus on:
Hinging events, or milestones in 5-7 key policy sectors:
antidiscrimination law; political rights and participation; education;
economic opportunity (jobs, training, economic development); criminal
justice; housing; health
Weaving through the narrative a half dozen conceptual themes that are
the framework for the narrative - how are ideas have evolved, and our
struggles been shaped, with reference to:
-
Federalism - what's the proper role of different levels of
government;
-
Public-private-personal? Includes the roles of market and family;
includes the nature redistributive norms - as in the establishment
of food stamps, or SSI; EITC, but not a guaranteed income or job;
etc.
-
Targeting by race or income, versus broad-based programs
-
Black-white, versus more complex multiculturalism (this includes
rising consciousness about Native American issues, as well as
burgeoning Hispanic and Asian populations)
-
Norms of tolerance, inclusion and antidiscrimination
Pivotal figures: include within the narrative some examples of
individuals who have made a big difference - Eisenhower at Little
Rock; MLK at Montgomery and Birmingham; Nixon on Native
Americans; etc.
Stressing the nature of the choices we faced and made at each juncture.
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1.4.
Disparities, and what we know about the effectiveness of past policies
intended to help.
(a)
A survey of sectoral conditions today: Socioeconomic indicators: income,
wealth, business ownership, employment, education, housing, health,
criminal justice variables, benefits program participation
The sectoral drawing on CEA Factbook and on NAS/NRC study]
[An especially detailed look at education and economic mobility]
Voting and civic engagement - voting rights, voter registration and
participation, elected officials, other dimensions of participation
(b)
The broad sweep of social policies, and what conclusions to draw about
their effectiveness
1.5.
Discrimination: authoritative data using various methodologies: How much
discrimination is there?
(a)
Definitions: not looking at mere disparities; considering both traditional
econometric methods and the compelling evidence from "testers"
(b)
Sectors: employment, housing, retail sales, credit, business/contracting
1.6.
Intergroup relations: how integrated are our lives, how have attitudes and
stereotypes changed, etc.
(a)
What is the significance of group separation or segregation? Why does it
matter? Connection to the vision of One America; separateness of our
communities leading to divisions in perceptions and even values, with
implications for our broader sense of community and our ability to live
and work together.
(b)
One community, or many?
Patterns of residential, school and occupational segregation; trends and
historical comparisons
-
Religious life
-
Other dimensions of social life
(c)
Attitudes: tolerance, etc., over time.
Racial attitudes
Ethnic attitudes, e.g., Arab-Americans facing discrimination
1.7.
Summation:
(a)
The effects of race on our civic discourse: how race poisons politics and
policymaking, overtly or subtly; examples of how not to address issues of
opportunity, responsibility and community.
(b)
Most salient elements of progress to date
(c)
Our most challenging work ahead
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Chapter 2.
More than a dream: Racial and ethnic justice in the 21st century
[The President's vision of One America with racial and ethnic justice in the 21st
century, and why his vision is preferable to competing visions. Seeking clarity
about our value commitments and ambitions for One America. This pivotal
section is an elaboration of the framework sketched in speeches and in the
introduction to this Report. The section should be significantly historical,
illustrating the conceptual points with references to historical struggles and
statements.
What follows in analytical material - a start for eliciting the President's views
and theories. The book would not be written or organized in this manner.]
*
2.1.
Models: There several ways to think about national identity, and about racial
and ethnic justice, each of which has valuable and even compelling claims on our
values, but which ultimately are inadequate and/or unattainable:
(a)
Neutral formalism: Eliminate race-conscious barriers in law; achieve
"colorblindness" in official and personal conduct: Martin Luther King,
Jr.'s "I have a dream" formulation, as commonly misconstrued.
Clear problems as an instrumental prescription (MLK acknowledged
this in his support for race-conscious measures), but what about as
ideal, as vision?
Seems unattainable if there are group-correlated inequalities because
these will fuel stereotypes and, in turn, be incorporated into attitudes,
and from these into private practices and public policies.
(b)
Assimilation, with racial differences vanishing in importance.
May imply a radical kind of assimilation, in which I have to give up too
much of who I am in order to be accepted in this One America. That's
unacceptable.
(c)
Celebratory pluralism: Racial differences as analogous to religious
differences.
Religious diversity analogy:
America is the most religious of industrialized nations, but we do
not worship in the same way; indeed, some scholars assert that
religion flourishes precisely because of religious freedom.
We do not merely tolerate this diversity, we celebrate it. It is one
aspect of America about which we are intensely proud.
Fine, but needs an element of distributive justice as well.
(d)
Rawlsian distributive justice: Definition: no discernable evidence that
America had a history of slavery, conquest or colonialism.
For example, no inherited legacy of disadvantage as reflected today in,
for example, the incredible wealth disparities.
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Fine formulation, but incomplete. It needs an element to ensure
community; interactions across lines of differences. Even if it were
possible, we wouldn't want fully equal individuals separated from one
other by walls and distance.
We care about integration. And we should. Because
(e)
Clintonian Synthesis, and its basic implications for policy and practice
The sources of our values
-
Civic sources - Declaration of Independence, etc.
-
Family and communal sources
-
Spiritual sources
The connection between national identity and our conception of justice
What a just One America should and will look like.
Why I believe we can and must do it.
Chapter 3.
Wrestling Lessons: Constructive Engagement Of Our Vexing
Differences¹
3.1.
Beyond the Black-White paradigm. What that means, and why it is necessary.
The distinctiveness created by colonization, conquest and culture; the
importance, and limits, of the old model.
Immigration policy and attitudes - distinguishing a principled pursuit
of One America from divisive and even nativist proposals.
Language, culture and subgroup identity - especially the issue of
bilingual education and English acquisition.
Will other Americans accept a Spanish-speaking 51st state, if the people
of Puerto Rico seek admission to the Union?
The special challenges of Native American justice. Tribal sovereignty:
what it is, and what is must be in the 21st century.
3.2.
The unfinished agenda of combating discrimination, bigotry and exclusion:
(a)
How much does race still matter?
What is discrimination, and how much of it is there?
1 The purpose of this chapter: Using just a handful from the menu of topics below, model how we can face
up to some of the hardest questions dividing us in an honest and constructive way; teasing out the policy
implications of the values and vision by grappling with some questions that animate the national
conversation. Make use of short essays that will be contributed by a diverse group of "thinkers", leaders
and citizens; the essays will be separately published in a companion document.
List of topics for this chapter to be developed; the following items are among the menu of possibilities, for
POTUS selection. The book's discussion of each question would (i) respectfully note and engage a broad
range of views, searching for the "kernel of truth" in opposing positions; (ii) develop the President's view
on the matter by reference to the Vision presented in Chapter 4; (iii) sketch the practical implications for
public policies and private practices - with some of those implications detailed in later chapters of the
book.
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How much observed disadvantage is fairly attributable to
discrimination or its lingering effects? (Includes discussion of the
"culture" critique.)
Absent specific discrimination, How important are diversity, inclusion
and integration as ideals, and as social policy objectives? Why?
When we act in public and private life to close the opportunity gap,
when is racial targeting appropriate, and when not? What are the moral,
practical and legal considerations?
Since affirmative action is so controversial, should we abandon it?
[Recapitulation of "Mend it, don't end it."]
(b)
Profiling in the criminal justice system: where do we draw the line
between efficient allocation of resources, and impermissible stereotyping?
(c)
What about "apologizing" for slavery, conquest, and colonization?
3.3.
The new agenda of inclusion and opportunity:
(a)
Do we still care about integration? What price, what burdens are we
willing to bear?
Education
Housing
(b)
Identity politics and ethnic enclaves
(c)
Public policies: with, or without, racial targeting?
(d)
When is a public policy battle, such as bilingual education or affordable
housing or welfare reform, a covert battle about color? And when, in our
civic discourse, must be face issues of race in order to address issues of
opportunity?
Chapter 4.
Promising Practices: How To Build Bridges That Connect People
Across Lines
4.1.
Topic: examples of public and private efforts to promote racial reconciliation
and racial justice
4.2.
We need important changes in public policies and private practices to change
the social and economic facts in people's lives, but policy initiatives will founder
and fail to command consensus unless build on a foundation of moral and
political agreement. That kind of agreement requires that we feel more connected
to one another, across our differences. So we need promising practices for how
people can come together to improve understanding and, ultimately, to make a
difference.
(a)
Criteria for making these judgments - although not every practice fits with
every criterion :
Does it help build bridges across lines of class and color?
Is it action that improves people's lives, or does it lead to such action?
Is it sustainable over time, and can it be used by others elsewhere?
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(b)
The importance of effective dialogue
The work of the Advisory Board and its staff;
Description of the guidelines for effective conversations on race, as
developed by PIR staff in consultation with experts and practitioners
(c)
Examples of promising dialogue programs
Examples and descriptions from different sectors: government,
business, the media, the faith community, education, nonprofit sector,
etc. And in different modalities: dialogue; education efforts; service
efforts; action efforts, etc. (Excerpting from the web site and from a
separate, detailed compendium volume we will publish)
-
City Year
-
Americorps
-
Search for Common Ground
-
Bell Atlantic, Levi Straus (?)
-
A World of Difference
-
Students Talking About Race (STAR)
-
Etc.
Unpromising practices: what doesn't work, and makes our problems
worse
4.3.
Establishing an ongoing program to recognize and replicate promising
practices
(a)
Announce (pre-cooked) creation of a private program analogous to the
Ford Foundation-funded Kennedy School program on Innovations in
Government, which produces annual awards and publishes case studies
Chapter 5.
The Record Of The Clinton-Gore Administration
[Organized as historical narrative, rather than laundry list; programmatic details
from NEC/DPC/agencies in an appendix. Presented to show debate and struggle
(within the Administration and with Congress) over the conceptualization the
Opportunity Agenda and the appropriate means; an overlay of debate about the
role of government generally, and of the Federal government in particular.]
Chapter 6.
A Workplan For Our Nation
[Workplan organized by sectors/subject matter; and including within each,
federal, state, local, private and personal elements. To repeat: This is not just
about the federal government, and not just about government. Few items will have
FY 2000 budget impacts. Several will have "down payments" represented in
Administration accomplishments and earlier proposals.]
6.1.
Education and Economic Opportunity
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(a)
Closing the opportunity gap in K-12 education
1
(b)
Closing the gaps in higher education and technical education
(c)
Combating the twinned calamities of racial isolation and poverty
concentration, in schools and in housing.
(d)
Leveling the economic development playing field, and affirmatively
mitigating disincentives for job-creation in struggling communities.
(e)
Building a stronger entrepreneurial class -initiatives in business formation
and development (apart from government contracting programs, which
deserve continued support to remedy discrimination where it exists).
6.2.
Enforcing our antidiscrimination laws and values
(a)
Strengthening law enforcement -- federal and state, public and private;
increasing voluntary compliance with antidiscrimination laws and
principles
(b)
The legal framework for opportunity - shaping federal and state civil
rights law and law enforcement to promote educational and economic
opportunity
(c)
Data and research:
authoritative time-series data measuring the extent of discrimination in
various sectors and regions, using both statistical and "tester"
methodologies.
We must be able to answer the questions, "How much discrimination is
there, and are we making progress?"
6.3.
Public safety and the administration of justice
(a)
The entitlement to a safe community
(b)
Youth focus: Just as we invest in child nutrition to save lives, we must
find a way to make the interventions needed to prevent the reckless or
desperate turn to crime
6.4.
Health and Services
(a)
Health disparities initiative
(b)
The insurance gap
(c)
Elder services [?]
6.5.
Citizenship and Civic Life
(a)
Voter registration and participation as civic obligation
(b)
Naturalization and immigrant integration
(c)
The news and entertainment media
Enormous power for good of ill; limited accountability to government
because of the First Amendment, which if of course as it should be. But
the media are accountable to us in a different sense, and have both
rights and responsibilities. What are those in connection with the
struggle for a racially just One America?
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Cf., the issue violence in the media
I
(d)
School and university curricula
Bold initiative to expand/improve the teaching of history, viewing the
study of history as instruction in dealing with difference; cf.
NDEA/Sputnik.
More generally, curricular improvements so that Americans understand
more about Americans
(e)
Bold initiative to enlist the faith community in this work, tapping not just
their resources in free basements and mailing lists, but their spiritual
resources.
6.6.
Research needs
(a)
Missing data - under-analyzed groups and subgroups, especially Native
Americans and Asians.
(b)
Authoritative tracking of disparities to mark our progress into the next
century.
(c)
Periodic report card [by the "follow-on entity"]
Chapter 7.
Leadership For One America
7.1.
Call to action
(a)
I am issuing a call to action, appealing for the recruitment of a cadre of
leaders from all sectors who will dedicate themselves to learning, teaching
and practicing the difficult tasks of building One America for the 21st
century.
(b)
What the Federal government's ongoing commitment will be - the
"follow-on entity"
7.2.
A plan to sustain and expand the efforts now underway in communities and
organizations around the country.
(a)
In general terms: Holding ourselves accountable for the quality of our
leadership: creating effective watchdog and feedback mechanisms.
(b)
Sectoral leadership and action: I am assigning responsibility for nurturing
this community-based engagement by explicitly challenging certain
sectors, organizations and leaders.
Elected officials
Faith community
Corporate community
Youth
Educators
Organized labor
The media
Others??
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(c)
Community leadership and action: Community-based workplans to be
developed by local partnerships, reporting to their communities. [One
America Partnerships?]
(d)
Federal leadership and action:
Strengthening the Civil Rights Commission and its state partners. A
network of means to monitor the roles and activities of political leaders,
corporate leaders, civic leaders, the media.
[An ongoing Federal council or other "follow-on entitity"]
Chapter 8.
Conclusion
8.1.
Reprise
8.2.
Personalized examples of how previous presidents chose to move forward,
and others didn't. Tragedies seeded or averted. Opportunities seized and
squandered. Optimism about the our ideals and our spirit. Our standing in the
eyes of the world, and in the judgment of historians. We must not be mere
participants in the history of this struggle. We must be the authors of that history.
Our standing in the hearts of our children and grandchildren; what we owe them.
We must lighten their burdens and brighten their futures, each and all.
8.3.
Closing message. Response to a letter from a grade school child. A prayer.
***
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