Statement by the President on the Passing of Wilma Mankiller
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Presidential Proclamation – Cesar Chavez Day
A PROCLAMATION
The rights and benefits working Americans enjoy today were not easily gained; they had to be won. It took generations of courageous men and women, fighting to secure decent working conditions, organizing to demand fair pay, and sometimes risking their lives. Some, like Cesar Estrada Chavez, made it the cause of their lives. Today, on what would have been his 83rd birthday, we celebrate Cesar's legacy and the progress achieved by all who stood alongside him.
Raised by a family of migrant farm workers, Cesar Chavez spent his youth moving across the American Southwest, working in fields and vineyards, and experiencing firsthand the hardships he would later crusade to abolish. At the time, farm workers were deeply impoverished and frequently exploited, exposed to very hazardous working conditions, and often denied clean drinking water, toilets, and other basic necessities. The union Cesar later founded with Dolores Huerta, the United Farm Workers of America (UFW), still addresses these issues today.
After serving in the United States Navy, Cesar Chavez became a community organizer and began his lifelong campaign for civil rights and social justice. Applying the principles of nonviolence, he empowered countless laborers, building a movement that grew into the UFW. He led workers in marches, strikes, and boycotts, focusing our Nation's attention on their plight and using the power of picket lines to win union contracts.
"The love for justice that is in us is not only the best part of our being, but it is also the most true to our nature," Cesar Chavez once said. Since our Nation's earliest days of independence, we have struggled to perfect the ideals of equal justice and opportunity enshrined in our founding documents. As Cesar suggests, justice may be true to our nature, but as history teaches us, it will not prevail unless we defend its cause.
Few Americans have led this charge so tirelessly, and for so many, as Cesar Chavez. To this day, his rallying cry -- "Sí, se puede," or "Yes, we can," -- inspires hope and a spirit of possibility in people around the world. His movement strengthened our country, and his vision lives on in the organizers and social entrepreneurs who still empower their neighbors to improve their communities.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 31, 2010, as Cesar Chavez Day. I call upon all Americans to observe this day with appropriate service, community, and education programs to honor Cesar Chavez's enduring legacy.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.
BARACK OBAMA
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Statement by President Obama on the 45th Anniversary of the March from Selma-to-Montgomery
On this day, 45 years ago, hundreds of brave men and women gathered in the small town of Selma, Alabama to announce to the world that they, too, sang America. As they marched from Selma to Montgomery, fully aware of the danger that lay ahead, these heroes let their feet speak in a way that their voices alone could not.
Today, as we gather in this hallowed place on the anniversary of what would come to be known as “Bloody Sunday,” let us honor the memory of all those who were shoved and beaten within an inch of their lives because they believed in the simple truth that every American – regardless of race – had the right to cast a vote; had the right to live free; had the right to reach for their dreams.
It would take the marchers three tries to make it to Montgomery in March of 1965 – and even longer to secure the rights they fought so hard for. Along the way, leaders were born – men like John Lewis, who endured taunts and beatings with the same quiet grace and dignity and determination that so many of us admire today. For Congressman Lewis and so many like him, no sacrifice was too great to make in freedom’s cause.
The Movement also had a partner in the White House – a President who declared “we shall overcome,” and who understood that our nation could not move forward as long as any of its citizens were held back. President Johnson helped deliver on that promise by signing the Voting Rights Act in August of that year – a law that aligned this nation more closely with its founding ideals of justice and equality for all.
Today, we stand on the shoulders of all the Moses Generation that made the Voting Rights Act possible, that made the Civil Rights Act possible, that made the civil rights movement possible. Yet with all of the progress that has been made since that terrible day in Selma, we also know that there is still much work to be done, by us – the Joshua generation.
Since taking office, I have never forgotten that responsibility. That’s why the first bill I signed as President helped ensure that never again will someone be forced to do the same work for less pay simply because of their gender. That’s why we continue to give the Department of Justice, led by Attorney General Holder, the tools to protect voting rights and defend fair practices across our nation. And that’s why last month, we sought final resolution with the nation’s black farmers who had suffered indignation for years because of the misguided actions of their government.
But we must also remember that the mission at the heart of the Civil Rights Movement was never simply about obtaining the right to sit at a lunch counter or ride on a bus. It was about giving Americans of every race, faith, and station, the right to fulfill their God-given potential. That’s why we are making unprecedented investments in the education of our children; in guaranteeing quality, affordable health care for every American; and in working to create good, well-paying jobs that will help build the economy of the 21st century.
So let us honor the men and women who marched into history so many years ago – both those who are with us today, and those who long ago gave their lives to perfect our union. Let us remember their courage in the face of danger, and recommit ourselves to the journey ahead. Because I am confident that if we stand together in the Joshua Generation as the Moses Generation did before us – then, in the words of a song we know so well, we will face the rising sun of a new day begun. Thank you.
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Promoting Excellence, Innovation, and Sustainability at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, in order to advance the development of the Nation's full human potential and to advance equal opportunity in higher education, strengthen the capacity of historically black colleges and universities to provide the highest quality education, increase opportunities for these institutions to participate in and benefit from Federal programs, and ensure that our Nation has the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by the year 2020, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Policy. Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have made historic and ongoing contributions to the general welfare and prosperity of our country. Established by visionary leaders, America's HBCUs, for over 150 years, have produced many of the Nation's leaders in business, government, academia, and the military and have provided generations of American men and women with hope and educational opportunity. The Nation's 105 HBCUs are located in 20 States, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands and serve more than 300,000 undergraduate and graduate students. These institutions continue to be important engines of economic growth and community service, and they are proven ladders of intergenerational advancement for men and women of all ethnic, racial, and economic backgrounds, especially African Americans. These institutions also produce a high number of baccalaureate recipients who go on to assume leadership and service roles in their communities and who successfully complete graduate and professional degree programs.
Sec. 2. White House Initiative on HBCUs.
(a) Establishment. There is established the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (Initiative), to be housed in the Department of Education (Department).
(b) Mission and Functions. The Initiative shall work with executive departments, agencies, and offices, the private sector, educational associations, philanthropic organizations, and other partners to increase the capacity of HBCUs to provide the highest-quality education to a greater number of students, and to take advantage of these institutions' capabilities in serving the Nation's needs through five core tasks:
(i) strengthening the capacity of HBCUs to participate in Federal programs;
(ii) fostering enduring private-sector initiatives and public-private partnerships while promoting specific areas and centers of academic research and programmatic excellence throughout all HBCUs;
(iii) improving the availability, dissemination, and quality of information concerning HBCUs to inform public policy and practice;
(iv) sharing administrative and programmatic practices within the HBCU community for the benefit of all; and
(v) exploring new ways of improving the relationship between the Federal Government and HBCUs.
(c) Administration. There shall be an Executive Director of the Initiative. The Department shall provide the staff, resources, and assistance for the Initiative, and shall assist the Initiative in fulfilling its mission and responsibilities under this order.
(d) Federal Agency Plans. (1) Each executive department and agency designated by the Secretary of Education (Secretary) shall prepare an annual plan (agency plan) of its efforts to strengthen the capacity of HBCUs through increased participation in appropriate Federal programs and initiatives. Where appropriate, each agency plan shall address, among other things, the agency's proposed efforts to:
(i) establish how the department or agency intends to increase the capacity of HBCUs to compete effectively for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements and to encourage HBCUs to participate in Federal programs;
(ii) identify Federal programs and initiatives in which HBCUs may be either underserved or underused as national resources, and improve HBCUs' participation therein; and
(iii) encourage public-sector, private-sector, and community involvement in improving the overall capacity of HBCUs.
(2) Each department and agency, in its agency plan, shall provide appropriate measurable objectives and, after the first year, shall annually assess that department's or agency's performance on the goals set in the previous year's agency plan.
(3) The Secretary shall establish a date by which agency plans shall be submitted to the Secretary. The Secretary and the Executive Director shall review the agency plans in consultation with the President's Board of Advisors on HBCUs, established in section 3 of this order, and shall submit to the President an annual plan to strengthen the overall capacity of HBCUs.
(4) To help fulfill the objectives of these plans, the head of each department and agency identified by the Secretary shall provide, as appropriate, technical assistance and information to the Executive Director for purposes of communicating with HBCUs concerning program activities of the department or agency and the preparation of applications or proposals for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements.
(5) To help fulfill the goals of this order, each executive department and agency identified by the Secretary shall appoint a senior official to report directly to the department or agency head with respect to that department's or agency's activities under this order, and to serve as liaison to the President's Board of Advisors on HBCUs and to the Initiative.
(e) Interagency Working Group. There is established the Interagency Working Group, which shall be convened by the Executive Director and that shall consist of representatives from agencies designated by the Secretary, to help advance and coordinate the work of Federal agencies pursuant to this order, where appropriate.
Sec. 3. President's Board of Advisors on HBCUs.
(a) Establishment. There is established in the Department the President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (the Board). The Board shall consist of not more than 25 members appointed by the President. The President shall designate one member of the Board to serve as Chair, who shall coordinate with the Executive Director to convene meetings and help direct the work of the Board. The Board shall include representatives of a variety of sectors, including philanthropy, education, business, finance, entrepreneurship, innovation, and private foundations, as well as sitting HBCU presidents.
(b) Mission and Functions. Through the Initiative, the Board shall advise the President and the Secretary on all matters pertaining to strengthening the educational capacity of HBCUs. In particular, the Board shall advise the President and the Secretary in the following areas:
(i) improving the identity, visibility, and distinctive capabilities and overall competitiveness of HBCUs;
(ii) engaging the philanthropic, business, government, military, homeland-security, and education communities in a national dialogue regarding new HBCU programs and initiatives;
(iii) improving the ability of HBCUs to remain fiscally secure institutions that can assist the Nation in reaching its goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates by 2020;
(iv) elevating the public awareness of HBCUs; and
(v) encouraging public-private investments in HBCUs.
(c) Administration. The Executive Director of the Initiative shall also serve as the Executive Director of the Board. The Department shall provide funding and administrative support for the Board to the extent permitted by law and within existing appropriations. Members of the Board shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by law. Insofar as the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App.), may apply to the Board, any functions of the President under that Act, except for those of reporting to the Congress, shall be performed by the Secretary, in accordance with guidelines issued by the Administrator of General Services.
(d) Report. As part of the annual report of the Initiative, the Board shall report to the President and the Secretary on their progress in carrying out its duties under this section.
Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) For the purposes of this order, "historically black colleges and universities" shall mean those institutions listed in 34 C.F.R. 602.8.
(b) This order shall apply to executive departments and agencies designated by the Secretary. Those departments and agencies shall provide timely reports and such information as is required to effectively carry out the objectives of this order.
(c) The heads of executive departments and agencies shall assist and provide information through the White House Initiative to the Board, consistent with applicable law, as may be necessary to carry out the functions of the Board. Each executive department and agency shall bear its own expenses of participating in the Initiative.
(d) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(e) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(f) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person
(g) Executive Order 13256 of February 12, 2002, is hereby revoked.
BARACK OBAMA
THE WHITE HOUSE,
February 26, 2010.
# # #
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Statement by the President on the Settlement in the Black Farmers Lawsuit against USDA
“My Administration is dedicated to ensuring that federal agencies treat all our citizens fairly, and the settlement in the Pigford case reflects that commitment. I applaud Secretary Vilsack for his efforts to modernize operations at the USDA, as well as the work of the Justice Department in bringing these long-ignored claims of African American farmers to a rightful conclusion. I look forward to a swift resolution to this issue, so that the families affected can move on with their lives."
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Statement by the President on the Settlement in the Black Farmers Lawsuit against USDA
“My Administration is dedicated to ensuring that federal agencies treat all our citizens fairly, and the settlement in the Pigford case reflects that commitment. I applaud Secretary Vilsack for his efforts to modernize operations at the USDA, as well as the work of the Justice Department in bringing these long-ignored claims of African American farmers to a rightful conclusion. I look forward to a swift resolution to this issue, so that the families affected can move on with their lives."
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Remarks by the President at “In Performance at the White House: A Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement”
8:08 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Welcome to the White House, everybody. And thank you for braving the storm. I am thrilled to see all of you here today -- friends, guests, members of my Cabinet, members of Congress, our Vice President and Dr. Jill Biden, and everyone watching at home -- for the fifth in a series of evenings celebrating the music that tells the story of America.
Tonight, we celebrate the music of a movement.
To help us do that, Michelle and I are thrilled to welcome a tremendous group of artists who influenced that music, and artists who were influenced by it:
Yolanda Adams; Joan Baez; Natalie Cole; Morgan Freeman; Jennifer Hudson; John Mellencamp; Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon; Smokey Robinson; the Blind Boys of Alabama; the Howard University Choir; and a man who was good enough to take a night off from his Never Ending Tour -- Mr. Bob Dylan.
I want to thank some of them for spending some time earlier here today, leading a workshop of high school students -- perhaps even inspiring the next generation of civil rights leaders.
Let me also just acknowledge a good friend to us all, Dr. Joseph Lowery, who was here -- who couldn’t be here with us today, but he is recuperating after an illness and we want to keep him in our thoughts and prayers tonight.
Now, the civil rights movement was a movement sustained by music. It was lifted by spirituals inspired by the Bible. It was sharpened by protest songs about wrongs that needed righting. It was broadened by folk artists like a New York-born daughter of immigrants, and a young storyteller from Minnesota, who captured the hardships and hopes of people who were worlds different from them, in ways that only song can do.
It was a movement with a soundtrack -- diverse strains of music that coalesced when the moment was right. But that soundtrack wasn’t just inspired by the movement; it gave strength in return -- a fact not lost on the movement’s leaders.
It’s been said that when Dr. King and his associates were looking for communities to organize and mobilize, they’d know which were disciplined enough and serious enough when they saw folks singing freedom songs. Dr. King himself once acknowledged that he didn’t see “the real meaning of the movement” until he saw young people singing in the face of hostility.
You see, it’s easy to sing when you’re happy. It’s easy to sing when you’re among friends. It’s easy to sing when times are good. But it is hard to sing when times are rough. It’s hard to sing in the face of taunts, and fear, and the constant threat of violence. It’s hard to sing when folks are being beaten, when leaders are being jailed, when churches are being bombed.
It’s hard to sing in times like that. But times like that are precisely when the power of song is most potent. Above the din of hatred; amidst the deafening silence of inaction; the hymns of the civil rights movement helped carry the cause of a people and advance the ideals of a nation.
Bernice Johnson Reagon knew this. One day when she was young, she was sitting in church when a local sheriff and his deputies showed up to intimidate the congregation. “They stood at the door,” Bernice wrote, “making sure everyone knew they were there. Then,” she said; “a song began. And the song made sure that the sheriff and his deputies knew that we were there.”
Joan Baez and Bob Dylan knew this. One day in 1963, they joined hundreds of thousands on the National Mall and sang of a day when the time would come; when the winds would stop; when a ship would come in. They sang of a day when a righteous journey would reach its destination.
And Congressman John Lewis -- a man of that Moses Generation; a man who couldn’t be here tonight, but whose sacrifices helped make it possible for me to be here tonight -- he knew this too. For in the darkest hour, he said, “the songs fed our spirits and gave us hope.”
So to everyone here, or watching at home, let us enjoy the music we hear tonight. Let the music feed our spirits; give us hope; and carry us forward -- as one people, and as one nation. Enjoy. (Applause.)
END
8:13 P.M. EST
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