Barry in D.C. calls Tim Kaine live on the air
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Yearly Archives: 2009
Senate Healthcare Vote Live Blog – 11:30 PM Central
DallasSouthBlog.com Live Chat on Healthcare Vote
Dallas South News post of the day: 4 unacceptable DISD Schools in trouble
By Shawn Williams – Editor, DallasSouthNews.org
In the last week Tawnell Hobbs of the Dallas Morning News has been reporting on the poor performance of 4 DISD High School: Kimball, Pinkston, Roosevelt, and Seagoville. According to Hobbs, the high schools have been deemed academically unacceptable for four consecutive years. This sets up the possibility that each school would remove 75 percent of teachers and reassign at least 50 percent of the students.
She also writes that there are contingency plans to have the four schools act as “Sattelite Magnets” for Townview also known as shuffling chairs on the deck of the Titanic.
These school must all be considered as serious candidates for a Spruce style reconstitution. After being in the same low performing situation a few years ago, it was decided that 75% of the teachers at H. Grady Spruce would be removed and students disbursed to other DISD schools.
As we’ve reported here, Spruce High is making strides under the direction of Dr. Lucy Davila Hakemack. Test scores are up, and even more importantly students feel like that can have a positive high school experience.
It’s important to use any means possible to keep these schools as part of their respective communities for the long term. And while currently these schools represent community underachievement, it doesn’t have to be that way. They could all benefit from fresh ideas, new thinking, and a better approach. The same could be said for DISD as a whole.
While each of these schools could gain from partnerships with entities like TI, SMU, TAMU-Commerce, and El Centro as mentioned in Hobbs column, throwing up our hands shouldn’t be the answer. Reconstitution is painful and costly, and doesn’t look good for the school or district once it takes place. But when you have an example like Spruce right inside DISD, it seem like the option would be fully vetted and seriously considered.
Photo of Dr. Michael Hinojosa from Dallas Elevators
DallasSouthNews.org is a Dallas nonprofit news organization that focuses on Southern Dallas.
Daily Show: “Fat Cat Scientists” to blame for Global Warming
Live Webcast Here: Texas Social Innovation Initiative at 10:30 CST (Wed.)
The Texas Social Innovation Initiative is a regional, state and national collaborative to stimulate social innovation throughout Texas. The initiative has kicked off with a pilot project in North Texas and a partnership between the One Star Foundation: Texas Center for Social Impact, Root Cause, a nonprofit consulting firm in Boston and Dallas Social Venture Partners, a venture philanthropy model of impact investors. Together, their efforts have leveraged more than $100,000 to the North Texas region to help identify, strengthen and amplify the efforts of social innovators throughout the region.
On Wednesday December 9 at 10:30 CST, during the Governor’s Nonprofit Leadership Conference, Business Boomer’s live webcast will feature a distinct panel of leaders to discuss collaborative efforts that stimulate socially innovative activities in order to help answer this question:
How will Sonal Shah, head of the White House Office of Social Innovation create a national agenda sparked by efforts on the ground that can spread across the country and line up with other successful global initiatives such as the United Kingdom’s Office of the Third Sector and Canada’s growing Centers for Social Innovation?
WATCH…LEARN..ENGAGE
Anne DeHaro, Public Affairs Director and host of Clear Channel Radio, will be facilitate a discussion and field questions from an online audience as she interview panelists Andrew Wolk, CEO of Rootcause, Elizabeth Darling, CEO of One Star Foundation, & Stacy Caldwell, Executive Director of Dallas Social Venture Partners.
Old School Friday: Gone but not forgotten
Though many deserve consideration on this weeks OSF theme -Luther, Left Eye, Marvin Gaye, M.J. and many others, I’m dedicating the entire post to Aaliyah. She made so much wonderful music in such a short period of time. Even with 4 videos represented here, I’m still missing One in a Million, Try Again, At Your Best, I Miss You, and more. We were blessed that her talents were gifted to us while she was on this Earth.
We Need a Resolution
Four Page Letter
Rock the Boat
Are you That Somebody (Dr. Doolittle Soundtrack)
BONUS
An “Are you That Somebody Cover” that is quite cool
Latest at DallasSouthNews.org, Southern Dallas’ nonprofit news source
People around Dallas keep asking me what’s going on with the blog. We’re still trying to let everyone know that DallasSouthNews.org is now THE place for local news and that the blog is now mostly reserved for national stories. If you haven’t been following us at .org, here are some of the stories you’ve missed:
Dallas District 5 councilperson Vonciel Hill tells Councilman Caraway and Friendship-West not to meet in here district. The Dallas Morning News cited DallasSouthNews.org as the first news outlet to report on Hill’s memos.
Eric Johnson releases a new campaign video in bid to unseat Terri Hodge in Texas House 100.
NBA/WNBA Fit Challenge Regional Competition is held at Moorland YMCA.
Tom Joyner Foundation and Ford look to raise money for Paul Quinn this weekend.
Lorrie Irby Jackson reviews Raphael Saadiq’s concert at House of Blues.
“So In Style” Dolls of Color are a big hit for Mattel.
Wade Emmert, Cedar Hill council member, makes a run for the GOP nomination in Dallas County Judge race.
and more……
Make sure to check out DallasSouthNews.org EVERYDAY, where people go to find out what’s going on in Southern Dallas.
The White House Wire – News You Can Use
From the Office of the President
Top News
H1N1 Flu Guide Helping Community and Faith-based Organizations across the Country
To help keep communities healthy during the flu season, the Health and Human Services (HHS) Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships (Partnerships Center) led by Alexia Kelley and with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, released an H1N1 Flu guide specifically targeted to help community and faith-based organizations. Flu season is in full swing, and communities are finding innovative ways to spread awareness through community outreach programs. LINK
Initial Results Show Pregnant Women Mount Strong Immune Response to One Dose of 2009 H1N1 Flu Vaccine
Healthy pregnant women mount a robust immune response following just one dose of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine, according to initial results from an ongoing clinical trial sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health. LINK
H1N1 Flu Resources for Parents/Educators
ED has issued new guidance for school officials regarding the disclosure of personally identifiable information when addressing an H1N1 flu outbreak. See this and other guidance, videos, Q&As, and more. LINK
Green Jobs Grants, Seizing the Opportunity of a Clean Energy Economy
Today the Department of Labor announced nearly $55 million in grants to help workers, many in underserved communities, find jobs in expanding green industries. As a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, these grants reflect the administration’s long-term commitment to fostering both immediate economic growth and a clean energy future. It’s an investment that will help American workers do well, while doing good. LINK
Obama Administration Releases New Date On Making Home Affordable Program, Includes State-Specific Modifications to Date
WASHINGTON – Recently, the Obama Administration released the next monthly report for the Making Home Affordable (MHA) loan modification program. As part of an ongoing commitment to transparency, the report includes for the first time state-specific trial modification numbers. With more than 650,000 modifications under way across the country, the program is on track to meet its goals over the next several years. LINK
From OVW Acting Director Catherine Pierce
As we commemorate the 15th Anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act, there is no better time to renew our commitment to ending gender-based violence right here in the United States and there is no better time to strengthen our partnerships. LINK
Fiscally Responsible Health Reform Redux
Every two weeks or so, there seems to be a story ringing the alarm bells over the fiscal dimension of health reform. As I’ve said time and again, the President is committed to signing a health reform bill that is deficit neutral in the first decade — and deficit reducing thereafter. The legislation under consideration in the Senate and the bill passed Saturday by the House both meet these tests. LINK
Agency News
SECRETARY VILSACK ANNOUNCES ALMOST $35 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR DISTANCE LEARNING AND TELEMEDICINE PROJECTS
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that 111 projects in 35 states have been selected to receive more than $34.9 million in grants to increase educational opportunities and expand access to health care services in rural areas. The funding will be provided through USDA Rural Development’s Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program. LINK
AGRICULTURE SECRETARY VILSACK ANNOUNCES FOOD PURCHASES FOR DOMESTIC NUTRITION PROGRAMS, ASSISTS PORK, CHERRY, PLUM AND APPLE FARMERS
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced USDA’s intention to purchase $82.6 million worth of pork, cherry, plum and apple products for federal food nutrition assistance programs. Vilsack made this announcement today at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting annual convention. LINK
AGRICULTURE SECRETARY VILSACK ANNOUNCES THAT USDA AND DEFENSE DEPARTMENT WILL PARTNER TO SUPPORT MILITARY CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA will partner with the Department of Defense to form the Extension-Military Partnership, which will bring the extension expertise of land-grant universities to military family support programs. USDA Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics Rajiv Shah made the announcement today at the National Leadership Summit on Military Families. LINK
AGRICULTURE SECRETARY VILSACK ANNOUNCES NEARLY $56.2 MILLION IN LOAN ASSISTANCE TO HELP RURAL BUSINESSES
Guaranteed Loans Provided Through Recovery Act Funds Will Help Strengthen Rural Businesses and Communities Throughout America
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced $56.2 million in loan guarantees to assist 12 rural businesses though funding made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. LINK
US Department of Labor’s OSHA provides workplace H1N1 influenza precaution and protection information for workers and employers
New Web site offers fact sheets with practical information
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued commonsense fact sheets that employers and workers can use to promote safety during the current H1N1 influenza outbreak.
The fact sheets inform employers and workers about ways to reduce the risk of exposure to the 2009 H1N1 virus at work. Separate fact sheets for health care workers, who carry out tasks and activities that require close contact with 2009 H1N1 patients, contain additional precautions. LINK
Secretary Sebelius Releases New Report on Health Insurance Reform and Diabetes in America
As the nation marks American Diabetes Month, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius released a new report today, Preventing and Treating Diabetes: Health Insurance Reform and Diabetes in America. The report comes one day after Sebelius toured the East Manatee Family Healthcare Center in Bradenton, Fla. At the center, Secretary Sebelius held a roundtable discussion with Floridians with diabetes. LINK
HHS Secretary Calls on States and Communities to Get Health Coverage to Uninsured Children
Conference Kicks Off National Outreach Campaign
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today called on states and communities to join with HHS to redouble efforts to find and enroll the 5 million children who are currently eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), but are not yet covered. The Secretary issued this call to action as she opened the National Children’s Health Insurance Summit in Chicago, kicking off the nation’s largest campaign to find and enroll uninsured children in over a decade. LINK
Arkansas Man Sentenced on Civil Rights Charges in Cross Burning Conspiracy
Dustin Nix of Donaldson, Ark, was sentenced today in federal court in Fort Smith, Ark, on federal civil rights charges related to a conspiracy to drive a woman and her children from their home because they associated with African-Americans. Nix was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, three years of post-incarceration supervision, a fine of $5,000, and a $200 special assessment. LINK
ADMINISTRATION CALLS ON CONGRESS TO APPROVE KEY HOUSING MEASURES
WASHINGTON, DC – Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan called on Congress to approve three important measures to improve housing and the housing market for Americans: extension of the First Time Homebuyers Tax Credit for a limited period, extension of higher loan limits for home mortgages, and secure funding for the Housing Trust Fund. LINK
Highway Investment Hits $20 Billion
Recovery Putting People to Work on Investments with Long-Term Benefit
WASHINGTON – The Federal Highway Administration crossed the $20 billion mark in approved obligations for highway, road and bridge projects this week, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced today. Of the $26.6 billion available for federal highway and bridge projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, more than 75 percent has now been obligated. LINK
Deputy Secretary Poneman: Recovery Act Putting Americans to Work and Accelerating Important Work at Savannah River Site
Launches video highlighting the jobs created at SRS through Recovery
Aiken, South Carolina – At a community breakfast in Aiken, South Carolina today, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman discussed how funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is accelerating environmental cleanup work at the Savannah River Site and creating or saving thousands of jobs in the area. Additionally, he discussed how the Recovery Act is putting Americans to work helping weatherize homes and improve energy efficiency in communities throughout Georgia and South Carolina. LINK
DOE and USDA Select Projects for more than $24 Million in Biomass Research and Development Grants
Washington, DC – The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Energy announced projects selected for more than $24 million in grants to research and develop technologies to produce biofuels, bioenergy and high-value biobased products. LINK
U.S. Department of Education Opens Race to the Top Competition
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today released the final application for more than $4 billion from the Race to the Top Fund, which will reward states that have raised student performance in the past and have the capacity to accelerate achievement gains with innovative reforms. LINK
Economic Security and a 21st Century Education: Secretary Arne Duncan’s Remarks at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Education and Workforce Summit
Good morning and thank you for the opportunity to discuss the state of American education—which in some ways is one and the same with the American economy. I believe that the quality of our education system says as much about the long-term health of our economy as the stock market, the unemployment rate and the size of the gross domestic product. LINK
Celebrating Excellence
Principals and teachers from 321 schools came to Washington, D.C., this week to celebrate being named 2009 Blue Ribbon Schools. LINK
$1.4 Billion in Recovery Funds Now Available for Pennsylvania to Save Jobs and Drive Education Reform
Application for Part 1 of Pennsylvania’s State Stabilization Funds Approved Today
U. S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that $1.4 billion is now available for Pennsylvania under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. This funding will lay the foundation for a generation of education reform and help save hundreds of thousands of teaching jobs at risk of state and local budget cuts. Pennsylvania will be eligible to apply for another $514,403,320 later this fall. Today’s funding is being made available per Pennsylvania’s successful completion of Part 1 of the State Stabilization Application, which was made available on April 1. LINK
President Obama Launches Major Veterans Employment Initiative
On Monday, the White House announced the launch of an initiative designed to transform the federal government into the model employer of America’s veterans. LINK
EPA’s Energy Star Program Hits Major Milestone: 1 Million Energy Star Homes Built in the United States / Houston, Dallas and Las Vegas top the list for most Energy Star homes
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today reaches a milestone for the Energy Star program by passing the 1 millionth Energy Star qualified home mark. With more than 15,000 partners in sectors all across the economy, Energy Star has been enormously successful at saving consumers money by reducing the energy usage of products used in the home and office everyday. Since the program began labeling new homes in 1995, Americans have saved $1.2 billion on their energy bills, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 22 billion pounds. This year alone, families living in Energy Star qualified homes will save more than $270 million on their utility bills, while avoiding greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from about 370,000 vehicles. LINK
EPA Soliciting Applications for Environmental Justice Grant Funding
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is accepting grant applications for a total of $1 million in funding for projects aimed at addressing environmental and public health issues in communities. EPA expects to award approximately 40 grants of up to $25,000 each and will accept applications until January 8, 2010. Local governments and non-profit organizations are eligible to apply.
Statement from Administrator Mills on Continuing Support for Small Businesses through SBA Recovery Programs
WASHINGTON – SBA issued the following statement today from Administrator Karen Mills regarding efforts to ensure continued funding for two key provisions in the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) of 2009:
“Over the course of the last few months, the Obama Administration has announced several steps to ensure the continued recovery of small businesses, including our commitment to working with Congress to increase maximum loan sizes for the 7(a), 504 and microloan programs and plans to make access to capital from government lending programs easier for small banks in communities across the country. LINK
In Case You Missed It…
Web Chat on H1N1 and Diabetes
Experts from HHS and the CDC held a web chat this week about perils of H1N1 and diabetes. If you missed the live broadcast, visit the video archive “Know What To Do About The Flu” at www.flu.gov to catch it as well as other recent programs examining common concerns about the H1N1 flu virus and vaccine.
SBA Administrator Mills Takes Your Questions on Small Business and the Economy
SBA Administrator Karen Mills discusses lending and other issues affecting small business in the economic recovery during a special online discussion. LINK
Stories of Interest
Black Enterprise.com – Obama Planning Jobs Summit
As unemployment figures continue to rise, the American public is losing hope about job prospects. In fact, a recent Gallup poll found that their optimism has reached a new low, and only 8% of Americans believe that now is a good time to find a job. For months, Republicans have criticized their Democratic colleagues for not placing enough emphasis on job creation and voters in New Jersey and Virginia recently seconded the emotion by choosing the Republican candidate in their gubernatorial races earlier this month. LINK
EURWeb.com – Senate healthcare bill hits Obama cost target
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. Senate healthcare reform plan to be unveiled on Wednesday meets President Barack Obama’s goals on costs and deficit reduction, budget analysts said, a finding that could boost its chances in a sharply divided Senate. LINK
BlackAmericaWeb.com – Urban Affairs Chief: Cities Getting the Focus
The head of the White House Office of Urban Affairs said the Obama administration is moving forward with its ambitious plan to revitalize metropolitan centers across the country, with a special focus on transportation and education. LINK
Esssence.com – A Spot of Tea with the Military
With the President in Asia for a series of diplomatic trips (meeting today with the President of South Korea), First Lady Michelle Obama’s been keeping busy. This morning she visited a Virginia middle school to highlight a USDA initiative on nutrition and physical education, and later hosted a tea in honor of women in the military. LINK
And Finally…
You don’t have to be a fan of classical music to enjoy this great clip from the White House Evening of Classical Music as Cellists Alisa Weilerstein and 8 year-old Sujari Britt perform Luigi Boccherini’s Sonata for Two Cellos in C Major, 1st movement: Allegro moderato. Ms. Britt is once again proof that we can do anything we put our minds to, and she will make you smile from ear to ear. Enjoy. LINK
Bill White mulls over run for governor
From the Bill White for Texas Campaign
Since Friday a week ago Texans from all backgrounds and all regions have asked me to consider running to be our next Governor of Texas. Today I agree to consider running for Governor, and shall make a decision by Friday, December 4th.
Before then I invite the citizens of Texas to weigh in on this decision by visiting my website and emailing me at billwhite@billwhitefortexas.com.
Both our next Governor and Senator should bring new energy to the task of moving our state forward. In both positions, we need leadership that can bring our state together and reduce the strident partisanship in both Austin and Washington.
Texans know we can do better than ranking dead last in the nation in the percentage of our population with a high school diploma. Texans know we can do better than the last decade of soaring electricity and insurance costs, and skyrocketing college tuition.
Sen. Hutchison has postponed her departure from the Senate and acknowledged that her continued service limits her ability to campaign in our state. I share her belief, and that of her supporters, that we need a new Governor.
I thank many thousands of Texans who have supported my campaign with their volunteer hours and dollars. I will listen to your views on how we can best work together to do what is right for Texas. I especially welcome advice from the citizens of Texas’ largest city, who know me best and have supported leadership by solutions, not just soundbites. You have been my partners in moving Houston forward by finding common ground, and running our City Hall with integrity, in a business-like, financially sound, and inclusive manner.
Politics aside, Texans should enjoy their friends and family during this week of Thanksgiving and say a prayer for those who cannot be home with their loved ones because they are serving us abroad.
Remarks of United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk at The United Negro College Fund
From the Office of the United States Trade Representative
“Thank you all for having me here today. Thank you to Michael Sorrell for that introduction and for his work at Paul Quinn College, and my thanks as well to Michael Lomax for his incredible dedication as President of the UNCF.
As United States Trade Representative, I spend my time working to tear down barriers to trade and open new markets to American goods, services, and intellectual property.
Just last week I traveled to Singapore for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and then to Beijing for meetings with Chinese leaders. I joined the President in pursuing increased economic engagement across the Pacific, creating new opportunities for Americans to do business with some of the world’s fastest-growing economies. Because we know that when Americans do business with the world, that can generate jobs here at home.
We are laying a strong foundation for trade, but the world is changing rapidly, and the expertise necessary to succeed is changing with it. For America to compete in the global economy, American workers need to have the skills to meet the ever-changing needs of the world’s population.
Whether it’s developing new energy resources or marketing new health care solutions, today’s problems require inventive answers. And the competitive edge will go to whichever country develops forward-looking products and ideas. In today’s world, it’s not enough just to have the best minds – to be competitive in the global economy we need the best-educated minds.
Take a look at the educational advances of the 20th century: from free public schooling to the GI bill, America opened the doors of learning wider to each successive generation. And each new class of graduates built new businesses, invented new tools, and helped to make America a world leader in manufacturing, commerce, and trade.
President Obama knows that our economic future hinges on how we educate our students today. And he is committed to helping every American student receive a quality education. Because the bottom line is, diplomas and degrees are still the tickets to success.
That’s true for individuals, and it’s also true for countries. The nations with the best talent have an advantage in the global marketplace, and that advantage shows up in the numbers. According to one of the most respected studies of student performance worldwide, countries like Canada and Korea are doing a better job of equipping their students to meet the needs of the 21st century. And the gap between the best educated nations and American students is estimated to cost the United States more than a trillion dollars a year.
So President Obama has issued a call to action. He knows that we must equip students with more than just the basics – in today’s economy, they need advanced knowledge. And that means a college education.
To that end, the President has set an ambitious goal. He wants the United States to produce a higher percentage of college graduates than any other country in the world by the end of the next decade.
Right now, only about 40% of Americans hold a college degree. To reach President Obama’s goal, we need to help millions more students graduate from college. That won’t be easy. To succeed, we need partners like the UNCF – organizations with the resources and the drive to help students navigate the challenges of higher education. The effects of education are so dramatic, we simply can’t afford not to educate a single child.
That fact has not changed in 200 years. We all recognize the wisdom of an education, but somehow, we are still aren’t getting the job done. Too many of our students aren’t even making it through high school, much less going to college. They are falling behind and dropping out. In some schools, less than half of the African-American students who enter as freshman will graduate as seniors. We have to do more to get these kids through school.
And we can’t stop at their high school graduation. The unemployment rate for individuals with a bachelor’s degree is half that for those with only a high-school diploma. College-educated workers aren’t just more likely to find a job; they’re more likely to hold higher-paying, higher-quality jobs.
That’s why organizations like UNCF are so critical. Historically black colleges and universities have been a path to higher paying jobs and better lives for generations of young students.
Both of my parents attended a historically black university. Their education was the foundation of my family’s success, and the starting point of everything I have achieved. Even today, historically black colleges and universities grant about one in every five degrees handed to an African-American student.
We need to support their work, and I know you are. Your focus on increasing graduation rates and closing the achievement gap is paving the way for their success. That is good for minority students, and it’s good for all of America. Closing the racial achievement gap between white and minority students could increase this country’s productivity by hundreds of billions of dollars and vastly increase the pool of trained minds available to American businesses.
Employers will pay a premium for skilled, educated workers who can better help them to succeed. And when American companies outshine their competitors in the global marketplace, that creates additional jobs and opportunities here at home.
Ninety-five percent of the world’s consumers live outside of America. Our future is going to depend upon our ability to sell our goods, services, and intellectual property to those customers. And we’re going to have to compete for their business. Because countries around the world have set their sights on global consumers.
Nations on the cutting edge of creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship – in other words, nations with a highly educated, highly skilled work force – will be the world’s export leaders.
With that urgency in mind, President Obama devoted $100 billion in stimulus funds to education, including $31 billion dedicated to improving college access. That money is the single biggest investment in student aid since the GI bill. And it is an investment for a more prosperous future.
Next year, students will have access to billions of dollars in new grants, loans, and assistance. It is estimated that more than 14 million students will use this assistance to pay for college. And as this organization knows, even a little money can go a long way toward helping a college student earn their cap and gown.
President Obama is also supporting new efforts to ensure that students who start college actually finish. Right now, almost half of all college freshmen fail to earn a degree within six years. For poor and minority students, that percentage is even higher.
When we arm students with the knowledge to succeed, that enriches us all. Every degree conferred enhances America’s prospects for the future. President Obama has said that our commitment to education, “will determine not just whether our children have the chance to fulfill their God-given potential…but whether we as a nation will remain, in the 21st century, the kind of global economic leader that we were in the 20th.”
Now, we have a lot of work to do, but we’re certainly not starting from scratch. Historically black colleges and universities like your members have educated premier minds from Thurgood Marshall and Langston Hughes to Spike Lee and Barbara Jordan. And American universities across the board are among the best in the world.
That educational excellence has paid dividends to us all. According to World Bank data, America’s per capita income is over 40 percent higher than the average in other high income countries around the world. In part, that difference can be attributed to a long-time focus on. And it shows the vast promise of renewing and reinvigorating that focus.
It will take all of us doing everything we can do. The first building on Paul Quinn College’s campus was constructed through a “ten cents a brick” campaign; little by little, the community gave what they could toward the dream of an education. And in 1944, Dr. Frederick Patterson, President of Tuskegee University, brought the UNCF into existence through an “appeal to the national conscience.”
Our nation needs to train every American mind to take advantage of the incredible opportunities that exist in the 21st century. We need to help today’s students dream big, and then we need to give them the tools to realize their dreams. Because America needs their dreams, their skills, their inventions, and their innovations to continue to thrive in the global economy. And we need a strong and healthy UNCF to help them along the way.
Thank you all for your work on behalf of America’s college students. I look forward to hearing more from all of you about how we can work together to help the next generation succeed.”
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