    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
    [February 25, 1991]
    [Pages 171-174]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the Observance of National Afro-American (Black) History
    Month
    February 25, 1991

        Thank you very much. It is a great, great pleasure for Barbara and
    me to welcome you all to the White House. It's good to see so many
    friends here today, including so many members of our administration: our
    Vice President, of course; and Lou Sullivan; Jack Kemp; Lynn Martin; of
    course, the Chairman of our Joint Chiefs, General Powell; Connie Newman;
    Art Fletcher; and so many more. I salute our red-coated special guests.
    You bring honor to this place, and we're delighted to have you here.
        I know that the issue on all of our minds is the war in the Gulf.
    And I'm glad to report, after consultation a few minutes ago with
    Chairman Powell, General Powell, that the news is good. Coalition air
    and ground forces are advancing on their objectives.

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    Enemy prisoners are surrendering in large numbers, large numbers. And
    thus far, thank God, U.S. and coalition casualties are few.
        The liberation of Kuwait is on course and on schedule. We have the
    initiative. We intend to keep it. We must guard against euphoria; there
    are battles yet to come and casualties to be borne. But make no mistake,
    we will prevail. Kuwait will soon be free, and America's men and women
    in uniform will return home to the thanks and respect of a grateful
    nation.
        This was a war thrust upon us, not a war that we sought. But naked
    aggression, such as we have seen, must be resisted if it is not to
    become a pattern. Our success in the Gulf will bring with it not just a
    new opportunity for peace and stability in a critical part of the world
    but a chance to build a new world order based upon the principles of
    collective security and the rule of law.
        But today, we're here to celebrate the proud spectrum of black
    achievement. For we recognize that black history, this rich tale of
    roots and purpose and pride, is really everyone's history.
        And something else, too: You know, in the midst of war we find
    ourselves thinking about heroes. Well, this is the time to especially
    think of black heroes, those who by their fierce conviction showed no
    race has a monopoly on idealism or excellence. And we must tell stories
    of black successes to every child in our country because we need heroes.
    We need them as much as we need our dreams. And black Americans have
    always provided both.
        A few nights ago, General Tony McPeak, the Chief of Staff of our Air
    Force, and an old friend many of you know, Ben Payton, president of the
    Tuskegee University, and Judge Souter of the Supreme Court and I, the
    four of us--men's night out on the town--[laughter]--went over to Ford's
    Theatre to see a play called the ``Black Eagles.'' And for those who
    aren't aware of that, it's a play about the Tuskegee Airmen of World War
    II, who were led by the legendary General Benjamin Davis. An incredible
    story of men who took their places among a very special group of
    heroes--black Americans who have fought for this country for over 200
    years.
        And they never received the credit, they never received the credit
    that they deserve for their devoted patriotism, for their vision, and
    their sacrifices. And America owes a long-overdue tribute to these men
    and women who, long before they had rights, believed in what was right.
        For two centuries, black soldiers have established a record of pride
    in the face of incredible obstacles. For not only did they risk their
    lives fighting for freedom for their own and for other countries but
    they did it at the same time that they were being denied their own God-
    given freedoms at home. And think about how much they must have loved
    this country, how they believed in its dreams. It's an astounding
    devotion. It's in a league by itself.
        And you can feel that love of country just as strongly out there in
    the Gulf today. And yes, we've made great progress in righting the
    wrongs of the past, but tragically, racism and bigotry, illiteracy and
    poverty still exist. And America, of course, is not without its
    problems, and black Americans serving in the Gulf understand that. And
    yet, they've chosen to serve because they fundamentally believe in this
    country. And when these Gulf heroes come home, they'll continue to fight
    injustice by fighting discrimination and despair with the same
    commitment. And we will stand with them.
        So, to those who question the proportion of blacks in the armed
    services today, my answer is simple: the military of the United States
    is the greatest equal opportunity employer around. Every soldier,
    sailor, airman, coastguardsman, and marine have enlisted because they
    want to be a part of the
    American armed services, because they know it is a place of openness and
    true meritocracy, and because they know that every service man and woman
    receives equal training and the finest training and equal treatment
    every step of the way, with education funding and technical skills
    which will open up unlimited futures. If anyone thinks that the military
    is not the place for equal opportunity and advancement, then talk to
    General Waller, Lieutenant General Calvin Waller, our deputy commander
    in chief of the Central Command; or Colonel Hopper, deputy commander of

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    the 63d Airlift Wing; or Air Force Colonel Leonard Randolph from
    Langley, Langley Air Force Base.
        Or listen to the man sitting over my right shoulder here, who
    answers those who criticize the proportion of blacks by challenging all
    of America. Here's what General Powell--his answer challenged the rest
    of this country to create the same paths of opportunity which we have in
    the military.
        Look at those brave men and women putting their lives on the line
    for us. And you don't see colors or creed. All you see are Americans:
    good, brave, dedicated Americans; Americans who volunteered, each and
    every single one of them, who put their devotion to country first;
    Americans with dignity and pride, calling America back to her better
    self; Americans serving as equals, measured only by their abilities.
    America's heroes, the real thing. Thank God we have them, every single
    one.
        Today we thank God for those who went before. For our new heroes are
    a part of a long tradition. The airmen in ``Black Eagles'' talk about
    it, for they made their own very special mark in the rollcall of
    generations who battled not only their country's enemy but also their
    countrymen's prejudice. In the play these brave warriors explain they
    were ``paving the way, paving the way.''
        And it was more than two centuries ago that the first black patriots
    started to pave the way of freedom road. In 1774, slaves sent a plea to
    the royal Governor of Massachusetts, saying, ``We have in common with
    all other men a natural right to our freedoms without being deprived of
    them by our fellow men.''
        Seems like these sentiments might have inspired the words that
    Thomas Jefferson wrote 2 years later: ``That all men are created equal
    and that they are endowed with the inalienable rights to life, liberty,
    and the pursuit of happiness.''
        What these men sent was a message from the heart to those who would
    follow: Stand up for freedom; cry out for freedom; risk all for freedom.
        And that's what blacks have done in every war in this nation's
    history. And they've done it with heroes like Crispus Attucks, the first
    American to die for the cause of his country's liberty; with heroes like
    the 5,000 blacks who fought in the Revolutionary War, loyal, courageous
    men who will at long last be honored with a memorial out here on The
    Mall, thanks to the Patriot Foundation which I hope we'll all support.
        Freedom road led nearly a quarter million newly freed slaves into
    the Civil War. Heroes emerged, like the men of Fort Wagner charge, so
    powerfully reenacted in the movie ``Glory.'' The black regiment lost
    half its men--imagine that, half its men--but won the dignity and
    respect that it rightfully deserved.
        Freedom road took black heroes up San Juan Hill with Teddy
    Roosevelt. And by the way, Colin Powell has a painting of them in his
    office. He says he likes to look up from his desk, see them, and
    remember the contributions of those who went before and, he says,
    reflect on what he must do to help those yet to come.
        Black heroes also paved freedom road on the French fields and Rhine
    River of World War I. But when their sons joined up 25 years later, they
    found there was much work left to do. And I heard a shocking story that
    took place right here in America in 1943, in the middle of World War II.
    Black soldiers stopped and tried to eat at a restaurant. Inside German
    prisoners, German prisoners of war, were being served a meal, but the
    restaurant refused to admit the black soldiers.
        By the end of the war, American black soldiers had paved a
    victorious path, paved it in bravery and in blood. And they won battles
    and medals. And they won respect as men and acceptance as Americans. And
    at long last they won the integration of the Armed Forces.
        These generations of heroes risked their lives so that their
    grandchildren could realize a dream: the dream of having the freedom to
    choose to serve their country, the dream that America would be a place
    where the only limits on a man would be the limits of his own vision,
    the dream of a nation where none would be called the first black, but
    rather, simply, the best. For, as Booker T. Washington said: ``No
    greater injury can be done to any youth than to let

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    him feel that because he belongs to this or that race he will be
    advanced regardless of his own merit or efforts.''
        But let's face it, the dream is not yet fully realized, and there is
    today too much crime and too much crack and too much despair. And yet,
    there is also today too much faith and too much pride and too much human
    dignity to give up or to give in.
        And that's why we urgently need to turn to the tradition of black
    heroes today, to inspire a new generation to believe in itself and in
    the future. Homegrown heroes like Frederick Douglass, who fought for
    dignity; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who fought for the rights of
    millions; Jackie Robinson, who fought just to do what he did best. Like
    Ralph Bunche, who won the Nobel Prize; Gwendolyn Brooks, who won the
    Pulitzer; Jesse Owens, who won Olympic medals and the respect of the
    world. Humanitarians and leaders from George Washington Carver to Rosa
    Parks to the late Mickey Leland. Pioneers like Dr. Charles Drew and
    astronaut Ron McNair. And of course, the man who has brought
    inspiration, strength, and true spirit of heroism to the world's current
    struggle for humanity--the Chairman of our Joint Chiefs. [Applause]
    Exactly the way we all feel.
        But they're not the only ones. It is up to each of us. Together, we
    must write a new chapter in the history of civil rights, a chapter that
    says: Opportunity must replace despair. For opportunity means education,
    equipping kids with the tools they need to compete in a new century. It
    means freedom from drugs. Opportunity means jobs, the dignity of work.
    It means owning your own home, and being safe in it. Opportunity means
    social programs to keep families together, and health care to keep them
    strong. And, above all, opportunity means we must treasure and defend
    the value of every human life. For as Langston Hughes wrote, ``There's a
    dream in this land with its back against the wall; to save the dream for
    one, it must be saved for all.''
        This is an ideal place for us to commit ourselves to writing that
    chapter. For in this very room, 27 years ago, the Civil Rights Act of
    1964 became law, a long overdue payment on a promissory note of equality
    signed two centuries before. But as long as discrimination, born of
    ignorance and inhumanity, still exists, our work is not yet finished.
    And as long as the Four Horsemen of the American night--illiteracy,
    inequality, indigence, and fear--threaten any of us, our work is not yet
    finished.
        And so, we must as a nation pledge that never again will the
    individual be degraded and devalued, that we will remember the Black
    Eagles who soared from bigotry on Earth to equality in the skies.
        And I am committed to civil rights and opportunity for every person
    in this great country. And I will simply say to all of you: I salute
    you. I thank you for coming here to share this very special day with all
    of America. And at this special time in our history, may God bless those
    who are serving us halfway around the world. May they be treated with
    respect and the dignity that they deserve when they come back home
    having freed another country.
        Thank you all and God bless you.

                        Note: The President spoke at 11 a.m. in the East
                            Room at the White House. In his remarks, he
                            referred to Secretary of Health and Human
                            Services Louis W. Sullivan; Secretary of Housing
                            and Urban Development Jack Kemp; Secretary of
                            Labor Lynn M. Martin; Colin L. Powell, Chairman
                            of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Constance Berry
                            Newman, Director of the Office of Personnel
                            Management; Arthur A. Fletcher, Chairman of the
                            Commission on Civil Rights; Gen. Merrill A.
                            McPeak, Air Force Chief of Staff; Benjamin F.
                            Payton, president of Tuskegee University; Jackie
                            Robinson, professional baseball player; Rosa
                            Parks, civil rights activist; Representative
                            Mickey Leland; and Dr. Charles R. Drew,
                            physician. The President also referred to the
                            ``Tuskegee Airmen,'' a group of World War II
                            veterans who had received their training at
                            Tuskegee Institute.