[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000, Book I)]
[February 19, 2000]
[Pages 281-282]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



The President's Radio Address
February 19, 2000

    Good morning. On February 12, 1926, as a tribute to the birthdays of 
Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, the noted African-American 
scholar and historian Carter G. Woodson initiated Black History Week, 
the forerunner of what has become Black History Month.
    This observance is important because many of the stereotypes and 
much of the distrust between the races are the result of historical 
inaccuracies or omissions that have persisted over too many years. The 
truth is, whether we're talking about the heroic freedom-fighting 
efforts of the Black Moses, Harriet Tubman, or the landmark legal 
accomplishments of Thurgood Marshall, we're really talking about vital 
aspects of all Americans' history. But too many Americans are not aware 
of the extraordinary contributions African-Americans have made to the 
life of our Nation, and that's a tragedy.
    Together, we have come a mighty long way. Today, we're in the midst 
of the longest and strongest economic expansion in our Nation's history: 
nearly 21 million new jobs; unemployment at 4 percent, the lowest rate 
in 30 years; incomes up across all groups of American workers; and among 
African-Americans, poverty and unemployment rates at the lowest levels 
ever recorded. Crime, which has been especially devastating to many 
African-American neighborhoods, is now the lowest it's been in 25 years. 
We've cut taxes for millions of hard-pressed working families and cut 
the welfare rolls in half while moving millions of people--almost 7 
million of them--from welfare to work.
    But still there are wide and disturbing disparities in health, 
income, perceptions of justice, and educational achievements that break 
down along the color line. It is clear we must do more to close these 
gaps and give all our citizens a chance both to contribute to and share 
in our growing prosperity and promise. That is one of the reasons I 
created a One America Office

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in the White House last year, and why the Vice President and I have 
worked so hard to bring loans and new investments to distressed 
communities through empowerment zones, the Community Reinvestment Act, 
community development banks, and now through our new markets initiative.
    Especially, we need to make sure our young people are prepared for 
this new economy, by helping every child enter school ready to learn and 
graduate ready to succeed. More Americans--and more African-Americans--
are going on to college than ever before. But we must give every child 
that chance, and we must help their families shoulder the burden.
    Today I'm pleased to announce that the Department of Labor is 
awarding $223 million in youth opportunity grants to bring education and 
job training to up to 44,000 young people in 36 communities, from Watts 
to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. This will provide a lifeline of 
opportunity to any young person willing to work for a better future. And 
it's a key component of our broader youth opportunity agenda.
    We've requested an increase of $1.3 billion this year to bring an 
array of education and training assistance to at-risk youth, from the 
GEAR UP and TRIO mentoring and support programs to get more kids on the 
right track to success, to an increase in Pell grants to help more of 
them afford the cost of college.
    These youth opportunity grants will draw on the experience and 
dedication of people like Jacquelene Sharp Massey of Baltimore's Career Academy. For 20 years, Jacquelene 
has made history of her own by helping literally hundreds of young 
people to turn their lives around, people like 20-year-old Michael 
Dupree, who with the help of the Academy has 
gone from being a high school dropout to a biotechnology lab assistant 
and a member of Baltimore's Youth Council.
    Sixty years ago today, the Army Air Corps activated its second 
squadron of African-American fighter pilots in Tuskegee, Alabama. That 
squadron and three others fought fascism in the air and racism on the 
ground. As Tuskegee Airmen, the sky was their limit. And they helped to 
lead the way to this modern digital age in which there are virtually no 
limits to how high our people can fly. Their story is a precious 
contribution to our common history and very much worth remembering this 
Black History Month.
    Their belief in an America that would respect their courage and 
honor their service is the foundation of the America we all want to live 
in, one where every person is treated with dignity and respect and all 
our children have the chance to live their dreams.
    That's the America we should work for in the new millennium.
    Thanks for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 6:25 p.m. on February 18 in the East 
Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on February 19. The 
transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
February 18 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The 
National African American History Month proclamation of January 31 is 
listed in Appendix D at the end of this volume.