Hillary Clinton on Civil Rights

[sheshe2]

Developmental thread: tragedy of race must be made right

Betsy, [Hillary’s high-school friend], and her grandfather took Hillary to hear Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak at the Chicago Sunday Evening Club. King talked about racial segregation in the North and the South. It was the first time Hillary, then 14, grasped the notion of Negro children being the country’s poorest and most vulnerable.

If there is a single developmental thread of Hillary’s political, religious, and social development, it is her belief and determination that the tragedy of race in America must be made right. What in part first attracted her to Bill Clinton was her perception that he was an unusual, enlightened Southerner who wanted to go into politics and help right the country’s greatest wrong. Hillary formed many of her closest friendships with blacks; her mentor was Marian Wright Edelman, founder of the Children’s Defense Fund. Later, in the White House, Hillary chose several African Americans as senior aides.
Source: A Woman in Charge, by Carl Bernstein, p. 31 , Jun 5, 2007

Women’s rights are human rights

At the 1995 UN World Conference on Women, held in China:“Women comprise more than half the world’s population. Women are 70% of the world’s poor and illiterate. Much of the work we do is not valued--not by economists, not by historians, not by popular culture, not by government leaders. We need to understand that there is not one formula for how women should lead their lives. We must respect the choices that each woman makes for herself and her family. Every woman deserves the chance to realize her God-given potential.“

The First Lady lambasted China’s Communist government for suppressing free speech and the right to assemble at the grassroots women’s forum [of the UN Conference]. She inspired the women there to make their voices heard against selling girls into prostitution, against rape as a tactic of war, against forced abortion or sterilization. ”Human rights are women’s rights. And women’s rights are human rights, once and for all.“
Source: Hillary’s Choice by Gail Sheehy, p.277 , Dec 9, 1999

Equal pay is not yet equal

Equal pay is not yet equal. A woman makes $0.77 on a dollar & women of color make $0.67. We feel so passionately about this because we not only are running for office, but we each, in our own way, have lived it. We have seen it. We have understood the pain and the injustice that has come because of race, because of gender. It’s imperative that we make it very clear that each of us will address these issues. You don’t hear the Republicans talking about any of this. You don’t hear them talking about the disgrace of a criminal justice system that incarcerates so many more African-Americans proportionately than whites, and any kind of effort to help Historically Black Colleges and Universities, something that I’m committed to doing to make it clear that these are important institutions that have led the way for so many great leaders to be where they are today. So we have a specific set of policies and priorities that are really part of who we are, as well as part of what the Democratic Party stands for.
Source: 2008 Congressional Black Caucus Democratic debate , Jan 21, 2008

We’ve come a long way on race, but we have a long way to go


Q: Is race still the most intractable issue in America?

A: It is abundantly clear that race and racism are defining challenges not only in the United States but around the world. We have made progress. You can look at this stage and see an African American, a Latino, a woman contesting for the presidency of the United States. But there is so much left to be done. And for anyone to assert that race is not a problem in America is to deny the reality in front of our very eyes. You can look at the thousands of African-Americans left behind by their government with Katrina. You can look at the opportunity gap. So, yes, we have come a long way, but, yes, we have a long way to go. The march is not finished, and I hope that all of us, the Democratic candidates, will demonstrate clearly that the work is yet to be done. And we call on everyone to be foot soldiers in that revolution to finish the job.
Source: 2007 Democratic Primary Debate at Howard University , Jun 28, 2007

Read More http://www.ontheissues.org/2016/Hillary_Clinton_Civil_Rights.htm

[Thinkingabout]

1. she, this is a really great post. Explains issues near and dear to the Democrat platform. She has

been a longtime advocate for women, children and civil rights issues. If a candidate can get these three issues right then they will be fair in all of their dealings. Thanks for a beautiful post.

[sheshe2]

4. I was hoping it wasn't posted before.

I always try a quick search.

Thanks, Thinkingabout.

Issues near and dear to all our hearts.

You are so welcome~

[sufrommich]

2. Great OP K&R.

[hrmjustin]

3. K&R!

[Iliyah]

5. K & R