When you talk about
"karma", items coming "full circle", or the saying
"what goes around comes back around", you can appreciate the
historic visit by Michelle Obama to the DC's Decatur House, just a short block
from where the first African American First Lady of the United States resides.
First Lady Michelle made a stop to
the historic home where former slaves built, worked, and lived to deliver an
endowment to the preservation of the historic landmark.
The endowment was a gift from
American Express, presented by the company's African American CEO, Kenneth
Chenault.
The Decatur House is now a National
Trust for Historic Preservation Site and home to the David M. Rubenstein
National Center for White House History. The restoration project was
made possible by a contribution to the White House Historical Association by
American Express.
During
her visit the First Lady made by a brief tour of the house accompanied by
schoolchildren from Willow Springs Elementary School in Fairfax, VA.
Below are comments from the First
Lady during her visit.
"For
nearly 200 years, as our country has grown and evolved, the Decatur House has
grown and evolved right along with it. This house has hosted parties and
social events with some of our nation’s foremost leaders. It’s been a
residence for secretaries of state, and at one time, it served as headquarters
for the Army Subsistence Department of the Civil War.
But
from the back of the house, from a structure far less lavish, comes even more
history -- the kinds of stories that too often get lost, the kinds of stories
that are a part of so many of our families’ histories, including my own.
I’m talking about the slaves here at Decatur House who spent their lives within
shouting distance of one of the most powerful buildings on the planet -- a
bastion of freedom and justice for all.
Yet,
within this very place, about 20 men and women spent their days serving those
who came and went from this house and their nights jammed together on the
second floor of the slave quarters, all the while holding onto a quiet hope, a
quiet prayer that they, too, and perhaps their children, would someday be
free. These stories of toil, and sweat, and quiet, unrelenting dignity --
these stories are as vital to our national memory as any other. And so it
is our responsibility as a nation to ensure that these stories are told.
So
more than anything, today, I simply want to say thank you. Thank you for
coming together to preserve these stories for years to come. Thank you to
everyone from American Express for making such a generous commitment to honor
all of our nation’s history. Of course, thank you to the White House
Historical Association and the National Trust for Historic Preservation for
finding new ways to engage with our past.
And
finally, I want to thank all of you for all of the educational opportunities
you’re giving to our young people. I’m about to go on a wonderful tour
with some students from Willow Springs Elementary School in Fairfax,
Virginia. And what’s most exciting is that they’re not just going to look
at some pictures on a wall, they’re going to take part in the re-enactment of
the Emancipation Proclamation. I'm not sure what I'm going to do while
they do it. (Laughter.) I'm going to look on.
So
truly, it is this type of engagement that you all are providing for young
people that will continue to draw them into these spaces and give them an
opportunity to really grow and understand, and understand the stories that
create this country and their place in that history.
So
you all aren’t just teaching our young people about history, you’re inspiring
them to believe that they can make history as well. And that’s really
what history is for -- it's for the next generation, it's for us to continue to
learn and grow. So these spaces are critical. The work that you all
are doing is vital. They would not exist without the work that you do,
and we couldn’t be more grateful."
In other
historic newsmaking events from the White House, President Obama will sign a
bill designating the Congressional Gold Medal to commemorate the lives of the
four little girls who were killed in Birmingham, Alabama at the 16th
Street Baptist Church bombing of 1963.
Attending today's ceremony are
Birmingham Mayor William Bell, Dianne Braddock (the sister of Carole Robertson
who was killed), and Lisa and Maxine McNair (the sister and mother of Denise
McNair who was killed).
History
R. 360 passed unanimously in the
House of Representatives on April 24. Congresswoman Sewell and Alabama
Congressman Spencer Bachus introduced the bill along with the entire Alabama
delegation and Alabama natives Representative John Lewis and Representative
Sanford Bishop.
The U.S. Senate unanimously approved
H.R. 360 on May 9. U.S. Senator Richard Shelby garnered co-sponsorship from
over two-thirds of the Senate and introduced the Senate version of the bill
along with Senator Jeff Sessions.
In 1997, film director, Spike Lee
bought to life the history of the 16th Street Baptist church with his epic
documentary, Four Little Girls.
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