Originally published in The White House Bulletin August 5, 2004
Copyright 2004 Bulletin News Network, Inc.

Speaking to the UNITY 2004 convention of minority journalists in Washington this morning, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry said America remains a nation divided along racial and economic lines, and pledged to "lift up those who are left out." Kerry added, "America is still a house divided, in health status, living standards, access to capital, schools, all the things that make a difference." He criticized President Bush's claim in campaign appearances that America has "turned a corner" in times marked by terrorism and economic recession.

Kerry continued, "Just saying that you've turned a corner doesn't make it so. Just like saying there are weapons of mass destruction (in Iraq) doesn't make it so. Just like saying you can fight a war on the cheap doesn't make it so. Just like saying 'mission accomplished' doesn't make it so. The last president who used that slogan, who told us that prosperity was just around the corner, was Herbert Hoover during the Great Depression." Kerry cited statistics he said showed "50 percent of black men in New York City are without work," while "in some cities 40 percent of Hispanic children are school dropouts."

He drew applause when he referred to Bush's recent decision not to speak before the NAACP convention. He said that as president, he would meet with the members of the Black Congressional Caucus, civil rights groups and other minority organizations as part of an effort to build a more united nation. He said, "No one will ever have to twist my arm to know that you cannot possibly ever govern effectively if you don't meet with the Hispanic caucus, the black caucus, the civil rights groups, to bring the country together."

Kerry continued, "The truth is that nearly 60 percent of Hispanics and 43 percent of African Americans went without health coverage for all or part of the last two years. Today people of color are significantly more likely to suffer and die from diseases like cancer and asthma and AIDS and diabetes. And the life expectancy for Native Americans is 17 years shorter than it is for other Americans, largely because of poor health. America can do better than that. When I am in the White House we are going to stop being the only industrial nation on the face of the earth that doesn't understand that health care is not a privilege for the wealthy, the connected or the elected. Health care is a right for all Americans. We've got a plan to get the waste and greed out of our health care system and help families save up to $1,000 on their premiums."

Kerry said that as president he will reaffirm "the truth that America is now, and has always been, a nation of immigrants. Within the first 100 days of my administration, I will send Congress a reform bill that lets immigrants earn legalization and encourages family reunification, while protecting our borders in ways that are fairer and more effective."

He added, "As president, I will also restore respect for tribal sovereignty throughout the Executive Branch and re-open the doors to the White House to the first Americans. We understand the struggles our Native American brothers and sisters face. In addition to the health care crisis facing tribes, we also know that poverty is rising in America, and nowhere is it worse than on our reservations. To ensure that your voice is heard on these and other vital issues, I will appoint Native Americans to key positions in the White House and throughout my administration."

Kerry said he will also "do my part to bring more diversity into the media" at both the rank and file and management levels. He noted, "Right now people of color make up 32 percent of the nation's population but only 13 percent of daily newspaper staffs. And people of color represent only a tiny fraction of the number of editors, anchors, and executives at our nation's premier news organizations. Right now only 4.2 percent of radio stations and 1.5 percent of TV stations are owned by minorities. I look around at all the talent in this room and say to the management of these organizations, we can do better. As president, I will expand opportunities for people of color in the media, by appointing FCC commissioners committed to enforcing equal employment and insuring that small and minority-owned broadcasters are not consolidated into extinction."

He vowed to fight voting fraud so that no American, but particularly minorities, are not denied the opportunity to vote. Kerry said, "Thirty-nine years ago tomorrow, when Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law, he said: 'Every American citizen must have an equal right to vote. Yet the harsh fact is that in many places in this country, men and women are kept from voting simply because they are Negroes.' My friends, the harsh fact now is that in the last election, more than one million African Americans were disenfranchised in one of the most tainted elections in history. We can do better -- and we have to. We have to see to it in November that every vote counts - and every vote is counted. Along with shared opportunity we must also demand shared responsibility. All of us, from the President in the White House to people in their homes and schools and workplaces, have to be responsible for our actions. And we owe it to all the people who follow the law to hold accountable those who don't."