The Daily Texan 2014-04-11

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Serving the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900

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Friday, April 11, 2014

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CIVIL RIGHTS SUMMIT

Obama pays tribute to LBJ Keynote speech addresses past civil rights legislation

Because of the civil rights movement, because of the laws President Johnson signed, new doors of opportunity and education swung open for everybody — not all at once, but they swung open.

By Madlin Mekelburg @madlinbmek

President Barack Obama applauded the legacy of former President Lyndon B. Johnson and emphasized Johnson’s belief that government plays an important role in promoting equality during his keynote address at the Civil Rights Summit on Thursday. Obama discussed challenges he has personally seen as president and said that like Johnson, he believes the presidency provides a rare opportunity to help change the course of history. “Those of us who have had the singular privilege to hold the office of the president know that progress in this country can be hard, and it can be slow,” Obama said. “You are reminded that in this great democracy, you are merely a relay swimmer in the currents of history … but the presidency also affords a unique opportunity to bend those currents by shaping our laws and by shaping our debates, by working within the confines of the world as it is, but also by reimagining the world as it should be.” Obama also praised Johnson’s tenacity in passing legislation and said Johnson’s transition from poverty to presidency embodied America and the ideals of progress. “President Johnson knew that ours, in the end, is a story of optimism, a story of achievement and constant striving that is unique upon this Earth,” Obama said. “He knew because he had lived that story. He believed that together we can build an America that is more fair, more equal and more free than the one we inherited.” Some pieces of Obama’s legislation have received negative feedback from members of Congress, including the Affordable Care Act. Obama said taking a stand for seemingly hopeless or unpopular legislation is what set Johnson apart and is what he hopes to emulate as president today. “What the hell’s the presidency for if not to fight for causes you believe in?” Obama said, referencing Johnson’s response to his staff members who encouraged him not to pursue the Civil Rights Act.

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Charlie Pearce / Daily Texan Staff

bit.ly/dtvid

Panel says education reform is necessary By Julia Brouillette @juliakbrou

Former Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and U.S. Rep. George Miller, DCalifornia, said they believe education reform will not manifest at the federal level during the “Education: The Ultimate Civil Right” panel at the Civil Rights Summit on Thursday. “It’s going to be done, as you lament and as I lament, outside of Washington for awhile,” said Miller, who co-authored the No Child Left Behind Act. At the panel, which was moderated by CBS News reporter Bob Schieffer, Spellings said the role of government in education issues, such as curriculum-setting, will be at the forefront of political debates in the near future. “It’s going to be a political issue, certainly on the role of the federal government in education,” Spellings said. “We have sold that education is the key to the American dream.” In order for any education legislation to pass, both parties must work together, according to Miller. “If you keep this [partisanship] up, I think you lose your democracy,” Miller said. “You can’t get to the remedies because you can’t talk to one another about it. You’ve got to walk across the aisle.”

President Barack Obama celebrated former President Lyndon B. Johnson’s dedication to social change during his keynote address at the Civil Rights Summit on Thursday morning.

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Bush stresses importance of education By Nicole Cobler & Pete Stroud @thedailytexan

Shelby Tauber / Daily Texan Staff

Rev. Jesse Jackson was a major figure of the Civil Rights Movement and Baptist minister who ran for president in 1984 and

Rev. Jackson describes today’s civil inequality By Jacob Kerr & Pete Stroud @thedailytexan

Rev. Jesse Jackson, a major figure of the Civil Rights Movement and Baptist minister who ran for president in 1984 and 1988, sat down with The Daily Texan this morning to discuss the civil rights issues he feels students in the United States are most affected by today. Some answers have been edited for length and clarity. The Daily Texan: What do you think are the most

Multimedia

For more of the Q&A with Rev. Jackson, visit dailytexanonline.com

important civil rights issues the United States is facing today? Jesse Jackson: We’ve gone from horizontal segregation by race to vertical disparity by race and class … [as

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In his speech Thursday night at the Civil Rights Summit, former President George W. Bush led with the type of joke reminiscent of President Lyndon B. Johnson. “Former presidents compare their libraries the way other men compare their … well …,” Bush said before tailing off. After the laughter died down, Bush focused primarily on education as both a battleground and driver of civil rights progress. “From Little Rock Central High School to the University of Mississippi, the fight for civil rights took place in educational settings,” Bush said. “Education provides the skills necessary to expand horizons and allow for economic success. In so doing, we secure our democratic way of life.” In 2001, three days after taking office, Bush announced the No Child Left Behind Act to reform the national education system. The act increased reliance on standardized measurements for school accountability,

Jonathan Garza / Daily Texan Staff

Students gather around the Main Mall to watch former President George W. Bush give his speech for the 50th Anniversary of The Civil Rights Act on Thursday afternoon.

especially regarding reading proficiency for younger children. Bush praised the act as an example of good bipartisan government. “We found common ground that schools must demonstrate improving results in minority children or face consequences if they don’t,” Bush said. Zach Berberich, finance junior and College

Republicans communication director, said the act was one of Bush’s greatest civil rights achievements. “I feel that his strides were a huge step for children of all races to get a quality education and an equal way to measure performance,” Berberich said. According to Bush, between 1999 and 2008, reading scores for African-American

and Hispanic 9-year-olds increased by two grade levels. “Education in America is no longer legally separate, but it is still not effectively equal,” Bush said. “Quality education for everyone of every background remains the most urgent civil rights issue of our time.” Bush also argued that changing the fact that the

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