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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secreatary


For Immediate Release January 16, 1999
                     PRESIDENT CLINTON ANNOUNCES 
              PUBLICATION OF PROMISING PRACTICES REPORT
                          January 16, 1999

In his live weekly radio address, President Clinton today announced the publication of Pathways to One America in the 21st Century - Promising Practices for Racial Reconciliation. The document is a listing of 123 programs working to improve race relations in communities around the country. It is an important contribution to the President's Initiative on Race (PIR) and demonstrates the commitment of many Americans to fulfilling President Clinton's vision of One America in the 21st century.

The programs selected for the publication range from those that assist with mentoring and tutoring for people of color to those where people are joining together across all racial lines to enhance the economic standing for everyone in communities all over America. They illustrate what people at all levels, a private citizen to a large corporation, can and are doing to find common ground and bridge racial divides.

Throughout the past year, the Advisory Board to the President's Initiative on Race visited many of the Promising Practices programs. This publication can only highlight a fraction of those identified during the year for their proven effectiveness and the lessons we can learn from these local and national efforts to advance better race relations. Some of the programs are large, others are small and informal, but they all represent the determined, often volunteer, efforts of people who believe that through dialogue and working toward a common goal, Americans can reduce racial tension, promote racial healing and accept our nation's growing diversity as a strength.

The Promising Practices document is also a good reference tool providing a worksheet that can be used as a guide for assessing programs and organizations working toward racial reconciliation. Contact, website and e-mail information for these programs listed is also provided. Promising Practices For Racial Reconciliation is available, along with other Initiative publications, on the PIR website at www.whitehouse.gov/Initiatives/OneAmerica.

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