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Last Updated: Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Remarks as Prepared for Wal-Mart EVP Bill Simon
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Remarks as Prepared for Wal-Mart EVP Bill Simon
9th Annual State of the Black Union Conference
America I Am Sponsorship Announcement – Saturday, February 23 – New Orleans Thank you, Tavis. And good afternoon. All of us at Wal-Mart truly appreciate the chance to be with you today in New Orleans. And we’re very proud to be part of America I Am.
Few exhibits have so fully captured the heart and the spirit of 400 years of American history. And Tavis, we want to thank you for giving us this extraordinary opportunity. Through America I Am, we’re helping to bring the story of the African-American experience to communities across the country. And in doing so, we’re helping to tell the story of America.
It’s a living, breathing story that embodies the hopes, and the potential, of all of us as human beings. It’s a story captured in the handwritten speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. . . . and in the poetry of Phillis Wheatley. It’s fortified in Muhammad Ali’s gloves. It’s woven into the fabric of Justice Thurgood Marshall’s robe . . . and resounds in the clap of his gavel. It glistens in the Gold Medals won by Jesse Owens. And it sings through the sounds of Ellington, and Coltrane . . . and Motown.
It’s a story about the long journey of a people who built this country through sweat and toil . . . music and words . . . ideas and inventions. Even as for too long, too many of them, could not share in the rewards. And it’s a story about how far we’ve come as a nation – and more important, how far we still have to go.
Because as this place and this gathering remind us: there is still much work to be done. But not work that can’t be accomplished by people who have the burning desire and the will to make a difference . . . like all of you here, and more than 1,000 people who rolled up their sleeves yesterday . . . put hands into earth, took hammer to nail, and helped lift this city up.
As business, government and community leaders gather here today to reflect on the State of the Black Union, all of us see an urgent need to work together to help people live better.
We all know what’s happening in America. Energy prices are rising. Health care costs are running away from us. Quality education is slipping out of reach for our children. Many, many hard-working families are struggling to pay for the basic necessities.
We believe the company of the future must stand shoulder to shoulder with government, community leaders and volunteers. And together, we will meet the challenges facing our society.
We see that responsibility, and that opportunity, at Wal-Mart. We value our relationship with partners like the National Urban League, the United Negro College Fund, and the Delta Regional Authority. And we’ve also seen that opportunity embraced passionately by 1.3 million Wal-Mart associates in the United States.
We’re proud of the service they’re providing to all of our customers and communities. Through their caring, creativity, and commitment, they are making a difference for millions of Americans.
Beyond the four walls of our business, we also believe in the importance of history, and of learning from it. And that’s why Wal-Mart is proud to support America I Am, as it makes this unprecedented journey across the United States.
Traveling from big cities, to small towns, and everywhere in between, it will educate and inspire so many Americans. They will look at all that has been accomplished over the last 400 years. And they will imagine all that is possible in the next 400.
The lessons and examples of America I Am are more important, and more relevant, than ever. Because only after looking back with honesty, can we move forward with hope. And only by fully understanding the choices of the past, can we make better choices for the future.
We are proud and honored to join you, in making this journey possible. Thank you. # # #
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