Conceding that affirmative action "has not been perfect," Clinton said, "But when used in the right way, it has worked."
The president's remarks came as he announced a new initiative on race headed by Dr. John Hope Franklin, a Fisk University graduate and noted scholar on the Civil War, slavery and Reconstruction. Franklin and six others on a new advisory board will conduct a national dialogue on controversial race issues and propose new policies in education, housing, health care and other areas.
The president said he envisioned "a great and unprecedented conversation about race," with the Franklin-led advisory board conducting education efforts and seeking solutions to problems in government, business and communities. Other members of the panel include former Govs. Thomas Kean (R) of New Jersey and William Winter (D) of Mississippi. Serving as consultant to the advisory board is Christopher Edley of Harvard University, who led the administration's review of affirmative action during the president's first term. Edley is co-director of The Civil Rights Project, a new Harvard-based think tank.
The president's speech has triggered a variety of responses, including a call for a national apology for slavery.
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