Thank you, President Linda White and Chairperson Juanita Sims Doty. And thank you, Mrs. Bush, for your good words and making education such a passionate priority.

As you may recall, I was here in Orlando two years ago at the AKA National Convention to announce a partnership between the Department of Education and AKA. We bonded together to create the Ivy Reading AKAdemy. This partnership has been very successful, and I want to thank you for its success.

I must commend your chairman and my friend, Dr. Doty, for her outstanding work to improve the reading scores of children. Her ability to build effective relationships and provide sound leadership has been instrumental in the progress of this program. With the support of President White, AKAdemy Director Peggy Lubin, and the good work of the site coordinators and tutors, the Ivy Reading AKAdemy continues to be a remarkable success. Dr. Doty mentioned that 285 chapters have implemented reading projects benefiting 16,000 children. This is good news and a strong statement of this sorority's dedication to education.

There is a long, proud tradition of education in the African American community. We understand the importance of education. It is the road to emancipation. It is freedom itself.

I know you are powerful agents for change. My mother, who was a teacher, used to sternly tell me that there was no more powerful force on earth than black women. She said that if you wanted to see physics in action, just turn African American women lose on a problem. And then don't get in the way! If they want change, it will happen!

And she said that the first battleground for African American women had to be the schools.

It is an outrage when a child is ignored or forgotten. Millions of our children have been ignored, forgotten, and callously condemned all because they were denied a quality education.

The evidence is clear. For example, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores show that by the time they reach 12th grade, only one in six African Americans and one in five Hispanics are proficient in reading. NAEP math scores are even worse: only 3 percent of African Americans and 4 percent of Hispanics are proficient.

Late last year, I released a report that further confirms these outcomes. Its title is Status and Trends in the Education of Blacks, prepared by the Department's National Center for Education Statistics. The report looks at two decades of research. Performance gaps between African Americans and whites ages 13-17 actually widened between 1988 and 1999.

The president deserves great credit for recognizing this division and addressing it. The president knew that all students deserve a quality education. So, with support from Democrats and Republicans, No Child Left Behind became the law of the land. I believe that this law is more than a revolution in education; it is a civil rights manifesto. It is a statement about the value, importance, and potential of all students. It is a guarantee of a quality education to all students. It is a promise that no child will be ignored or shoved aside because of race, circumstance, or zip code.

This is a law that is closing the achievement gap. For the first time in the history of our nation, every child counts. Indeed, no child will be left behind.

We already see considerable evidence that the law is working. Mathematics scores for fourth- and eighth-graders improved significantly on the last Nation's Report Card or NAEP. Importantly, African American, Hispanic American, and low-income students accounted for some of the most significant improvements. As a result, the achievement gap between white and black students is closing for both fourth- and eighth-graders. Further evidence comes from a recent report by the Council of Great City Schools. Students in the largest urban public school systems showed improvement in reading and math in the first year under No Child Left Behind.

I know that you want the education system to improve and be more inclusive. So do I. We can make that happen if we continue to work together. Your partnership in our efforts could be decisive. I need you to be relentless advocates, accepting nothing less than full compliance with this law. And my mother was right--if you turn this organization loose, nothing can stop you.

Almost 140 years ago, in May of 1866, at a convention on women's rights, Francis Ellen Watkins Harper walked to a podium much like this one. She was a powerful, profound speaker, a strong spokeswoman for African American women. And Francis Harper knew that change would take place only when our nation became, in her words, "one great bundle of humanity."

Make no mistake. This is a discussion about rights, about freedom, and, ultimately, about our humanity. I ask you to imagine a future where all students receive a quality education. It is the best, most powerful way to address racism, poverty, poor health, and joblessness. Our country could be more unified, respectful, tolerant, and economically secure because we had the vision, the courage, and the commitment to give each child the gift of education.

Congratulations on your achievements. Today, let's pledge to redouble our efforts. Reading is the key to the future. Our children must be able to read at a high level to compete in our global economy. They cannot read to learn until they learn to read.

So don't let up! Don't let up. Our children's futures, and the future of this great nation, depend on you.

Thank you.

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