Former President Bill Clinton closed out a week’s worth of discussions and speeches on the decade that’s passed since Hurricane Katrina. He praised the progress, then focused on problems that remain.
President Clinton walked on stage at the Smoothie King Arena almost two hours after the show had started, and apologized for losing his voice.
Then he thanked officials, remembered childhood visits to New Orleans, and praised the city’s recovery.
About half-way through his 18-minute speech, he shifted focus.
“What your very best efforts did should make you burst with pride, and should make you grateful to all the people who pitched in to help you, and grateful to the good Lord for letting us all survive this last decade. But it should not stop you from trying to erase the last manifestations of the color line, of the economic differences or the education differences of the health care differences.”
He said young people face high unemployment, and thousands remain displaced.
He ended with this advice:
“Give yourself a pat on the back. You earned it. Laugh tonight and dance to the music. You earned it. And tomorrow, wake up and say ‘Look at what we did. I bet we can do the rest, too.’ God bless you.''