dumstafunk [applause] >> the first time since the flood of 1957 this money were dislocated and there is no way they can now be taking care of. we need a fund to help people that will be overlooked. , the formerahead president's will ask the people to open their hearts to help those in need. of people thatt need help so we're trying to help in a way that members -- that preserves maximum impact. >> an amazing variety of circumstance.

remember seeing president clinton when he touched the ground for the first time and both of these guys really have never seen anything like this. were awed by the damage but also of the tremendous spirit of the people. i think the fund was very key in helping new orleans recovery because we were able to respond almost immediately. we were up and running within two months time. to raisewo presidents -- nearly$130 million $130 million, we were able to make commitments for people to make plans for their lives. >> the challenge was that we should give money to the ground.

getting a great job of feet and eyes on the ground. and then actually being able to accumulate information and getting the resources and places. schools were really important to get moving in the right direction. >> today, we are giving $30 million to 34, which is -- to 34 colleges. those funds were totally necessary. we would not have made it. if we had not come back, i am not so sure we would have gotten ere enrollment back whe we would have liked to. >> we are here to announce a sustainable rebuilding effort. we're calling it make it right. >> in addition to president clinton raising money, members

of the clinton global initiative made 10 commitments to strengthen communities in new orleans and the gulf coast region. they are working to improve a post-disaster recovery, housing, education, and economic opportunity. these commitments will have an estimated total value of more than $10 million. >> we started building houses in new orleans in july 2006. what we show is that new home design doesn't need to create a false battle between energy sufficiency and sustainability and affordability. >> new orleans has rebounded tremendously. you know there is still progress to be made. cgi members continue to work in the region on building and disaster preparedness. >> i think it is also important to a number of people to recognize their parts of new

orleans that will never come back to their original state. there are people who left new orleans who will never be able to come back to those homes that were destroyed. is keephave to do building on the foundation that was left so that future generations will be able to say they were a part of this great rebuilding process. ♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to our honored special guest, bill clinton. [applause]

mr. clinton: thank you very much. i know you have been here a long time. i lostd news for you is my voice when i woke up this morning. [laughter] mayor,ery honored, mr. that you invited me to come here and make the last talk i believe effort tognificent commemorate, honor, and celebrate the progress that has been made and rededicate ourselves to finish the job. the people ink ,orked with a decade ago

including you and your role as lieutenant governor. senator., i think leader nancy pelosi. and all the others who are here who were there in those dark days. one president obama was here, he spoke about going to houston to the astrodome to see all the people who were gathered there. i actually escorted him. he was a young senator from illinois and hillary wanted to

go because he was a senator from new york. [applause] wait, this is important. i am tried to make it really important point here. it is important for you to love her but i want to tell you -- [applause] [laughter] hillary wanted to go because she had been a senator for new york on 9/11 four years earlier and she never forgot what mary and other members of congress of both parties did to step up and try to help new york begin again after the awful tragedy of that day. and i couldwere then senatord obama was and i could tell how ierwhelmed hillary was and

was thrilled when president bush asked his father and me to head the for you just read about. i was thrilled when the then republican leader of the senate awaythat nobody who lived from the gulf coast area had done as much for this area in the u.s. senate as hillary had she loved it so much. i was thrilled when barack obama ran for president come the unity commitment to continue the assistance to new orleans and the gulf that ran to a total of $70 million and he kept his word and so did those who supported him. [applause] now, why am i telling you this? big advantagea

over all of them. i didn't have any more choice about what i was trying to do down here than the man on the moon. when you saw in those pictures, i thought i was still a pretty young guy, 59 years old. [laughter] now, i am nearly 70. i first came to new orleans before most of you were born. old, iwas three years came on the train, my first train trip, to see my widowed mother in a nursing school at charity hospital. [applause] and my grandmother brought me down and we stayed across canal street. one of the old hotels. the first time i had ever been in a building with more than two stories. the first time i had ever been in a city of this size.

i was three. do the math, that was a long time ago. i remember that day as if our yesterday. when i was 15, i came back. jazz is issued. i came flowing on my clarinet and saxophone.

>> we honor on this night in a solemn way those who lost their lives, and those who love them. we honor in a grateful way on often att people who great risk to themselves save lives over and over again. some going days without sleep, without decent food, exposing themselves to disease. this is something that illustrated that when we forget about the differences and concentrate on the task at hand, what we have in common are basic humanity, it is more than our d.

orleans is a place that has made a reputation on its interesting differences. louisiana is the only state with laws based on -- the only state with anything that looks remotely like the french quarter -- and nothing sounds like the french quarter -- and the food doesn't taste this way anywhere else. there are no mardi gras indians anywhere on the place on earth except new orleans. what makes this sing like a beautiful -- all of a sudden none of our differences matter. you had every public and senator see something -- republican senator say something nice about a democratic senator, god for

bid -- forbid. without regard to their race, religion, or policy. all of a sudden we were reminded that wherever in the world people work together, especially -- good things are happening. wherever in the world they spend all their time finding good things are not happening. tonight after all this time, it is tempting this to say, gosh, i'm glad all of this stuff happened. it is nothing compared to the business -- there was a lot of fixing the infrastructure. i'm grateful for this. we had to get the money out to the colleges and universities so they could reopen. [applause]

there was no money for so many come especially for mental health. there wasn't any category. we put so many there to have some mental health services. i watched on c-span two days ago the community forum after president obama spoke. we've got to build up these community institutions. they put $40 million of it. we recommend people to decide how best to rebuild and to shape their futures. if we could talk about all of that -- but what i want you to think about is what 30 the

memory of those who didn't make it? do -- what do we oh for the sacrifice and effort for those who saved those who survived? what do we oh those who passed -- owe those who did everything they possibly could to bring new orleans back and give it a better future? i have listened and i have read everything that i could find in the last month. here is what i think. our pessimistic -- i think the people are pessimistic and haven't looked at what has been accomplished against enormous odds. the people underestimate the continuing disparities a race and income and accessing jobs,

capital. i think they underestimate how important it is to keep living in the future and not in the past. [applause] i think we need a new unity here in new orleans tonight. i'll of a short up when he needed us and did the best we could and those were still doing that, i saw one of the panels. thanks a lot. we have done a heck of a job. we have moved mountains and made miracles. it is astonishing. we are proud. i think the people who represent the neighborhoods where there are still too many houses who know all of those young people are most 25,000 of them between

16-24 in this general area who are neither in school nor at work. they understand that not everybody who wanted to come home could come home. they didn't think there would be enough opportunity -- could be elated by the fact that a high percentage of high school graduates are going to college can be elated by the fact that the project is building houses twice as fast as ever before thanks to toyota making to making cars. i visited one today. he can be happy about all of that. there's a difference to being happy and being satisfied. there's a difference of being proud of having major best efforts and being satisfied that is all we can do now.

let your best efforts did -- what your best efforts did she make you burst with pride and make you great all to all of the people who pitched in to help you. and grateful to the good lord for providing this last decade. it should not stop you from trying to erase the last manifestation of the color line of economic differences of the education differences of the health care differences. [applause] you can be proud, new orleans. i don't want anybody who feels that about what hasn't been done to minimize what happened. i will give to you if i had described 10 years ago on this day exactly what would occur in the next 10 years that we could

observe tonight, 90% of you in 90% of the people in new orleans with have said, thank you. i didn't know we could do that. you should be happy. you should celebrate. it is the nature of the way we feel and the nature of the history of our country. the allies that our job is always to perform a more perfect union. we could be glad for what has happened. what we always believed from the time of our founding that we could do better. the good news is during all of this fixing up and rebuilding and imagining new futures like that house i saw today that the

volunteers were working on -- [cheers] they are going to pay about half the utility bills. they're going to be able to make their mortgage payments. their power bills will be less. they will be able to take care of their family and bring people in for dinner on the weekends. it will be great. that means we can take the next step. you will not lose the history of jazz in dixieland. you will not lose the flavor of your gumbo. a crystal dance your way down the street at the end of a burial. you will not lose who you are if all of a sudden without regard

to our race we have the same chances in education, jobs, income, health care, and the future. [applause] 66 years ago there was a three-year-old boy who saw things in the city i had never seen. 53 years ago, i was too young to get in the kindness -- because of the kindness of the musicians who decided to take a chance. 40 years ago, the same your healer in i got married, we were dispatched to new orleans.

-- same year hillary and i got married, we were dispatched to new orleans. i have seen the city in every state of repair disrepair that has existed for more than 50 years. even as a kid i was paying attention. the celebration must be living by rededication. the people who died left behind memories and loved ones and legacies that deserve to be fully redeemed by erasing the lines that divide us. my take on this is to have a good time. give yourself a pat on the back. you have earned it.

dance to the music. you earned it. tomorrow wake up and say, look at what we did. god bless you. [cheers and applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, mr. bill clinton. ♪ >> after katrina, the young boys in the city were just lost. i remember seeing how much crime was going on it it is a hot city.

i knew some of the kids were looking for some sort of guidance. if they don't have someone to guide them, they may go down the wrong path. my sister and i were on a rooftop in downtown new orleans looking at the superdome. i wanted to give back. it was my job. i had some extra time. i wanted to have my own program. i wanted to do something my way. we decided to start. we have been around since 2011. we are growing. their fathers have been murdered. or are in long-term incarceration. they quickly to have no connection to their father. their ages 10-13. a boy could be with us from five years to eight years. this organization and nurtures

the boys we have now in the program. we talked to them all the time about education and job opportunities and what they do now in school to be a success. it will affect their happiness in the future. we talk about crime with them. if they get into the wrong now, it goes on the permanent record. we want to prevent them from having a long rap sheet. folks who have been incarcerated -- we want to make sure they don't choose the wrong thing or hang around with the wrong crowd. a lot of people talk about the issue we have with our youth. if we don't do anything about it, it will only get worse. tenure so now, i feel -- 10 years from now, i feel the boys will be graduating. they could be doctors,

engineers, business owners. it is one thing to be productive in a community. we want them to also give back. resilience is baking able to overcome -- is being able to overcome obstacles and to realize it it can get better. [applause] >> representing, please welcome -- [applause] >> at its core, it is all about making the boys in our program feel like they are part of family. we want them to feel safe and cared for. it is why we open this house. we had 10 voice its year.

40 currently participating -- 10 boys each year. 40 currently participating. they can begin to develop the crucial skills needed to succeed in life and beyond that, college . they could create a brighter future for themselves. i'm proud to say that our oldest boy who has been with us for five years has entered xavier university. [applause] under $20,000 scholarship this year. [applause] four others have earned scholarships to catholic high schools. our mission is simple -- we want to do our part to help these young men into leaders who will contribute to a better new orleans for the future. >> my brother, everybody.

[applause] now please welcome back the amazing -- ♪ ♪ ♪ we've got to help those people out ♪ ♪ what about the people walking

in the streets with no shoes on ♪ ♪ we've got to help those people out ♪ ♪ ♪

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>> florence harding said that she had only one holiday and harding.lawrence ha as well as his death in office and infidelities you would hope that find the role of the first lady. lawrence harding on c-span's original series, first lady, influence and image examining the public and private lives of the women who felt the position of first lady and their income. from mara