Clyburn: Keep on with your dreams

House Majority Whip visits Clarendon 1, gives motivational speech

The Associated Press House Majority Whip, Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., speaks to delegates and party members during the South Carolina Democratic Party's state convention in Columbia recently.

By ROBERT BAKER
Item Staff Writer
bbaker@theitem.com

SUMMERTON — When House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., lost the statewide race for secretary of state in 1986, it was his third defeat for elected office. A friend, he said, told him the loss was his "third strike" and that he had "struck out."

"I told her that those were baseball rules and that life isn't governed by baseball rules," the Sumter native told the more than 1,500 people gathered at Scott's Branch High School on Monday. "Our motto here in South Carolina is 'While I breathe, I hope', and so I would tell all of you that as long as you can breathe, as long as you can still go, to keep on with your dreams."

Primarily speaking to the 1,000 students of the Clarendon District 1 schools, whom District 1 Superintendent Dr. Rose Wilder had gathered to hear the congressman, Clyburn spoke of several initiatives he is working on that could make students in the district even more successful.

"I feel strongly that rural school districts should be brought into mainstream society," Clyburn said, referencing the use of broadband Internet, which is readily available in larger cities. "I'm told that a survey of homes in this area shows that only 30 percent have access to the Internet. I'll be talking to the (U.S.) secretary of education (Arne Duncan) about how to close that gap across the United States, especially in my congressional district."

Indeed, talking about broadband Internet was Clyburn's only mention of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, widely known as the Stimulus Bill, during his speech.

"There's about $2.5 million in the Stimulus Bill to work at expanding broadband within rural communities," he said. "We will be using that to look at providing every rural community with access."

Clyburn said he'd also be working to expand the JROTC programs, including incorporating them at rural middle schools.

"I went to Charleston about three weeks ago, and I was amazed at the third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students there and their thirst for knowledge," Clyburn said. "We need to find a way to stimulate that excitement throughout their education. Somewhere along the way, during middle school, that excitement and enthusiasm wanes, and I believe that (JROTC and other programs) can instill a sense of honor and pride in these students and help conquer some of the drop-out rates that we have in students from grades seventh through 12th."

But Clyburn's final announcement truly grabbed the attention of everyone present: That he would, through his foundation, supply $300 for books to all Scott's Branch graduates who continue their education at a two-year or four-year college or technical school in the fall.

"I'm doing that because when I sit down with people in Washington or in Columbia and I want them to get involved, I don't want them to do something because I say to do it," Clyburn said. "I want them to do it because I've done it. When I say that I want their help, I want to have demonstrated that I've helped."