West Wing Week 07/27/12 "A Brighter Day Is Going To Come"

West Wing Week 07/27/12 "A Brighter Day Is Going To Come"

This week, the President addressed the nation on the tragedy in Colorado and made Aurora his first stop on a four day trip out West, then continued to Reno to address the VFW, and to New Orleans to speak at the National Urban League. Back in Washington DC, Dr. Biden announced a major Joining Forces initiative for social workers, the President signed an Executive Order on Education, and hosted a reception at the White House to honor the International AIDS Conference taking place in Washington DC.

Student Presidents

Student Presidents

“We both have degrees from Harvard,” President Obama told the White House correspondents at this year’s annual roast. “I have one, he has two.” Pause. “What a snob.” Perhaps. With Mr. Obama (law) or Mitt Romney (law and business) in the White House, every president from 1989 to at least 2017 will have had a degree from Harvard or Yale. But the presidency has not always been elitist: 11 presidents never graduated college, and in the early years many had only a few years of formal schooling. We turned to the University of Virginia’s Miller Center, whose mission is to expand understanding of the presidency, for a history lesson. ANDREA KAYDA, NYTimes
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West Wing Week 07/20/12 "The Biennial Bring Back the Gold Edition"

West Wing Week 07/20/12 "The Biennial Bring Back the Gold Edition"

West Wing Week 7/13/12 or "Let's Agree To Do What We Agree On"

West Wing Week 7/13/12 or "Let's Agree To Do What We Agree On"

This week the President signed the MAP-21 Act to extend funding for transportation and infrastructure projects and stopped student loan interest rates from doubling. He also urged Congress to cut taxes for the middle class, while the White House announced the 2012 Save Award initiative, and played host to a Google Plus Hangout.

Immigration Law Divides Washington DC-Area Community

VOAVideo: Immigration Law Divides Washington DC-Area Community

Both sides of the U.S. immigration debate have tried to claim victory after the Supreme Court's ruling on Arizona's tough immigration law. The Court upheld a provision of the law that allows local police to check the immigration status of people stopped or detained on some other legitimate basis. But critics argue there are other unintended consequences of these laws that could invite future legal challenges. Jeff Swicord reports from Prince William County, Virginia, which enacted a similar immigration law in 2007.

West Wing Week: 07/06/12 or "The Freedom Everybody is Looking for"

wh.gov: West Wing Week: 07/06/12 or "The Freedom Everybody is Looking for"

Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. This week, the President traveled to Colorado Springs to survey fire damage and honor responders, he also celebrated Independence day with a Naturalization Ceremony at the White House and a picnic for military families on the South Lawn. That's June 29th to July 5th or "The Freedom Everybody is Looking for."

America the Beautiful

wh.gov: America the Beautiful

Musician Keb Mo visited the White House earlier this year and performed a rendition of "America the Beautiful". Enjoy some great scenes of America and the President set to this classic song - in celebration of Independence Day

USCIS 100:99 July 4th, Slavery, and Fredrick Douglass

Frederick Douglass Quilt by the Negro History Club of Marin City & Sausalito, 1953

(re-posted from 02/10/2012) Today we continue our exploration of the USCIS History and Government questions and African American History. Today we will talk about USCIS 100:99. When do we celebrate Independence Day?*.

We will first read about Q99 from the USCIS M638 quick civics lesson. Then we will discuss the Declaration of Independence, the Compromise of 1850, and abolitionist Fredrick Douglass. Then we will listen to a short reading from Fredrick Douglass speech: “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro.” Note that Negro was a common term for Black or African-Americans, but it is not often used today. Let's get started.

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exerpt from The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro by Fredrick Douglass

What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July?

I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelly to which he is the constant victim.

To him, your celebration is a sham;
your boasted liberty, an unholy license;
your national greatness, swelling vanity;
your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless;
your denunciations of tyrants, brass fronted impudence;
your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery;
your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings,
with all your religious parade, and solemnity, are, to him, mere bombast,
fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy—a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages...

For more info:

See zinnedproject.org: Frederick Douglass Fights for Freedom

Watch actor Danny Glover read abolitionist Frederick Douglass's "Fourth of July Speech, 1852" on October 5, 2005 in Los Angeles, California. Part of a reading from Voices of a People's History of the United States (Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove.)

US Citizenship Podcast Independence Day Quiz

US Citizenship Podcast Independence Day Quiz

Celebrate Independence Day with uscitizenpod. Here is a quiz based on USCIS 100:08, 09, 61, 62, 63, 64, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100.

On The Clock - Policy Change on Immigration (Spanish)

wh.gov On The Clock - Policy Change on Immigration (Spanish)

Director of the Domestic Policy Council Cecelia Muñoz talks about talks about an important policy change on immigration that more closely aligns our policy with our values.

On The Clock - Policy Change on Immigration

wh.gov: On The Clock - Policy Change on Immigration

Director of the Domestic Policy Council Cecelia Muñoz talks about talks about an important policy change on immigration that more closely aligns our policy with our values.