Promoting Financial Education; Celebrating Juneteenth; Congressional Art Competition - June 22, 2009
June 22, 2009
Dear Friend,
Thank you for reading another edition of my e-newsletter, the Carson Courier. For additional information on these and other topics, please visit my website at https://www.carson.house.gov.
In this week's Carson Courier:
Promoting Financial Education
Celebrating Juneteenth
Honoring This Year's Congressional Art Competition Winners
PROMOTING FINANCIAL EDUCATION
As our recession drags on, millions of Americans are unable to cover the cost of their basic needs, often falling into foreclosure and bankruptcy. Unfortunately, these problems have often been exacerbated by irresponsible financial management and the accrual of unmanageable debt. Today, I believe it is clear that many of the pervasive problems we now face could have been avoided by better educating people about the financial system.
Everyday across our country, thousands of young people are getting their first credit card, taking out loans for college and renting their first apartments. These are significant financial decisions that while commonplace can have serious and lasting repercussions if mismanaged. Unfortunately, statistics have shown that many of these young adults never learned basic financial skills like budgeting, saving and maintaining manageable debt.
I will soon be introducing the Young Adults Financial Education Act, which will seek to ensure that young people receive the financial education they need before taking these critical first steps. This critical legislation seeks to improve financial education programs by providing grants that will facilitate partnerships between schools, community organizations and institutes of higher education. Through these partnerships, teachers will acquire the resources they need to fully prepare students for a safe and productive financial future.
CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH
Every June 19, states and cities across the United States celebrate Juneteenth, a holiday that commemorates the first announcement of the abolition of slavery reaching Texas on June 19, 1865. On this day 144 years ago, some of our nation's last remaining slaves received news that they had been freed by President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.
Today our nation looks much different than it did in 1865, yet Juneteenth remains an important and meaningful occasion for African-Americans everywhere. While we are all far removed from the blight of slavery, it is critical that we never forget its lasting mark on our nation. So on this Juneteenth as Hoosiers across our city continue to celebrate with their friends and families, I believe it is important for us to remember that while racism and inequality persist, it remains our responsibility to continue pursuing the freedoms and liberties on which our great nation was founded.
HONORING THIS YEAR'S CONGRESSIONAL ART COMPETITION WINNERS
Every year, the House of Representatives holds the Congressional Art Competition, in which outstanding high school artists from each Congressional district are chosen to display their art at the United States Capitol. Recently, a distinguished selection panel of Indianapolis residents selected a painting by Jordan Woodall of Lawrence Central High School as this year's winner. I look forward to welcoming him and his family to Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, where he will be formally honored as the 2009 winner from Indiana's Seventh Congressional District. Through summer 2010, his exceptional piece, entitled Lights, Color, Action, will be prominently displayed at the Capitol so that visitors from around the world will have a chance to see it.
Our selection panel also honored several other extraordinary works. Between July 3-12, these pieces will be displayed at the Indianapolis Children's Museum.
I offer my most sincere congratulations to this year's winners:
1st Place
Jordan Woodall
Lights, Color, Action
10th grade, Lawrence Central High School
2nd Place
Derrick Howard
Statue of Liberty
12th grade, Lawrence Central High School
3rd Place
DeAuntae Miller
Singing with Maya
11th grade, Manual High School
Honorable Mention
Joy Abel
Quincy Jones Jr.
12th grade, Manual High School
Honorable Mention
Patrick Horton
Mr. Time
10th grade, Manual High School
Thank you for reading the Carson Courier. Please do not hesitate to contact me with your thoughts and concerns. I value your views and your input which help me to better represent the people of Indiana's 7th District in Congress.