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“HONORING WILMER AMINA CARTER” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the Senate section on pages S9381 on Sept. 20, 2004.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING WILMER AMINA CARTER
Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the tremendous public service of Wilmer Amina Carter. Mrs. Carter has long served as a leader, mentor and an advocate for children in San Bernardino County. For her longstanding personal commitment to her community and to the academic achievement of young people, the city of Rialto's third high school will be named Wilmer Amina Carter High School in her honor.
The Wilmer Amina Carter High School is the first high school in the Inland Empire to be named after a living African-American woman. Mrs. Carter earned this honor through the many pioneering and leadership roles she has assumed in her community.
Born in an era when adequate public education for African-American children was not provided, Mrs. Carter was fortunate to receive an education from her grandfather. In her professional and personal pursuits, Mrs. Carter has always worked to provide others with the immensely important and empowering opportunities afforded her through education. She capped this service with 16 years as a member of the Rialto Board of Education.
Mrs. Carter also served for 23 years as district director for the late, much revered United States Congressman George Brown, Jr. There, she carried out Congressman Brown's directive that everyone receive careful attention and compassionate service.
Mrs. Carter used her scholarship and expertise to guide educational policy and curriculum in her community and beyond. Under her leadership, a school career education venture of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc. and the United States Department of Labor became a nationwide model for high school career development programs.
In her service to the Rialto Unified School District, Mrs. Carter became the first African-American member of the Rialto Board of Education in 1983 and served until 1999. Throughout her tenure on the board of education, Mrs. Carter sought to make education a valued community endeavor, helping both young people and parents navigate the school system to optimize positive outcomes. She has been an inspiring force in ensuring that our Nation's future leaders have the tools they need to achieve their dreams.
The dedication of this school reflects the impact of a woman who has provided an outstanding model of determination and service. I am confident that, true to Mrs. Carter's life work, this school's name will serve as a constant reminder to the students who pass through its doors of their immense potential to achieve and effect positive change in their local and national communities. And knowing Mrs. Carter's penchant for hands on involvement, it would not surprise me to see her at the school, working to instill those values in its students. It is with great pleasure that I congratulate Mrs. Wilmer Amina Carter on this much-deserved recognition.
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