Posted by DEAN SKIP RUTHERFORD – Clinton School students, faculty and staff got a sneak preview of the Emancipation Proclamation Friday night at the Clinton Presidential Library. The historic document, along with the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, the Constitution and many other records, is part of the collection held by the National Archive and Records Administration in Washington D.C.
I was honored to join Allen Weinstein, the Archivist of the United States and Governor Mike Beebe in unveiling the Emancipation Proclamation which was issued and signed by President Abraham Lincoln. While being part of the unveiling was personally very meaningful, it was equally rewarding to see our students be among the very first to view the document on its four day stay at the Clinton Library. This preview represented another exceptional opportunity for those who study at the Clinton School.
My thanks to the the National Archvies, the Clinton Library and the Clinton Foundation for making it possible. Having the Emancipation Proclamation here during the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School is a thrill. A special thank you to the Archivist for coming to Little Rock.