National Park Service and 10th anniversary
logo for President William Jefferson
Clinton Birthplace Home National
Historic Site. Former President Bill
Clinton speaks from his office in 2021.
I'm proud to celebrate the 10th
anniversary of my grandparents' home being
designated as a National Historic Site.
Even though it's been seven decades since
I lived in the house at 117 South Hervey Street,
my memories of the four years I spent there
are so vivid it feels like just yesterday.
I remember
being upstairs and looking out the
window at the train tracks and imagining
the world that lay beyond my street.
That little white house is where
I learn to walk and talk, to read
and count, and to appreciate music.
And thanks to the examples set
by my grandparents,
I also learned some of life's
most important lessons:
that everybody, without regard
to race or station in life,
be treated with dignity and respect;
that everybody has a story to tell;
and that we'll all have better
stories when we work together.
I'm so grateful that over the last decade,
thousands of visitors have had the
opportunity to know part of my family story -
and to understand that whether
you're from a city, a small town,
or out in the country,
it doesn't really matter where
you come from in life -
it matters what you do with your life.
I'd like to thank the staff and
volunteers at the Clinton Birthplace
Home and the National Park Service
for preserving this home that
to this day means so much to me.
Here's the next 10 years - and many more.