This topical research guide contains links to finding aids and digitized files of collections related to Black Americans during the Clinton administration. Material on the folder or document level can be found by searching the Clinton Digital Library. Additional resources will be added as more collections are processed and released. Language Note Language Note Language used in this research guide follows guidelines from the Archivist’s Task Force on Racism (2022). Many of the Finding Aids listed in this research guide were created before these guidelines were issued. This guide uses the terminology “African American” (in quotes) when Finding Aids used this same terminology. View Gallery Black Americans Photo Gallery Black Appointees When compared to earlier presidential administrations, the Clinton administration appointed the most diverse cabinet and administration in American history; Black appointees included: Jocelyn Elders First Black Surgeon General (1993-1994). Topics of interest may include: civil rights. View collection Finding Aid Hazel O'Leary First Black Secretary of Energy (1993-1997). View collection Finding Aid Alexis Herman First Black Secretary of Labor (1997-2001). View collection Finding Aid Eric Holder First Black Deputy Attorney General in the Department of Justice (1997-2001). Topics of interest may include: Presidential Call to Action and Racial Justice and Diversity, the President’s Race Initiative, the President’s appointment of a more diverse body of federal judges and attorneys, and equality. View collection Finding Aid View digitized records concerning Eric Holder Ronald "Ron" H. Brown First Black Secretary of Commerce (1993-1996). View collection Finding Aid View digitized records concerning Ron Brown Mike Espy: First Black Secretary of Agriculture (1993-1994). View digitized records concerning Mike Espy President Clinton poses for a photograph with Secretary of the Department of Commerce, Ron Brown; Secretary of the Department of Energy, Hazel O'Leary; Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Mike Espy; and Surgeon General, Joycelyn Elders, September 18, 1993, Photographer: Ralph Alswang. View in the National Archives Catalog President Clinton poses for a photograph with Secretary of the Department of Commerce, Ron Brown; Secretary of the Department of Energy, Hazel O'Leary; Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Mike Espy; and Surgeon General, Joycelyn Elders, September 18, 1993, Photographer: Ralph Alswang. Jesse Brown First Black Secretary of Veteran Affairs (1993-1997). View digitized files concerning Jesse Brown Togo West Jr. Secretary of the Army (1993-1998); Secretary of Veteran Affairs (1998-2000). View digitized records concerning Togo West Lee Brown Director for the Office of National Drug Control Policy (1993-1996). View digitized records concerning Lee Brown Rodney E. Slater First Black Director of the Federal Highway Administration (1993-1997). Secretary of Transportation (1997-2001). View digitized records related to Rodney Slater Featured Black Staffers Robert B. "Ben" Johnson Associate Director in the Office of Public Liaison and Special Assistant to the President for Outreach to the African-American Community (1993-1998 ); Director of the White House Office on the President's Initiative for One America (1999-2000). Topics of interest may include: racial disparities in the criminal justice system and crack cocaine. View Ben Johnson's digitized files White House staff portrait of Robert B. Johnson, August 21, 1995, Photographer: Sharon Farmer. White House staff portrait of Robert B. Johnson, August 21, 1995, Photographer: Sharon Farmer. James "Terry" Edmonds First Black Chief Speechwriter in a presidential administration. Presidential Speechwriter (1995-1997); Deputy Director of Speechwriting (1997-1999); and Director of Speechwriting (1999-2001). Speech topics of interest may include: race relations, Black organizations and outreach, civil rights, One America, Black church burnings, and hate crimes. View Terry Edmonds' digitized files White House staff portrait of Terry Edmonds, July 15, 1997, Photographer: Sharon Farmer. White House staff portrait of Terry Edmonds, July 15, 1997, Photographer: Sharon Farmer. Cheryl Mills Associate Counsel to the President (1993-1996); Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Counsel to the President (1997-1999). Areas of responsibility: Investigations, Ethics, First Lady matters, including Millennium Council, Books, New Years, Travel, Campaign, First Family Issues, FEC issues, GAO Issues, Post Employment Issues, WhoDB, Waco, Arlington Cemetery, Secretary Herman, Hatch Act, POTUS Library, National Archives, Haddon Residence Chef Lawsuit, Personnel Issues, Clinton Trust, Judicial Selection Process, AAPS Lawsuit (Health Care Reform). View Cheryl Mills digitized files White House staff portrait of Cheryl Mills, July 30, 1998, Photographer: Bob McNeely. White House staff portrait of Cheryl Mills, July 30, 1998, Photographer: Bob McNeely. Mark F. Lindsay General Counsel for the Office of Administration (1997-1998); Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff for the Office of Administration (1998-1999); and Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Administration (1999-2000). The Office of Administration business services to the Executive Office of the President. View Mark Lindsay's digitized files White House staff portrait of Mark Lindsay, September 2, 1999, Photographer: Sharon Farmer. White House staff portrait of Mark Lindsay, September 2, 1999, Photographer: Sharon Farmer. Alphonso "Al" Maldon Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs (1993); Deputy Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs (1994-1999). View Al Maldon's digitized files White House staff portrait of Al Maldon, March 17, 1999, Photographer: Sharon Farmer. White House staff portrait of Al Maldon, March 17, 1999, Photographer: Sharon Farmer. Thurgood Marshall Jr. Assistant to the President and Director of Cabinet Affairs (1997-2001). View Thurgood Marshall's digitized files White House staff portrait of Thurgood Marshall Jr. September 19, 1997, Photographer: Tamara Fitzpatrick. White House staff portrait of Thurgood Marshall Jr. September 19, 1997, Photographer: Tamara Fitzpatrick. J. Veronica Biggins Assistant to the President and Director of Presidential Personnel (1994-1995). View Veronica Biggins' digitized files View digitized records concerning Veronica Biggins White House staff portrait of Veronica Biggins, May 11, 1994, Photographer: Ralph Alswang. White House staff portrait of Veronica Biggins, May 11, 1994, Photographer: Ralph Alswang. Loretta Avent Special Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs (1993-1994); Deputy Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs (1994-1995). View Loretta Avent's digitized files View digitized records concerning Loretta Avent White House staff portrait of Loretta Avent, November 15, 1993, Photographer: Ralph Alswang. White House staff portrait of Loretta Avent, November 15, 1993, Photographer: Ralph Alswang. Tracey Thornton Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs (1993-1998); Deputy Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs (1998-2000) . View digitized records concerning Tracey Thornton President's Aide, Kris Engskov hugs Deputy Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs, Tracey Thornton outside of the Oval Office, May 5, 2000, Photographer: David Scull. President's Aide, Kris Engskov hugs Deputy Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs, Tracey Thornton outside of the Oval Office, May 5, 2000, Photographer: David Scull. Betty Currie Executive Secretary to the President (1993-2001). View Betty Currie's digitized files View digitized records concerning Betty Currie White House staff portrait of Betty Currie, July 8, 1999, Photographer: William Vasta. White House staff portrait of Betty Currie, July 8, 1999, Photographer: William Vasta. Margaret "Maggie" Williams First Black Chief of Staff in the First Lady’s Office (1993-1997). Topics of interest may include: Black organizations, “African Americans”, affirmative action, Black church burnings, and Black history. View Maggie Williams' digitized files White House staff portrait of Maggie Williams, December 4, 1995, Photographer: Sharon Farmer. White House staff portrait of Maggie Williams, December 4, 1995, Photographer: Sharon Farmer. Bob Nash Assistant to the President and Director of Presidential Personnel (1995-2001). View digitized records concerning Bob Nash President Clinton walks along the colonnade to the West Wing with Director of the Office of Presidential Personnel, Bob Nash, June 18, 1996, Photographer: Ralph Alswang. President Clinton walks along the colonnade to the West Wing with Director of the Office of Presidential Personnel, Bob Nash, June 18, 1996, Photographer: Ralph Alswang. Minyon Moore Deputy Director of Political Affairs (1997-1998); Director of Public Liaison (1998-1999); and Director of Political Affairs (1999-2001). Topics of interest may include affirmative action, “African-Americans”, civil rights, hate crimes, the President’s Initiative on Race, and Black organizations and outreach. View Minyon Moore's files President Clinton holds hands with the Deputy Director of the Office of Political Affairs, Minyon Moore in the Cabinet Room of the White House, August 4, 1997, Photographer: Ralph Alswang. President Clinton holds hands with the Deputy Director of the Office of Political Affairs, Minyon Moore in the Cabinet Room of the White House, August 4, 1997, Photographer: Ralph Alswang. Alexis Herman Director of the Office of Public Liaison (1993-1997). Topics of interest may include: affirmative action, Black leadership, Black organizations and outreach, Black business, civil rights, holidays honoring Blacks, and Black women. View collection Finding Aid View Alexa Herman's digitized files View Gallery Alexis Herman Photo Gallery Related Collections Finding Aids and digitized collections on topics related to Black Americans, race, or issues that affected marginalized communities during the Clinton administration include: Advisory Board to the President's Initiative on Race: Topics of interest may include: the Affirmative Action Review Team, civil rights, the Adarand decision, affirmative action and women, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or EEOC, and federal agency review. View collection Finding Aids Affirmative Action: Topics of interest may include: the Affirmative Action Review Team, civil rights, the Adarand decision, affirmative action and women, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or EEOC, and federal agency review. View collection Finding Aids View digitized records concerning Affirmative Action Association of 2,221 Negro Volunteers: Topics of interest may include: recognition of Black soldiers’ integration of the American armed forces during World War II. View collection Finding Aid Civil Rights Series of Stephen Warnath: Topics of interest may include: the Civil Rights Working Group, affirmative action, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or EEOC, discrimination, and church burnings. View collection Finding Aids Crime Legislation: Topics of interest may include: equality, racial justice, the Racial Justice Act, and the Congressional Black Caucus. View collection Finding Aid View digitized records concerning Crime Legislation Fair housing: Topics of interest may include: the enforcement of fair housing laws, equity in housing, and housing discrimination. View collection Finding Aids View digitized records concerning Fair housing Human rights: Topics of interest may include: "African-Americans" and discrimination. View collection Finding Aid View digitized records concerning Human rights Kendra Brooks, Assistant Director of Domestic Policy for Education: Topics of interest in these collections may include: funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), affirmative action, civil rights, and “African Americans”. View collection Finding Aids View Kendra Brooks digitized files Lani Guinier: Topics may include: the withdrawn nomination of Lani Guinier as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. View collection Finding Aid National Church Arson Task Force (NCATF): Topics of interest may include: arson attacks on Black churches in the South. View collection Finding Aids View digitized records concerning NCATF One America: Topics of interest may include: the President’s Initiative on Race, correspondence with Black organizations, slavery, Black poverty, hate crimes, and women’s outreach. View collection Finding Aid View digitized records concerning One America Proposition 209: Topics of interest may include: affirmative action and this 1996 proposition to prohibit "preferential treatment…on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin" in California's public sector. View collection Finding Aid Sandra Thurman, Director of the Office on National AIDS Policy Office: Topics of interest may include: racial and ethnic disparities related to HIV/AIDS, "African-Americans", and Black organizations. View collection Finding Aid View Sandra Thurman's digitized files Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment: Topics of interest may include: presidential apology to the Black survivors of this experiment. View collection Finding Aid Additional Information Archived Audio and Video President’s Radio Address on Church Burnings, June 8, 1996 President’s Radio Address on Hate Crimes, March 29, 1997President’s Radio Address on Hate Crimes, June 7, 1997President’s Radio Address on Racial Disparities in Health, February 21, 1998President’s Radio Address on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 15, 2000President’s Radio Address on Black History Month, February 19, 2000 Archived websites Clinton-Gore Accomplishments: Working on Behalf of African Americans The Clinton Presidency: Building One America Statement by the President on African-American FarmersThe White House Conference on Hate Crimes