Speeches by Secretary Elaine L. Chao

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Remarks Prepared for Delivery by
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
Portrait Unveiling of Former Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman
Great Hall, U.S. Department of Labor
Washington, D.C.
Thursday, March 11, 2004

Madame Secretary, welcome back to the Department of Labor and to the Great Hall. I’m sure this brings back a lot of memories for you. It is a pleasure to have you, your husband, Dr. Charles Franklin, and so many of your loving friends and colleagues with us today.

I would also like to give a special welcome to the many distinguished guests with us today including: Former Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater;

From Capitol Hill—Representative Elijah Cummings, Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus; Representative Rahm Emanuel; Representative Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick; Representative Barbara Lee; Representative Diane Watson; Representative Maxine Waters;

And I want to recognize our other distinguished guests, as well: Dorothy Height, President Emeritus of the National Congress of Negro Women; Mary Francis Berry, Chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights; Constance Newman, Assistant Secretary for USAID; the Reverend Jesse Jackson; and Toshiaki Taguchi, President and CEO of Toyota Motor North America, Inc.

And, finally, let me thank artist Simmie Knox for being here today as well.Mr. Knox is very well known for his work in portraits. He has painted many, many beautiful and wonderful portraits in his lifetime—including portraits of President Bill Clinton and Senator Hillary Clinton, Justice Thurgood Marshall and the Bill Cosby family. Mr. Knox, you are always very modest, but we want to thank you for your very fine work.

The unveiling of this portrait today is a great tradition at the Department of Labor. Each of the portraits hanging on either side of this Great Hall is a tribute to the American worker. They remind us of the achievements each Secretary of Labor has made on behalf of American workers, who are the safest, securest and most productive in the world.

And so, today, we recognize Alexis Herman, the 23^rd Secretary of Labor—who was also the fourth woman and the first African American appointed to this strategic Cabinet post.

We have seen through her life that Secretary Herman is an achiever. She has been breaking barriers in the workplace throughout her career. In fact, at just 29—a child as we look back now—Secretary Herman became the youngest director ever of the Labor Department’s Women’s Bureau. So she was no stranger to the Department when she became Secretary.

As a businesswoman, public servant and entrepreneur, Alexis Herman has dedicated herself to helping workers find good jobs, succeed in the workplace and break through barriers.

For example, I’m told that in her first job after college in her hometown of Mobile, Alabama, she helped unemployed young men become apprentices in nearby Mississippi shipyards, which at that time were paying good wages. And today, she is CEO of New Ventures, Inc., helping others through employment services and job training programs.

Among Secretary Herman’s many achievements at the Department was the Workforce Investment Act.

She was also instrumental in:

• reducing the barriers for workers with disabilities;
• helping disadvantaged young people find meaningful work; and
• combating the worst forms of child labor.

Secretary Herman’s life achievements are a tribute to the virtues of hard work, determination and hope, and remind us all of the wonderful opportunities this great country offers.

So, today, it is our collective pleasure to unveil her portrait, which will serve as a permanent reminder of her many accomplishments to everyone who visits the Department of Labor.

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