* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [Barbara Bush Statue Unveiling] [00:00:17] I AM CHANNELING BARBARA BUSH RIGHT NOW, AND SHE SAYS, LET'S GET ON WITH IT. SHE ASKS THAT YOU PLEASE TAKE YOUR SEAT AND STOP TALKING. IT'S HOT AND EVERYONE'S TIME IS PRECIOUS. THANK YOU. WELCOME FAMILY, FRIENDS AND FANS OF OUR BELOVED FIRST LADY, BARBARA BUSH. WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YEARS IN ANTICIPATION OF THIS SPECIAL DAY AS WE CELEBRATE HER LEGACY AND DEDICATE A BRONZE STATUE IN HER HONOR ALONGSIDE MAYOR TURNER AND OUR INCREDIBLE PARTNERS AT THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION AND THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY. IT HAS TAKEN QUITE A BIT OF PASSION, PERSISTENCE, AND YES, PATIENCE TO GET TO THIS DAY. AND SO I'M GRATEFUL FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED. YOUR PRESENCE TODAY AND YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT ARE DEEPLY APPRECIATED. WE HAVE A BARBARA BUSH STYLE PROGRAM. THIS MEANS BRIEF TO KICK US OFF, PLEASE WELCOME PRESIDENT AND MISS MRS. BUSH'S, DEAR FRIEND AND PASTOR, DR. RUSSELL J LEVINSON JR. HEAD RECTOR OF ST. MARTIN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH TO LEAD US IN PRAYER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I TOLD SOMEONE JUST A MOMENT AGO, I HEAR BARBARA'S VOICE ALL THE TIME. I STILL HEAR HER VOICE AND I REALLY HEAR IT IF I GO ON TOO LONG. SO, UM, BUT HEARING HER VOICE MADE ME PULL OUT. I KEEP AN EMAIL SHE SENT TO ME MANY YEARS AGO IN MY DESK. IT'S VERY SHORT, SHORT. THIS IS WHAT SHE WROTE. UH, MAY 8TH, 2016, UH, LAST NIGHT ON MY LAST WALK WITH THE PUPS, I ASKED AN AGENT WHAT GRACE WAS, AND HE SAID, AFTER SOME THOUGHT, YOU CANNOT ASK FOR GRACE AND YOU CANNOT EARN IT. THAT GRACE WAS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FOR JESUS AND FELLOW MAN AND WOMAN. I LIKE BEING GUARDED BY SUCH A SWEET, THOUGHTFUL MAN. SO WE ARE HERE TO HONOR SOMEONE WHO POURED OUT HER LIFE, NOT BECAUSE WE ASKED FOR IT, NOT BECAUSE WE EARNED IT, BUT BECAUSE SHE LOVED HER FELLOW MAN, HER FELLOW WOMAN, HER FELLOW CHILD UNCONDITIONALLY, AND BECAUSE SHE WANTED THEM TO KNOW THAT LOVE THROUGH THE GIFT OF LITERACY. SO WITH THAT LITTLE PREFACE, LET'S PRAY. ALMIGHTY GOD, IN THIS GREAT CITY OF HOUSTON AND THIS GREAT NATION OF THE UNITED STATES, WE COME TOGETHER TO HONOR AND GIVE THANKS TO A REMARKABLE CHILD OF GOD. BARBARA PIERCE BUSCH WE'RE SO GRATEFUL FOR ALL SHE GAVE TO SO MANY HER TIME, HER TALENT, HER SMILES, AND WARM HUGS. BARBARA WAS THROUGH AND THROUGH A CHILD OF GOD, AND BECAUSE SHE WAS, SHE SOUGHT TO SHINE THE LIGHT OF THAT LOVE THAT SHE KNEW FROM GOD INTO THE LIVES, NOT OF HUNDREDS OR EVEN THOUSANDS, BUT MILLIONS AROUND OUR GLOBE. WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR ALL THOSE WHO HAVE COME TODAY, AND FOR THE GIFTS YOU HAVE BESTOWED UPON YOUR CHILD, RANDOLPH ROSE, WHO HAS FASHIONED AN IMAGE OF YOUR BELOVED BARBARA THAT WILL LONG OUTLAST OUTLAST ALL GATHERED HERE TODAY, BUT WILL BE A REMINDER OF HER MISSION TO MAKE LITERACY NOT A DREAM OR A WISH, BUT A REALITY FOR EVERYONE. LORD GOD, YOU GAVE US EYES TO READ AND EARS TO HEAR, AND MINDS TO THINK. MAY THE WORK OF THE BARBARA BUSH HOUSTON LITERACY FOUNDATION BE BLESSED BY LEGIONS OF GENEROUS BENEFACTORS AND AN ARMY OF VOLUNTEERS SO THAT THE GIFTS TO READ THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN US ALL MAY BE ENJOYED BY EVERYONE. BLESS US, OH LORD, IN A TIME WHEN WE NEED THAT UNCONDITIONAL GRACE AND LOVE SPREAD ACROSS OUR LAND IN EVERY LAND. BLESS US AND GRANT US IN THAT BLESSING TO FURTHER THE CAUSE OF LITERACY AND HONOR YOUR BELOVED CHILD, BARBARA, BY SERVING THAT GREAT CAUSE TO WHICH SHE COMMITTED HER LIFE TO THE BENEFIT OF YOUR WHOLE HUMAN FAMILY. THIS I ASK IN THE NAME OF OUR WARD. AMEN. AMEN. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. UH, I WILL FIRST WANT TO THANK REVEREND LEVINSON FOR THE UPLIFTING INVOCATION AND FOR JOINING US HERE TODAY. I'M LECIA GREEN ELLIS, THE BOARD CHAIR OF THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION. AND ON BEHALF OF MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR JOINING US HERE THIS MORNING. YOU KNOW, MAYOR TURNER, THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL LIBRARY DIRECTOR, DR. RIO LAWSON, AND HER ENTIRE TEAM AT THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY HAVE BEEN STEADFAST IN THIS CONTINUED SUPPORT AND LEADERSHIP TO MAKE OUR LIBRARY SYSTEM [00:05:01] AWARD-WINNING AND A VALUED TREASURE ACROSS OUR CITY. IT HAS BEEN A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO GET US HERE TO TODAY. I KNOW FOR MANY OF US, IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING. IN FACT, IT WAS ALMOST SEVEN YEARS AGO IN NOVEMBER OF 2016 THAT I HAD THE HONOR OF VISITING WITH MRS. BUSH AND TO OFFICIALLY REQUEST THAT WE NAME THE CENTRAL LIBRARY PLAZA, WHICH YOU ARE ON TODAY IN HER HONOR AS THE BARBARA BUSH LITERACY PLAZA. AND IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, IT WAS YOU JULIE, WHO HELPED US TO FACILITATE THAT MEETING. MRS. BUSH GRACIOUSLY WELCOMED US INTO HER HOME, LISTENED INTENTLY TO BOTH DR. LAWSON AND I AS WE MADE OUR PITCH. AND THEN I CAN TELL YOU, NEIL, WITH NO TIME, SHE SO HUMBLY CONSIDERED OUR REQUESTS AND SAID YES. LESS THAN TWO WEEKS LATER, I RECEIVED A NOTE FROM MRS. BUSH SHARING HOW HONORED SHE WAS TO HAVE THE LIBRARY PLAZA NAMED IN HER HONOR. AND THEN QUITE UNEXPECTEDLY, SHE INFORMED ME THAT, AND I QUOTE, SHE AND GEORGE HAD DECIDED TO GIVE A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS TO KICK OFF OUR PLAZA RE-IMAGINING FUND DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS. WE WERE IN SHOCK, WE NEVER ASKED. AND UNEXPECTEDLY SHE HELPED US. NOT ONLY DID SHE HONOR US BY SAYING YES, SHE HELPED US KICK OFF OUR FUND DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS. SHE REQUESTED THAT THOSE FUNDS BE DEDICATED TO THE CHILDREN'S READING GARDEN AS WELL AS THE ADULT READING GARDEN WHERE YOU ARE TODAY. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, WE WERE ALSO SHOCKED BY HER GENEROSITY. AND NOW SINCE THAT TIME, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FULFILL THAT PROMISE MADE TO THE FIRST LADY OF LITERACY BY DEDICATING THIS BEAUTIFUL, TRANSFORMED, VERSATILE PLAZA IN HER HONOR. SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2021. AND THEN A VERY GENEROUS DONATION BY THE LADIES GUILD OF THE BARBARA BUSH LITERACY FOUNDATION. WE UNVEILED THE BROWN, THE BRONZE BENCHES THAT ARE UPFRONT, UH, AND THAT WAS IN MAY, I BELIEVE, OF 2022. AND NOW JUST A LITTLE YEAR OVER HERE WE ARE ONCE AGAIN BECAUSE OF A GENEROUS DONATION FROM THE BARBARA BUSH LITERACY FOUNDATION TO NOW UNVEIL THE BRONZE STATUE OF NOT ONLY MRS. BUSH, BUT ALSO MILLIE. I JUST WANT TO GIVE A MOMENT TO FULLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE BARBARA BUSH LITERACY FOUNDATION UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF JULIE BAKER FINK FOR THE STEADFAST SUPPORT OF THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY. WE COMMEND YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF OUR EFFORTS, NOT JUST FOR EVENTS LIKE THIS, BUT ALSO FOR THE SUPPORT OF MANY OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE PROVIDE FOR THE GREATER COMMUNITY. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE DONORS WHO SUPPORT IT, US AND REIMAGINING THIS PLAZA. FIRST TO THE BUSH FAMILY, NEIL MARIA PIERCE. THANK YOU ALL FOR SHARING MRS. BUSH WITH US AND ALLOWING YOUR FAMILY'S DONATION TO KICK OFF THIS EFFORT. I ALSO WANNA THANK THE GRACIOUS DONORS WHO MADE THIS PLAZA POSSIBLE, JANICE AND ROBERT MCNAIR, THE BROWN FOUNDATION, PHILLIPS 66, AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON. BUT FOR OUR PARTNERS, WE WOULD NOT BE HERE TODAY. NOW, IT GIVES ME GREAT HONOR TO INTRODUCE JOHN MIDDLETON. UH, HE IS HERE IN ON BEHALF OF DR. LAWSON, WHO UNFORTUNATELY HAS COVID. UH, SO JOHN, PLEASE JOIN US UP HERE FOR A FEW REMARKS. THANK YOU, ALICIA. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. UH, AS ALICIA SAID, I'M JOHN MIDDLETON, UH, HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY HERE ON BEHALF OF OUR DIRECTOR AND OUR ENTIRE TEAM AT HPO, UM, I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK OUR PARTNERS, UH, BARBARA BUSH HOUSTON TON FOUNDATION. JULIE, WE ARE REALLY, UH, ALWAYS, UH, GRATEFUL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE AND FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP. UH, AND THE SAME OF COURSE WITH OUR HOUSTON, UH, PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION. I ALSO WANNA THANK OUR, OUR TEAM HERE AT HBL FOR HELPING US GET THIS TOGETHER, OUR SPACES, SPECIAL EVENTS, COMMUNICATIONS, AND, UH, DIGITAL STRATEGIES TEAMS, THE SPACES TEAM IN PARTICULAR, UM, THAT I LEAD WAS CHARGED WITH MAKING THIS PLAZA HAPPEN. IT WAS A LONG ROAD AS, AS HAS [00:10:01] BEEN MENTIONED, UM, THROUGH HURRICANES AND PANDEMICS AND ALL THAT. IT TOOK A LOT LONGER THAN WE THOUGHT IT WOULD TAKE, BUT WE GOT HERE AND THE PLAZA HAS LIVED UP TO ITS POTENTIAL. UH, WE HOST ALL KINDS OF FESTIVALS AND BOOK READINGS AND ART EXHIBITS AND CONCERTS ON THIS PLAZA. IT HAS BEEN A INCREDIBLE, UH, ASSET, UH, FOR THE PUBLIC AND FOR THE LIBRARY CUSTOMERS. YU PUBLIC LIBRARY IS VERY HONORED TO BE ENTRUSTED BY THE BUSH FAMILY TO HAVE THIS PLAZA. THE READING BENCHES THAT YOU'RE SITTING ON, THE LIKENESS OF MRS. BUSH AND THE PLAZA AND THE STATUE, UH, SYMBOLIZES THE IRREVOCABLE, IRREVOCABLE, IRREVOCABLE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE PUBLIC LIBRARY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING TO READ THE JOY OF READING AND THE FREEDOM TO READ EACH DAY. EVERYONE WHO PASSES WILL BE REMINDED OF THIS CONNECTION OF LITERACY AND LIBRARY, AND WILL BE REMINDED OF THE INCREDIBLE LEGACY THAT MRS. BUSH LEAVES US TO CARRY ON HERE. AND NOW IT'S MY PRIVILEGE AND HONOR TO ASK A MOST NOTABLE HOUSTONIAN ONE WHO IS EVER DEVOTED TO THE CAUSE OF LITERACY AND CELEBRATING THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF LIBRARIES TO SAY A FEW WORDS. PLEASE HELP ME WELCOME THE HONORABLE MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER. THANK YOU, JOHN, AND LET ME THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE ON SUCH AN INCREDIBLE AND INCREDIBLE DAY. UM, YOU KNOW, IT FEELS ALMOST LIKE 65 DEGREE WEATHER OUT HERE, , UH, SO . WELL, YOU KNOW, UM, BEFORE I GET STARTED, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GONNA NAME A WHOLE LOT OF NAMES, EVERY ONE OF YOU'RE DIGNITARIES. UH, BUT I WILL SAY THAT SINCE, UH, NEIL, SINCE I HAVE THREE MONTHS LEFT ON CITY COUNCIL AND I NEED THEIR VOTES, LET ME INTRODUCE THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, . I THINK BARBARA WOULD UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, BUT, UH, MAYOR PROM, DAVE MARTIN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON, COUNCIL MEMBER MIKE KNOX. AND I THOUGHT I SAW COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN. OKAY, THESE ARE, THESE ARE ALL MY FAVORITES. SO, UH, I, I ASKED THEM TO, UH, TO ATTEND. LOOK, LEMME JUST SAY THIS HAS BEEN A BIG, BIG YEAR, UH, FOR THE BARBARA BUSH LITERACY FOUNDATION. UH, JULIE, THANKS A LOT. PLEASE GIVE IT UP TO JUDY. SHE'S JUST INCREDIBLE. AS EARLIER THIS YEAR, MARK THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BARBARA BUSH LITERACY FOUNDATION. UH, 10 YEARS OF HELPING HOUSTONIANS, UH, TO READ, UH, AND QUITE FRANKLY, MAKING A HUGE, HUGE DIFFERENCE. AND NOW, AND NOW TODAY, UH, WE REMEMBER THE LEGACY OF MS. BUSH, THE FOUNDATION THAT CONTINUES HER WORK, AND THIS PLAZA THAT BEARS HER NAME WITH A NEW FINISH IN TOUCH, A BROWN STATUE OF HER LIKENESS. NOW, LEMME JUST SAY THAT, UM, THERE WAS NO WAY THIS WAS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, UH, THIS YEAR. UH, I WAS NOT GOING TO LEAVE IT TO A NEW MAYOR . SO IF I HAD TO DO IT MYSELF, UH, IT WAS GOING TO GET, IT WAS GOING TO GET DONE. AND NONE IS MORE DESERVING. UH, MISS MRS. BUSH AND THIS FOUNDATION HAVE DONE SO MUCH FOR THE LITERACY IN HOUSTON. WE ARE HERE TODAY BECAUSE OF HER MORE THAN THREE DECADES OF ADVOCATING FOR ADULT AND FAMILY LITERACY. SHE WAS WILLING TO PUT HER NAME. UH, AS YOU HEARD FROM LEISHA, HER FOUNDATION AND HER LEGACY BEHIND HELPING HOUSTONIANS TO READ AND HER MISSION TO TRANSFORM LIVES THROUGH THE POWER OF LITERACY, WAS VERY, VERY CLEAR. SHE OFTEN SAID, IF YOU HELP A PERSON TO READ, THERE, OPPORTUNITIES IN LIFE WILL BE ENDLESS. AND WE ALL KNOW HOW. RIGHT. SHE WAS. HER BLUEPRINT, ALONG WITH THE BARBARA BUSH HOUSTON LITERACY FOUNDATION PARTNERSHIP HELPED TO CREATE THE MAYOR'S OFFICE FOR ADULT LITERACY AND HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY. IN FACT, WE ARE THE ONLY CITY WITH A DEDICATED OFFICE OF ADULT LITERACY. BECAUSE OF MRS. BUSH, WE ARE AT THE FOREFRONT. SHE HELPED THE CITY OF HOUSTON SET THE STANDARD. AND I WANT THE BUSH FAMILY, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU WHO'S HERE, AND THOSE WHO ARE NOT HERE, TO KNOW THAT OUR COLLABORATION WILL CONTINUE, AND THAT YOU CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON THE UNWAVERING STEWARDSHIP OF OUR PARTNERSHIP. HER DEEPLY ROOTED LEGACY WILL INSPIRE US ALL TO CONTINUE TO DO THE WORK, TO PROVIDE THE SKILLS, TO HELP PEOPLE BECOME MORE CONFIDENT READERS. AND AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, WITH REGARDS TO LITERACY, IF YOU HELP ONE PERSON, YOU HELP ONE FAMILY, YOU HELP ONE COMMUNITY, AND YOU BUILD A MUCH GREATER CITY. [00:15:01] SO LET'S ALL CONTINUE TO HAVE WORK BY MOTIVATING BEGINNING READERS, RELUCTANT READERS AND ADULT LEARNERS TO MAKE A PEARL OF WISDOM. WORDS RING TRUE. NOTHING TAKES MORE COURAGE OR PERSISTENCE OR HEART THAN TAKING A SECOND CHANCE ON EDUCATION. THE FUTURE OF LITERACY IN HOUSTON IS BRIGHT BECAUSE OF BARBARA BUSH DEDICATION AND HER VISION. AND IT ISN'T IS SOMETHING, IT'S NOT SO MUCH WHAT YOU DO WHILE YOU LIVE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE, BUT IT'S WHAT YOU DO THAT LASTS BEYOND YOUR PHYSICAL PRESENCE THAT MAKES THE ULTIMATE IMPACT. AND FOR BARBARA BUSH, FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND OTHERS, HER LIFE LIVES ON. THANK YOU BARBARA BUSH FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION. I DIDN'T GET THE MEMO EARLIER, , UH, BUT LOOK, IT'S, IT'S MY HONOR AND MY PRIVILEGE NOW, UH, TO INVITE TWO OF THE MEMBERS OF THE BUSH FAMILY TO, UH, TO THIS PODIUM. NEIL AND MARIA, UH, COME, UH, PLEASE GIVE THEM A VERY STRONG WELCOME. WE, WE GOT AN UNVEIL. ARE WE UNVEILING? YES, WE ARE GOING TO PIERCE AND YOUR WIFE. WHY DON'T YOU JOIN US? SARAH, BE PIERCE. JIM PIERCE, COME ON UP HERE. WE GOT THIS. THIS IS A DIRECT RE RELATIVE. MAYOR, HOW ARE YOU? HEY, I'M FINE. OKAY. HOW YOU DOING? YEAH, I GET ON THAT SIDE. BATTERIE. HOLD ON A SECOND. READY? ALL THE CAMERAS READY. ALICIA, ON THE COUNT OF, ON THE COUNT OF THREE. OKAY. ON YOUR COUNT. ONE, TWO, AND THREE. GOOD WITH THAT. AND DON'T OVERLOOK MILLI. NOW THAT'S, THAT'S IMPORTANT, NEIL. OKAY. PONY MAC, YOURS. YOU'RE HERE. UM, IT DOES LOOK LIKE HER. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL REPRESENTATION. WE'RE MARIA AND I AND PIERCE AND SARAH BETH, JIM PIERCE, CLEMMY, UH, MY MOTHER-IN-LAW AND TOMMY, UH, WE'RE DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR THIS AMAZING AND SPECIAL OCCASION, MAYOR. WE'RE GRATEFUL TO YOU, GRATEFUL TO YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP OF THIS GREAT CITY. YOU'RE BEING TERMED OUT. SO WE'RE, THIS COULD BE THE LAST EVENT THAT WE GET TO SING YOUR PRAISES, BUT MY DAD SAID THAT SERVICE IS A NOBLE CALLING AND YOU AND YOUR CITY COUNCIL COMRADES HERE ARE LEANING INTO SERVING THIS COMMUNITY. AND WE'RE, THE BUSH FAMILY IS DEEPLY GRATEFUL. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. OKAY. UM, AND THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR ALSO BEING A PIONEERING MAYOR IN ADDRESSING LITERACY TO BE THE ONLY CITY IN THE COUNTRY TO HAVE AN ADULT LITERACY, UH, OFFICE LED BY FEDER FEDERICO. WHERE? FERNANDO FEDERICO BACK HERE. SORRY. YES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. I KNOW THAT JULIE BAKER FINK HAS HAD A GREAT, UH, PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU GUYS AND RAISING AWARENESS OF, AND DEVELOPING A, A GAME PLAN, A BLUEPRINT FOR ADDRESSING ADULT LITERACY. IT WAS A PASSION OF MY MOM'S FOR HER ENTIRE LIFE IN SUPPORTING THE CAUSE OF LITERACY. AND SHE WOULD BE SO GRATEFUL FOR THE GREAT WORK YOU YOU'RE DOING THROUGH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. UH, MY MOM, MY MOM IS, WAS LIKE THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE, OF THE LITERACY WAR. THERE'S DEFINITELY A CRISIS IN THIS COMMUNITY AND A CRISIS IN AMERICA RELATED TO LITERACY. SHE UNDERSTOOD THAT YOU CAN'T , YOU CAN'T. THERE'S A LITTLE SOUND EFFECT BACK THERE. IT'S JUST TO EMPHASIZE YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY, YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY REALIZE YOU'RE A GOD-GIVEN FULLEST POTENTIAL IF YOU CAN'T READ AT AN APPRO AGE APPROPRIATE LEVEL. IT'S JUST A BASIC FACT. UM, IT IS ALSO TRUE THAT EVERYONE HAS THE CAPACITY TO LEARN TO READ. SADLY, TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE BORN IN POVERTY. THEY'RE BORN WITHOUT HAVING BOOKS IN THEIR HOME. THEY'RE BORN WITHOUT HAVING PARENTS TO TALK TO THEM OR READ TO THEM. THEY'RE BORN WITH A VERY SMALL VOCABULARY. THEY'RE BORN BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL. AND SO IT'S UP TO, TO THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF AND THE GENERALS LEADING THE, THE BATTLE IN THE WARRIORS IN THIS CAMPAIGN TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. AND MOM WOULD BE GREAT. VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE AMAZING WORK THAT JULIE BAKER FINK HAS DONE. I JUST GOT BACK FROM A LONG TRIP. I'M GONNA USE THAT AS MY EXCUSE FOR SO SOMETHING EMOTIONAL. . I'M OKAY NOW. UH, . BUT JULIE BAKER FINK HAS DONE A FABULOUS JOB FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS, RAISING AWARENESS, UH, DEVELOPING A COMM A A, UM, CRISIS STATEMENT FOR THE CITY [00:20:01] OF HOUSTON, DEVELOPING A BLUEPRINT FOR COMMUNITY ACTION, BRINGING PARTNERS TOGETHER, HELPING TO INCREASE CAPACITY FOR VITAL SERVICES IN THIS COMMUNITY. WE'RE GRATEFUL TO YOU AND OUR BARBARA BUSH HOUSTON LITERACY FOUNDATION TEAM FOR ALL THE INCREDIBLE WORK YOU DO. UM, WE'RE GRATEFUL TO THE, LIKE, LADIES FOR LITERACY GUILD, WHO HAVE GROWN IN NUMBERS AND HAVE DONE SUCH A FABULOUS JOB RAISING MONEY, DEPLOYING VOLUNTEERS, AND HELPING SUPPORT IT. ACTIVITIES LIKE THIS, WE'RE GRATEFUL TO THE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS ORGANIZATION PART OF OUR ARMY THAT ARE OUT DOING WONDERFUL THINGS IN THE COMMUNITY. WE'RE GRATEFUL TO THE PARTNERS. WE HAVE THAT FOR THE, THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY. JOHN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE HERE. ALICIA, THANK YOU FOR LEADING THE FOUNDATION SO BEAUTIFULLY. UH, FOR, FOR, UM, DR. LAWSON AND THE GREAT WORK SHE DOES. WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THOSE PARTNERSHIPS. WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT WE GET FROM CORPORATIONS AND FROM INDIVIDUALS THAT MAKE THIS POSSIBLE, THAT SUPPORT OUR GALA, THAT SUPPORT THE LADIES FOR LITERACY GUILD LUNCHEON. WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR ALL THOSE, UH, COMMITMENTS. THIS IS A DIFFICULT, DIFFICULT BATTLE, BUT IT SHOULD BE THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IN OUR COMMUNITY AND IN OUR, OUR COUNTRY. AGAIN, IF YOU CAN'T READ AT AN ASIA APPROPRIATE LEVEL, YOUR LACK OF ABILITY TO ASSIMILATE INTO SOCIETY MAY LEAD TO CERTAIN PROBLEMS THAT WE OTHERWISE ARE HAVING DIFFICULTY ADDRESSING. SO THANK YOU FOR DOUBLING DOWN. THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF THIS WONDERFUL CEREMONY. MOM WOULD BE MODESTLY PROBABLY ACCEPT THIS . YEAH, SHE WOULD'VE LOVED THIS. I THINK ACTUALLY THE FACT THAT SHE PUT A LOT, A LOT OF MONEY INTO IT, , I WAS TELLING PIERCE THAT'S PART OF HIS INHERITANCE. HE WAS WORRYING ABOUT THE OTHER DAY. SLIPPED AWAY. BUT IT'S FOR A GOOD CAUSE, FOR A VERY GOOD CAUSE. SO ANYWAY, WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR, FOR THIS AMAZING, AMAZING AFTERNOON. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE TO CELEBRATE WITH US. WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL. I WANNA THANK THE BUSH FAMILY, UH, FOR ALLOWING US ONCE AGAIN TO HONOR THEIR MOTHER, GRANDMOTHER, SISTER RELATIVE, UM, IN THIS WAY. WHAT STARTED OFF AS A PLAN THEN A PROMISE TO MRS. BUSH IS NOW A REALITY THAT CELEBRATES THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MRS. BUSH. IN CLOSING, I WANNA THANK YOU ALL ONCE AGAIN FOR COMING. UH, WE'RE GOING TO DO SOME PHOTOS UP HERE, AND AFTER THE INITIAL PHOTOS, I INVITE ALL OF YOU TO PLEASE TAKE A PHOTO WITH MRS. BUSH AND MILLIE, AND THEN TO JOIN US UPSTAIRS ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE JULIA IEN BUILDING FOR RECEPTION. ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.