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Here's what's going on at the White House today.
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At 12:15 p.m. EST, the President will deliver remarks at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, marking the 50th anniversary of the marches from Selma to Montgomery.
These marches helped ensure that African Americans could exercise their constitutional right to vote, and led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
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In this week's address, the President discussed an issue close to his heart: education for adolescent girls around the world.
Earlier this week, he and the First Lady announced "Let Girls Learn," a whole-of-government initiative that will build on investments we have made and successes we have achieved in global primary school education, and expand them to help adolescent girls complete their education and pursue their broader aspirations.
62 million girls around the world -- half of whom are adolescent -- are not in school and therefore have diminished economic opportunities. Yet when a girl receives a quality education, she is more likely to earn a decent living, raise a healthy, educated family, and improve the quality of life for herself, her family, and her community. That's why the President and First Lady have made addressing this problem a priority because every girl has so much to offer to the world, and no girl should be denied her chance to learn.
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This week, the President broke bread with My Brother's Keeper mentees, sat down with the President of Liberia and Secretary of Defense, shared the stage with Eric Holder and Aretha Franklin, and welcomed law enforcement officials and Peace Corps volunteers to the White House. Down in Central America, the Vice President was in Guatemala to discuss investing in the region.
Trade has been central to our economic resurgence, contributing to nearly a third of our economic growth in the recovery and supporting 11.7 million American jobs in 2014 alone. That's why it's time to secure a trade deal that reflects the best of our values and ensures continued economic growth.
With another strong employment report, we have now seen 12 straight months of private-sector job gains above 200,000. It's the first time that's happened since 1977. The private sector has also added 12 million jobs over 60 straight months of job growth, extending the longest streak on record.
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