Statement on the Death of Carl Rowan

Hillary and I were saddened to learn of the death of Carl Rowan, one of America's most prolific columnists and social commentators.

Carl Rowan called his autobiography "Breaking Barriers," and that was exactly what he did. He was, without a doubt, one of our Nation's most eloquent voices for human rights and racial justice. Carl's passion for progress led him from a struggling coal mining town to the U.S. Navy, where he served as one of its first African-American commissioned officers. It led him from the newsroom to the corridors of power and back again, to the pages of our Nation's newspapers.

Carl Rowan served two Presidents and represented the United States abroad. But he saw himself first and foremost as a journalist. His gentle, civil tone only heightened the power of his commentary, and he felt a special obligation not only to inform his readers but to enrich them with new ways of thinking.

Hillary and I will miss Carl Rowan and the special perspective that he shared with his Nation. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Vivien, and their three children.