David Hardy, who joined the IMS Board of Directors this past winter as our newest member, was recently honored by U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo.
During his speech, “Unalienable Rights and the Securing of Freedom”, delivered at the National Constitution Center on July 16, 2020, Secretary Pompeo held up Dave Hardy as a shining light for all Americans.
“America is special. America is good. America does good all around the world.
In recent weeks, I’ve had the chance to walk around Arlington Cemetery a few times, as I was thinking about today. And I’ve been reminded of the hundreds of thousands of young men America sacrificed during the Civil War. We forget them at our peril.
And that grand struggle for rights wasn’t the only one in American history. There are many remarkable Americans still engaged in the drive to fulfill the Declaration’s promises.
One of them is here with us today, David Hardy. David was the founding CEO of Boys Latin School – a charter right here in Philadelphia. He’s still very involved in the charter school community.
At Boys Latin, and other schools like it, aspiring young men, nearly all of them from some of the most difficult parts of Philadelphia, have a better chance to pursue their happiness. Eighty-nine percent of the students there matriculate to college.
He – David – has devoted the great part of his adult life to equal opportunities for a good education, often called the civil rights movement of our time.”
You can read the full remarks (or watch the speech) here.
We are honored to have David as part of our IMS family, as he helps us to advance our mission of creating better opportunities for children of all faiths through a quality Catholic education delivered in our 15 Independence Mission Schools throughout Philadelphia.