Make a Difference: The Founder of the ""I Have a Future Program"" Shares His Vision for Young America

""My story is one of racism transcended and medical care reconceived,"" writes Foster, the ob/gyn whose nomination for U.S. surgeon general in 1994 was stillborn. This inspiring autobiography, coauthored with freelancer Greenwood, reveals a dedication to fighting for equality for African American physicians and for expert medical treatment for women and children. The account traces Foster's career from his student days in the '50s at the University of Arkansas Medical School--at the time one of the few medical schools to accept African American candidates; to his founding of the ""I Have a Future"" program for at-risk teens at Meharry Medical College in Tennessee, which drew the attention of President Clinton; to his nomination by the President to be surgeon general. Foster devotes one of eight chapters to the debacle over his appointment, which foundered on the shoal of how many abortions he had performed. Here he presents his side and forcefully rebuts his congressional and pro-life critics. His call for ""a kind of medical Marshall Plan"" and other public-policy prescriptions merit wide attention. Foster presently serves as senior adviser to the President on teen pregnancy and youth. (July)