[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 177 (Wednesday, September 12, 2001)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 47569-47570]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-23078]



[[Page 47567]]

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Part IV





The President





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Proclamation 7460--National Birmingham Pledge Week, 2001
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  Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 177 / Wednesday, September 12, 2001 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 47569]]

                Proclamation 7460 of September 8, 2001

                
National Birmingham Pledge Week, 2001

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                 The United States has grown strong and vibrant because 
                of its diversity and common values. Representing 
                different religions, cultures, ethnic groups, and 
                backgrounds, our citizens have laid the foundation for 
                our country's remarkable achievements.

                 As a Nation, we celebrate those achievements and look 
                forward to new challenges. At the same time, we also 
                recognize that racism still exists in America.

                 One of the darkest days for the cause of civil rights 
                was September 15, 1963, when a bomb exploded in the 
                basement of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in 
                Birmingham, Alabama. The blast ended the lives of four 
                young African-American girls, and ultimately 
                demonstrated the tragic human costs of bigotry and 
                intolerance.

                 Through the efforts of heroes like Martin Luther King, 
                Jr., and other brave men and women of the civil rights 
                movement, our Nation has made progress in battling 
                racism and building a society that more fully lives up 
                to its democratic ideals. However, regardless of the 
                decades that have passed, despicable acts such as the 
                Birmingham bombing remain an unforgettable reminder of 
                the need for continued vigilance against those who 
                would infest our society with hate.

                 The Birmingham Pledge, started in 1998, forges a 
                positive legacy from the lessons of the Birmingham 
                tragedy. The Pledge encourages people to take personal 
                responsibility for conducting themselves in ways that 
                will achieve greater racial harmony in our communities. 
                It calls for a commitment to ``treat all people with 
                dignity and respect.'' This is our solemn duty as 
                citizens.

                 As part of National Birmingham Pledge Week, I 
                encourage all Americans to join me in renewing our 
                commitment to fight racism and uphold equal justice and 
                opportunity. We also must strive to treat each other 
                with civility, to love our neighbors, and to extend the 
                American dream to every willing heart. By doing so, we 
                can fulfill our Nation's promise and build brighter 
                futures for all our citizens as we look forward to the 
                challenges of tomorrow.

                 NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United 
                States, do hereby proclaim September 9-15, 2001, as 
                National Birmingham Pledge Week. I call upon the people 
                of the United States to mark this observance with 
                appropriate programs and ceremonies.

[[Page 47570]]

                 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                eighth day of September, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand one, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and twenty-sixth.

                    (Presidential Sig.)B

[FR Doc. 01-23078
Filed 9-11-01; 9:02 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P