[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 108 (Monday, June 7, 2010)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 32075-32076]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-13660]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 108 / Monday, June 7, 2010 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 32075]]

                Proclamation 8527 of May 28, 2010

                
African-American Music Appreciation Month, 2010

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Music can tell a story, assuage our sorrows, provide 
                blessing and redemption, and express a soul's sublime 
                and powerful beauty. It inspires us daily, giving voice 
                to the human spirit. For many, including the African-
                American community, music unites individuals through a 
                shared heritage. During African-American Music 
                Appreciation Month, we celebrate the extraordinary 
                legacy of African-American singers, composers, and 
                musicians, as well as their indelible contributions to 
                our Nation and our world.

                Throughout our history, African-American music has 
                conveyed the hopes and hardships of a people who have 
                struggled, persevered and overcome. Through centuries 
                of injustice, music comforted slaves, fueled a cultural 
                renaissance, and sustained a movement for equality. 
                Today, from the shores of Africa and the islands of the 
                Caribbean to the jazz clubs of New Orleans and the 
                music halls of Detroit, African-American music reflects 
                the rich sounds of many experiences, cultures, and 
                locales.

                African-American musicians have created and expanded a 
                variety of musical genres, synthesizing diverse 
                artistic traditions into a distinctive soundscape. The 
                soulful strains of gospel, the harmonic and 
                improvisational innovations of jazz, the simple truth 
                of the blues, the rhythms of rock and roll, and the 
                urban themes of hip-hop all blend into a refrain of 
                song and narrative that traces our Nation's history.

                These quintessentially American styles of music have 
                helped provide a common soundtrack for people of 
                diverse cultures and backgrounds, and have joined 
                Americans together not just on the dance floor, but 
                also in our churches, in our public spaces, and in our 
                homes. This month, we honor the talent and genius of 
                African-American artists who have defined, shaped, and 
                enriched our country through music, and we recommit to 
                sharing their splendid gifts with our children and 
                grandchildren.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim June 2010 as African-
                American Music Appreciation Month. I call upon public 
                officials, educators, and the people of the United 
                States to observe this month with appropriate 
                activities and programs that raise awareness and foster 
                appreciation of African-American music.

[[Page 32076]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twenty-eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2010-13660
Filed 6-4-10; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-W0-P