[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 23 (Friday, February 3, 2012)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 5375-5376]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-2616]


 
 
                         Presidential Documents 
 
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 23 / Friday, February 3, 2012 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 5375]]


                Proclamation 8776 of January 31, 2012

                
National African American History Month, 2012

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                The story of African Americans is a story of resilience 
                and perseverance. It traces a people who refused to 
                accept the circumstances under which they arrived on 
                these shores, and it chronicles the generations who 
                fought for an America that truly reflects the ideals 
                enshrined in our founding documents. It is the 
                narrative of slaves who shepherded others along the 
                path to freedom and preachers who organized against the 
                rules of Jim Crow, of young people who sat-in at lunch 
                counters and ordinary men and women who took 
                extraordinary risks to change our Nation for the 
                better. During National African American History Month, 
                we celebrate the rich legacy of African Americans and 
                honor the remarkable contributions they have made to 
                perfecting our Union.

                This year's theme, ``Black Women in American Culture 
                and History,'' invites us to pay special tribute to the 
                role African American women have played in shaping the 
                character of our Nation--often in the face of both 
                racial and gender discrimination. As courageous 
                visionaries who led the fight to end slavery and 
                tenacious activists who fought to expand basic civil 
                rights to all Americans, African American women have 
                long served as champions of social and political 
                change. And from the literary giants who gave voice to 
                their communities to the artists whose harmonies and 
                brush strokes captured hardships and aspirations, 
                African American women have forever enriched our 
                cultural heritage. Today, we stand on the shoulders of 
                countless African American women who shattered glass 
                ceilings and advanced our common goals. In recognition 
                of their legacy, let us honor their heroic and historic 
                acts for years to come.

                The achievements of African American women are not 
                limited to those recorded and retold in our history 
                books. Their impact is felt in communities where they 
                are quiet heroes who care for their families, in 
                boardrooms where they are leaders of industry, in 
                laboratories where they are discovering new 
                technologies, and in classrooms where they are 
                preparing the next generation for the world they will 
                inherit. As we celebrate the successes of African 
                American women, we recall that progress did not come 
                easily, and that our work to widen the circle of 
                opportunity for all Americans is not complete. With 
                eyes cast toward new horizons, we must press on in 
                pursuit of a high-quality education for every child, a 
                job for every American who wants one, and a fair chance 
                at prosperity for every individual and family across 
                our Nation.

                During National African American History Month, we pay 
                tribute to the contributions of past generations and 
                reaffirm our commitment to keeping the American dream 
                alive for the next generation. In honor of those women 
                and men who paved the way for us, and with great 
                expectations for those to follow, let us continue the 
                righteous cause of making America what it should be--a 
                Nation that is more just and more equal for all its 
                people.

                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 February 2012 as

[[Page 5376]]

                National African American History Month. I call upon 
                public officials, educators, librarians, and all the 
                people of the United States to observe this month with 
                appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                thirty-first day of January, in the year of our Lord 
                two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
                sixth. 
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2012-2616
Filed 2-2-12; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F2-P