[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 186 (Wednesday, September 25, 2013)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 59157-59158]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-23543]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 186 / Wednesday, September 25, 2013 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 59157]]


                Proclamation 9023 of September 20, 2013

                
National Historically Black Colleges and 
                Universities Week, 2013

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Before the Civil War, an education--much less a college 
                education--was out of reach for most African Americans. 
                There were few institutions focused on meeting the 
                intellectual curiosity and spurring the academic growth 
                of African American students. But as our Union began to 
                heal from the wounds of war, and the 13th, 14th, and 
                15th Amendments were signed, a freed people demanded a 
                freed mind, and courageous leaders began expanding what 
                we now know as our Nation's Historically Black Colleges 
                and Universities (HBCUs).

                More than a century and a half later, we cannot 
                overstate the role HBCUs have played in the narrative 
                of our country. These are the institutions that helped 
                build a middle class and produced some of our Nation's 
                preeminent thinkers and entrepreneurs, doctors and 
                scientists, judges and lawyers, service members and 
                educators. These are the schools where students banded 
                together in open fields and assembly halls as part of a 
                movement that pushed us closer to true freedom and 
                equality for all. And these are the campuses where 
                generations of students not only gained the education 
                and skills necessary for the workforce, but also 
                cultivated an understanding of history and knowledge of 
                self that are necessary in life.

                As we move toward our goal of having the highest 
                proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020, 
                HBCUs continue to provide pathways of opportunity for 
                students across our country. Ensuring these schools 
                have the resources they need to help students reach 
                their fullest potential remains a top priority for my 
                Administration, and we have taken steps to keep these 
                institutions strong--from providing funding for 
                infrastructure and technology to increasing our 
                investments in Pell Grants.

                During National Historically Black Colleges and 
                Universities Week, we pay tribute to the legacies of 
                these proud halls of higher learning. And as we reflect 
                on the past, let us also draw strength from the 
                founders of these institutions and move forward with 
                the work of making sure the doors to a quality 
                education are open to all.

                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 September 22 through 
                September 28, 2013, as National Historically Black 
                Colleges and Universities Week. I call upon educators, 
                public officials, professional organizations, 
                corporations, and all Americans to observe this week 
                with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities 
                that acknowledge the countless contributions these 
                institutions and their alumni have made to our country.

[[Page 59158]]

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

[FR Doc. 2013-23543
Filed 9-24-13; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F3