[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 128 (Thursday, July 3, 2014)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 38245-38246]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-15835]



[[Page 38243]]

Vol. 79

Thursday,

No. 128

July 3, 2014

Part IV





The President





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Proclamation 9146--50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act
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  Federal Register / Vol. 79 , No. 128 / Thursday, July 3, 2014 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

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                Proclamation 9146 of June 30, 2014

                
50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Few achievements have defined our national identity as 
                distinctly or as powerfully as the passage of the Civil 
                Rights Act. It transformed our understanding of 
                justice, equality, and democracy and advanced our long 
                journey toward a more perfect Union. It helped bring an 
                end to the Jim Crow era, banning discrimination in 
                public places; prohibiting employment discrimination on 
                the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national 
                origin; and providing a long-awaited enforcement 
                mechanism for the integration of schools. A half-
                century later, we celebrate this landmark achievement 
                and renew our commitment to building a freer, fairer, 
                greater society.

                Through the lens of history, the progress of the past 
                five decades may seem inevitable. We may wish to 
                remember our triumphs while erasing the pain and doubt 
                that came before. Yet to do so would be a disservice to 
                the giants who led us to the mountaintop, to unsung 
                heroes who left footprints on our National Mall, to 
                every American who bled and died on the battlefield of 
                justice. In the face of bigotry, fear, and unyielding 
                opposition from entrenched interests, their courage 
                stirred our Nation's conscience. And their struggle 
                helped convince a Texas Democrat who had previously 
                voted against civil rights legislation to become its 
                new champion. With skillful charm and ceaseless grit, 
                President Lyndon B. Johnson shepherded the Civil Rights 
                Act through the Congress--and on July 2, 1964, he 
                signed it into law.

                While laws alone cannot right every wrong, they possess 
                an unmatched power to anchor lasting change. The Civil 
                Rights Act threw open the door for legislation that 
                strengthened voting rights and established fair housing 
                standards for all Americans. Fifty years later, we know 
                our country works best when we accept our obligations 
                to one another, embrace the belief that our destiny is 
                shared, and draw strength from the bonds that hold 
                together the most diverse Nation on Earth.

                As we reflect on the Civil Rights Act and the burst of 
                progress that followed, we also acknowledge that our 
                journey is not complete. Today, let us resolve to 
                restore the promise of opportunity, defend our fellow 
                Americans' sacred right to vote, seek equality in our 
                schools and workplaces, and fight injustice wherever it 
                exists. Let us remember that victory never comes 
                easily, but with iron wills and common purpose, those 
                who love their country can change it.

                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 July 2, 2014, as the 
                50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act. I call upon 
                all Americans to observe this day with programs, 
                ceremonies, and activities that celebrate this 
                accomplishment and advance civil rights in our time.

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

[FR Doc. 2014-15835
Filed 7-2-14; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F4