[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 207 (Wednesday, October 26, 2016)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 74653-74654]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-26070]



[[Page 74651]]

Vol. 81

Wednesday,

No. 207

October 26, 2016

Part III





The President





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Proclamation 9527--National Historically Black Colleges and 
Universities Week, 2016



Proclamation 9528--United Nations Day, 2016
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  Federal Register / Vol. 81 , No. 207 / Wednesday, October 26, 2016 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

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                Proclamation 9527 of October 26, 2016

                
National Historically Black Colleges and 
                Universities Week, 2016

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                America's Historically Black Colleges and Universities 
                (HBCUs) are living monuments to the cause that has 
                driven each generation of our citizens in the task of 
                perfecting our Union--helping ensure that all people 
                can experience the fullest measure of equality, 
                justice, and possibility. Embodying the notion that the 
                ability to pursue a higher education should be an 
                opportunity available to all, rather than a privilege 
                for a few, these campuses were built from a 
                determination to widely and profoundly expand the reach 
                of our country's promise. During National Historically 
                Black Colleges and Universities Week, we celebrate this 
                aspiration and reaffirm our support for HBCUs.

                Rendered possible by the extraordinary sacrifices and 
                commitment of women and men who resolved to make real 
                and enduring the new birth of freedom that echoed 
                across our country following the end of the Civil War, 
                the rise of these proud institutions marked the 
                beginning of a new chapter in our national narrative. 
                With each generation, HBCUs have shaped America for the 
                better in indelible ways. From a pastor who would give 
                voice to equality's cause to the great-grandson of a 
                slave who would reach the bench of our highest court; 
                from pioneers of medical and scientific breakthroughs 
                to creators of innovative and prosperous businesses; 
                from artists who expand the boundaries of expression to 
                historians who illuminate our past and help us write 
                our future, so much of the progress that has come to 
                define America has been carried forward by graduates, 
                academics, and leaders of these colleges and 
                universities.

                Since I took office, my Administration has focused on 
                expanding opportunity and opening doors of higher 
                education for more people. We have increased Pell 
                Grants, expanded student loan assistance going directly 
                to students, cut taxes for those paying tuition, 
                allowed students to cap their Federal loan payments at 
                10 percent of their income, and created the College 
                Scorecard to assist prospective students in 
                understanding their options for pursuing a higher 
                education. Today, more Americans are earning a degree 
                in post-secondary education than ever before, and HBCUs 
                are playing an important role. In the 6 years since I 
                signed an Executive Order bolstering the White House 
                Initiative on HBCUs, we have helped ensure that more 
                students have greater opportunities and that these 
                institutions can benefit from a fuller range of Federal 
                programs and assistance. HBCUs and community colleges 
                help build our Nation's economy and strengthen the 
                middle class, which is why I am working to make 2 years 
                of community college free for hardworking students 
                across our country through America's College Promise--a 
                proposal that also helps 4-year HBCUs provide more low-
                income students with up to 2 years of college for free 
                or at reduced tuition.

                This week, we recognize the ways in which HBCUs are 
                central to our experience as a Nation and recommit 
                ourselves to the work that lies ahead. Let us honor the 
                spirit in which these institutions were constructed by 
                reaffirming the enduring truths at their core, and let 
                us continue endeavoring

[[Page 74654]]

                to ensure all people have the chance to access higher 
                education and secure ever greater opportunity.

                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 October 23 through 
                October 29, 2016, 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.

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

[FR Doc. 2016-26070
Filed 10-25-16; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F7-P