[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 23 (Monday, February 6, 2017)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 9487-9488]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-02559]



[[Page 9485]]

Vol. 82

Monday,

No. 23

February 6, 2017

Part II





The President





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Proclamation 9572--National African American History Month, 2017
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  Federal Register / Vol. 82 , No. 23 / Monday, February 6, 2017 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 9487]]

                Proclamation 9572 of February 1, 2017

                
National African American History Month, 2017

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                As we celebrate National African American History 
                Month, we recognize the heritage and achievements of 
                African Americans. The contributions African Americans 
                have made and continue to make are an integral part of 
                our society, and the history of African Americans 
                exemplifies the resilience and innovative spirit that 
                continue to make our Nation great.

                For generations, African Americans have embodied the 
                shared progress of our Nation. Through toil and 
                struggle and with courageous actions that have broken 
                barriers, they have made America a better place to live 
                and work for everybody. Women like Katherine Johnson, a 
                pioneer in space history whose work helped America win 
                the Space Race, and Madam C.J. Walker, who became one 
                of the most successful female entrepreneurs of her 
                time, paved the way for both women and African 
                Americans in their respective fields. Robert Smalls, a 
                man born into slavery, founded our Nation's first free 
                and compulsory public school system. Later in life, he 
                served as a lawmaker in South Carolina's State 
                legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives. The 
                strength and determination of men and women like these 
                remind us that our Nation brims with people whose 
                contributions continue to make it stronger and better.

                This year, African American History Month calls upon us 
                to reflect on the crucial role of education in the 
                history of African Americans. It reminds us of the 
                importance of teaching and reflecting upon the many 
                roles African Americans have played in building this 
                Nation and driving it forward. This year's theme also 
                calls upon us to rededicate ourselves to the work of 
                ensuring that all children in this Nation have access 
                to quality educational opportunities that give them the 
                skills, experiences, relationships, and credentials 
                that can empower them to follow in the footsteps of 
                people like Katherine Johnson, Madam C.J. Walker, and 
                Robert Smalls.

                As we journey toward a stronger, more united Nation, 
                let us use this commemoration of African American 
                History Month to serve as a reminder of the need for 
                meaningful dialogue and shared commitment to collective 
                action that uplifts and empowers, as well as of the 
                strength, ingenuity, and perseverance required of us in 
                the years to come.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, 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 2017 as 
                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.

[[Page 9488]]

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

[FR Doc. 2017-02559
Filed 2-3-17; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F7-P