[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 182 (Thursday, September 21, 2017)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 44295-44296]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-20379]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 82 , No. 182 / Thursday, September 21, 2017 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 44295]]


                Proclamation 9642 of September 15, 2017

                
National Historically Black Colleges and 
                Universities Week, 2017

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                As we celebrate Historically Black Colleges and 
                Universities Week, we recognize the extraordinary 
                contributions that Historically Black Colleges and 
                Universities (HBCUs) have made, and continue to make, 
                to the general welfare and prosperity of our country. 
                Established by visionary leaders, America's HBCUs have 
                long played an integral role in our Nation's history, 
                providing Black Americans opportunities to learn and 
                achieve their dreams.

                Many HBCUs were founded under the cold shadow of 
                segregation and racial prejudice. Before the Civil War, 
                most institutions of higher learning denied admittance 
                to minority students. HBCUs formed to overcome such 
                discrimination and prove to the Nation that all 
                students deserve a high-quality education, and that all 
                Americans can rise to great heights if given the 
                opportunity. For more than 150 years, HBCUs have 
                produced some of our Nation's leaders in business, 
                government, academia, and the military, and they have 
                helped create a thriving and important Black middle 
                class. Today, they continue to provide a rigorous 
                education to students, who are often from low-income 
                backgrounds, who seek to advance themselves and give 
                back to their Nation. We can see the influences of 
                HBCUs in every sector of our economy, from medicine and 
                law, to sports and journalism.

                Today, more than 100 HBCUs are thriving in 19 States, 
                the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, 
                enrolling more than 300,000 students. This year, 
                Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week 
                coincides with the 150th anniversary of nine HBCUs: 
                Alabama State University, Barber-Scotia College, 
                Fayetteville State University, Howard University, 
                Johnson C. Smith University, Morehouse College, Morgan 
                State University, St. Augustine's University, and 
                Talladega College. It is a great honor for our Nation 
                to join in celebrating the achievements of these nine 
                institutions, as well as those of every HBCU across the 
                country.

                Investing in HBCUs strengthens America's future, and my 
                Administration will help ensure that HBCUs continue to 
                be self-sustainable and viable institutions of higher 
                education for generations to come. This week, we will 
                also host the Annual White House Historically Black 
                College and Universities Summit to provide a forum for 
                HBCU presidents, faculty members, students, government 
                partners, and other stakeholders to address the 
                priorities set forth in my Executive Order to Promote 
                Excellence and Innovation at Historically Black 
                Colleges and Universities, signed February 28, 2017. 
                This annual summit also serves to honor HBCU All-Star 
                Students, who are appointed for 1 year to serve as 
                ambassadors for the White House Initiative on 
                Historically Black College and Universities.

                National Historically Black Colleges and Universities 
                Week serves to remind us of the historic and ongoing 
                struggle for equal access that led to the establishment 
                of HBCUs in our Nation. We use this week to recognize 
                the importance of HBCUs in educating the leaders of 
                tomorrow, and reaffirm our commitment to providing 
                every student with the opportunity to learn, grow, and 
                find success no matter his or her background.

[[Page 44296]]

                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 September 17 through 
                September 23, 2017, 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 the 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 
                fifteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand seventeen, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                second.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2017-20379
Filed 9-20-17; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F7-P