[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 123, 111th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

123 STAT. 3611
 
PROCLAMATION 8345--FEB. 2, 2009

Proclamation 8345 of February 2, 2009
National African American History Month, 2009
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation

The history of African Americans is unique and rich, and one that has
helped to define what it means to be an American. Arriving on ships on
the shores of North America more than 300 years ago, recognized more as
possessions than people, African Americans have come to know the
freedoms fought for in establishing the United States and gained through
the use of our founding principles of freedom of speech, freedom of the
press, the right to assembly, and due process of law. The ideals of the
Founders became more real and more true for every citizen as African
Americans pressed us to realize our full potential as a Nation and to
uphold those ideals for all who enter into our borders and embrace the
notion that we are all endowed with certain unalienable rights.
Since Carter G. Woodson first sought to illuminate the African American
experience, each February we pause to reflect on the contributions of
this community to our national identity. The history is one of struggle
for the recognition of each person's humanity as well as an influence on
the broader American culture. African Americans designed our beautiful
Capital City, gave us the melodic rhythms of New Orleans Jazz, issued
new discoveries in science and medicine, and forced us to examine
ourselves in the pages of classic literature. This legacy has only added
luster to the brand of the United States, which has drawn immigrants to
our shores for centuries.
This year's theme, ``The Quest for Black Citizenship in the Americas,''
is a chance to examine the evolution of our country and how African
Americans helped draw us ever closer to becoming a more perfect union.
The narrative of the African American pursuit of full citizenship with
all of the rights and privileges afforded others in this country is also
the story of a maturing young Nation. The voices and examples of the
African American people worked collectively to remove the boulders of
systemic racism and discrimination that pervaded our laws and our public
consciousness for decades. Through the work of Frederick Douglass and
Harriet Tubman, Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver,
Martin Luther King and Thurgood Marshall, the African American community
has steadily made progress toward the dreams within its grasp and the
promise of our Nation. Meanwhile, the belief that those dreams might one
day be realized by all of our citizens gave African American men and
women the same sense of duty and love of country that led them to shed
blood in every war we have ever fought, to invest hard-earned resources
in their communities with the hope of self empowerment, and to pass the
ideals of this great land down to their children and grandchildren.
As we mark National African American History Month, we should take note
of this special moment in our Nation's history and the actors who worked
so diligently to deliver us to this place. One such organization is the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People-

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123 STAT. 3612

the NAACP-which this year will witness 100 years of service to the
Nation on February 12. Because of their work, including the
contributions of those luminaries on the front lines and great advocates
behind the scenes, we as a Nation were able to take the dramatic steps
we have in recent history.
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 February 2009 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 ceremonies, activities, and programs
that raise awareness and appreciation of African American history.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this second day of
February, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
third.
BARACK OBAMA