    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 124, 111th Congress, 2nd Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    PROCLAMATION 8476--FEB. 1, 2010

    Proclamation 8476 of February 1, 2010
    National African American History Month, 2010
    By the President of the United States of America
    A Proclamation

    In the centuries since African Americans first arrived on our shores,
    they have known the bitterness of slavery and oppression, the hope of
    progress, and the triumph of the American Dream. African American
    history is an essential thread of the American narrative that traces our
    Nation's enduring struggle to perfect itself. Each February, we
    recognize African American History Month as a moment to reflect upon how
    far we have come as a Nation, and what challenges remain. This year's
    theme, ``The History of Black Economic Empowerment,'' calls upon us to
    honor the African Americans who overcame injustice and inequality to
    achieve financial independence and the security of self empowerment that
    comes with it.
    Nearly 100 years after the Civil War, African Americans still faced
    daunting challenges and indignities. Widespread racial prejudice
    inhibited their opportunities, and institutional discrimination such as
    black codes and Jim Crow laws denied them full citizenship rights.
    Despite these seemingly impossible barriers, pioneering African
    Americans blazed trails for themselves and their children. They became
    skilled workers and professionals. They purchased land, and a new
    generation of black entrepreneurs founded banks, educational
    institutions, newspapers, hospitals, and businesses of all kinds.
    This month, we recognize the courage and tenacity of so many hard-
    working Americans whose legacies are woven into the fabric of our
    Nation. We are heirs to their extraordinary progress. Racial prejudice
    is no longer the steepest barrier to opportunity for most African
    Americans, yet substantial obstacles remain in the remnants of past
    discrimination. Structural inequalities--from disparities in education
    and health care to the vicious cycle of poverty--still pose enormous
    hurdles for black communities across America.
    Overcoming today's challenges will require the same dedication and sense
    of urgency that enabled past generations of African Americans to rise
    above the injustices of their time. That is why my Administration is
    laying a new foundation for long-term economic growth that helps more
    than just a privileged few. We are working hard to give small businesses
    much-needed credit, to slash tax breaks for companies that ship jobs
    overseas, and to give those same breaks to companies that

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    create jobs here at home. We are also reinvesting in our schools and
    making college more affordable, because a world class education is our
    country's best roadmap to prosperity.
    These initiatives will expand opportunities for African Americans, and
    for all Americans, but parents and community leaders must also be
    partners in this effort. We must push our children to reach for the full
    measure of their potential, just as the innovators who succeeded in
    previous generations pushed their children to achieve something greater.
    In the volumes of black history, much remains unwritten. Let us add our
    own chapter, full of progress and ambition, so that our children's
    children will know that we, too, did our part to erase an unjust past
    and build a brighter future.
    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 2010 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.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of
    February, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the
    Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
    fourth.
    BARACK OBAMA