[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 125, 112th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 8721 of September 23, 2011

Minority Enterprise Development Week, 2011
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Our Nation is guided by the simple promise that no matter our origins,
we can provide a better life for our children. We have long believed in
a fair America, where, with hard work and determination, anyone can
succeed. Our story has been written by generations who have put their
shoulders to the wheel of history to move our country forward.
Today, this legacy continues. Our strength comes from individuals from
all walks of life, and of every race and creed. Minority-owned
businesses are engines of job creation and backbones of communities
across America--from Main Street to Wall Street, and from country
markets to Silicon Valley. They are on the cutting edge of development,
and are strong competitors at home and abroad. Small businesses,
including minority-owned enterprises, are where most new jobs begin. To
recover from this economic crisis and improve our competitiveness, we
must help these job creators hire, grow, and revitalize our economy.
My Administration is working to make this growth a reality. Our Start-up
America initiative connects established private sector mentors to
entrepreneurs, helping accelerate innovation through coordination. Last
year, I signed the Small Business Jobs Act, providing billions of
dollars in lending support and tax cuts for small businesses. The
Federal Government is also the Nation's largest purchaser of goods and
services, and every Federal agency is taking aggressive steps to improve
contracting with small businesses, including minority-owned firms.
Even in challenging times, American entrepreneurs consistently respond
to adversity with brighter ideas, more ambitious innovations, and
smarter technology than the world has ever seen. These businesses create
jobs and support our communities. As a Nation, we must continue to
remove barriers to these opportunities, and ensure they remain open to
all Americans.
The task of making America more competitive is a job for everyone. To
build an economy that lasts, we must all work to create the well-paying
jobs that will sustain us. During Minority Enterprise Development Week,
we honor minority enterprises as vital to our economic success, and
recommit to ensuring minority business owners have the information,
tools, and resources they need to help America win the 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 Sep

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tember 25, 2011, through October 1, 2011, as Minority Enterprise
Development Week. I call upon all Americans to celebrate this week with
appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities to recognize the many
contributions of our Nation's diverse enterprises.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-third day of
September, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
sixth.
BARACK OBAMA