[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 126, 112th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 8832--JUNE 1, 2012

Proclamation 8832 of June 1, 2012

African-American Music Appreciation Month, 2012

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

As a long-cherished piece of American culture, music offers a vibrant
soundtrack to the story of our people and our Union. At times when words
alone could not bring us together, we have found in melodies and
choruses the universal truths of our shared humanity. African-American
musicians have left an indelible mark on this tradition, and during
African-American Music Appreciation Month, we pay special tribute to
their extraordinary contributions.
Generations of African Americans have used music to share joy and pain,
triumph and sorrow. Spiritual hymns gave hope to those laboring under
the unrelenting cruelty of slavery, while gospel-inspired freedom songs
sustained a movement for justice and equality for all. The smooth sounds
of jazz and the soulful strain of the blues fed a renaissance in art and
prose. The rhythm and blues that began in a basement in Detroit brought
people together when laws would have kept them apart, while the urban
beats and young wordsmiths from cities coast-to-coast gave voice to a
new generation. And on stages and in concert halls around the world,
African-American singers and composers have enhanced opera, symphony,
and classical music by bringing energy and creativity to traditional
genres.
At its core, African-American music mirrors the narrative of its
original creators--born of humble beginnings and raised to refuse the
limitations and circumstances of its birth. This month, we honor the
African-American musicians, composers, singers, and songwriters who have
forever shaped our musical heritage, and celebrate those who carry this
rich legacy forward.
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 June 2012 as African-
American Music Appreciation Month. I call upon public officials,
educators, and all the people of the United States to observe this month
with appropriate activities and programs that raise awareness and foster
appreciation of music that is composed, arranged, or performed by
African Americans.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June,
in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of
the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.
BARACK OBAMA