    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 128, 113th Congress, 2nd Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    PROCLAMATION 9172--SEPT. 19, 2014

    Proclamation 9172 of September 19, 2014

    National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week, 2014

    By the President of the United States of America

    A Proclamation

    For generations, the promise of an education has been a beacon of hope
    for millions of Americans seeking a better life. At a time when it was
    deemed illegal for African Americans to learn to read or write, brave
    men and women took great risks to learn these skills in secret. And
    after the Civil War, determined individuals made extraordinary
    sacrifices to establish the institutions we know today as Historically
    Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). These schools waged a war
    against illiteracy and ignorance and offered a newly free people the
    opportunity to write their own chapter in the American story. This week,
    we honor their important legacy and renew our commitment to their
    spirit: that every person deserves a chance to succeed.
    Over more than 150 years, HBCUs have provided students with the tools to
    meet the challenges of a changing world. These institutions are hubs of
    opportunity that lift up Americans and instill in their students a sense
    of who they are and what they can become. Their campuses are engines of
    economic growth and community service and proven ladders of
    intergenerational advancement. Across our country, their graduates
    strengthen our communities, lead our industries, and serve our Nation.
    And their successes inspire the next cohort of graduates and leaders.
    HBCUs have forged pathways to help students overcome barriers to equal
    opportunity, but more work remains to ensure that a world-class
    education is within the reach of every person willing to work for it.
    That is why my Administration is fighting to make college more
    affordable with larger grants and low-interest loans. We are investing
    hundreds of millions of dollars in HBCUs, and because half of all
    students at these schools are the first in their family to attend
    college, we are supporting programs that help these first-generation
    scholars succeed. Our goal is to have the highest proportion of college
    graduates in the

    [[Page 4215]]

    world by 2020, and investing in these institutions and their students
    will play a vital part in meeting it.
    Today, because of the work of bold leaders--and of parents and
    grandparents who never dreamed of going to college themselves but who
    saved and sacrificed so their children could--more young people have the
    chance to achieve their greatest potential and full measure of
    happiness. During National Historically Black Colleges and Universities
    Week, we recognize the ways these schools have made our Nation more just
    and we continue our work to make higher education accessible to every
    child in America.
    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 September 21 through
    September 27, 2014, 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
    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 nineteenth day of
    September, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the
    Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
    ninth.
    BARACK OBAMA