[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 130, 114th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9392 of January 29, 2016

National African American History Month, 2016

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

America's greatness is a testament to generations of courageous
individuals who, in the face of uncomfortable truths, accepted that the
work of perfecting our Nation is unending and strived to expand the
reach of freedom to all. For too long, our most basic liberties had been
denied to African Americans, and today, we pay tribute to countless
good-hearted citizens--along the Underground Railroad, aboard a bus in
Alabama, and all across our country--who stood up and sat in to help
right the wrongs of our past and extend the promise of America to all
our people. During National African American History Month, we recognize
these champions of justice and the sacrifices they made to bring us to
this point, we honor the contributions of African Americans since our
country's beginning, and we recommit to reaching for a day when no
person is judged by anything but the content of their character.
From the Revolutionary War through the abolitionist movement, to marches
from Selma to Montgomery and across America today, African Americans
have remained devoted to the proposition that all of us are created
equal, even when their own rights were denied. As we rejoice in the
victories won by men and women who believed in the idea of a just and
fair America, we remember that, throughout history, our success has been
driven by bold individuals who were willing to speak out and change the
status quo.
Refusing to accept our Nation's original sin, African Americans bound by
the chains of slavery broke free and headed North, and many others who
knew slavery was antithetical to our country's conception of human
rights and dignity fought to bring their moral imagination to life. When
Jim Crow mocked the advances made by the 13th Amendment, a new
generation of men and women galvanized and organized

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with the same force of faith as their enslaved ancestors. Our Nation's
young people still echo the call for equality, bringing attention to
disparities that continue to plague our society in ways that mirror the
non-violent tactics of the civil rights movement while adapting to
modern times. Let us also not forget those who made the ultimate
sacrifice so that we could make our voices heard by exercising our right
to vote. Even in the face of legal challenges, every eligible voter
should not take for granted what is our right to shape our democracy.
We have made great progress on the journey toward ensuring our ideals
ring true for all people. Today, African American high school graduation
and college enrollment rates are at an all-time high. The African-
American unemployment rate has been halved since its Great Recession
peak. More than 2 million African Americans gained health insurance
thanks to the Affordable Care Act. The incarceration rates for African-
American men and women fell during each year of this Administration and
are at their lowest points in over two decades. Yet challenges persist
and obstacles still stand in the way of becoming the country envisioned
at our founding, and we would do a disservice to all who came before us
if we remained blind to the way past injustices shape the present. The
United States is home to 5 percent of the world's population, but 25
percent of the world's prisoners--a disproportionate number of whom are
African American--so we must find ways to reform our criminal justice
system and ensure that it is fairer and more effective. While we've seen
unemployment rates decrease, many communities, particularly those of
color, continue to experience significant gaps in educational and
employment opportunities, causing too many young men and women to feel
like no matter how hard they try, they may never achieve their dreams.
Our responsibility as citizens is to address the inequalities and
injustices that linger, and we must secure our birthright freedoms for
all people. As we mark the 40th year of National African American
History Month, let us reflect on the sacrifices and contributions made
by generations of African Americans, and let us resolve to continue our
march toward a day when every person knows the unalienable rights to
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
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 2016 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 twenty-ninth day of
January, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
fortieth.
BARACK OBAMA