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

 
Proclamation 9527 of October 21, 2016

National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week, 2016

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

America's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are
living monuments to the cause that has driven each generation of our
citizens in the task of perfecting our Union--helping ensure that all
people can experience the fullest measure of equality, justice, and
possibility. Embodying the notion that the ability to pursue a higher
education should be an opportunity available to all, rather than a
privilege for a few, these campuses were built from a determination to
widely and profoundly expand the reach of our country's promise. During
National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week, we celebrate
this aspiration and reaffirm our support for HBCUs.
Rendered possible by the extraordinary sacrifices and commitment of
women and men who resolved to make real and enduring the new birth of
freedom that echoed across our country following the end of the Civil
War, the rise of these proud institutions marked the beginning of a new
chapter in our national narrative. With each generation, HBCUs have
shaped America for the better in indelible ways. From a pastor who would
give voice to equality's cause to the great-grandson

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of a slave who would reach the bench of our highest court; from pioneers
of medical and scientific breakthroughs to creators of innovative and
prosperous businesses; from artists who expand the boundaries of
expression to historians who illuminate our past and help us write our
future, so much of the progress that has come to define America has been
carried forward by graduates, academics, and leaders of these colleges
and universities.
Since I took office, my Administration has focused on expanding
opportunity and opening doors of higher education for more people. We
have increased Pell Grants, expanded student loan assistance going
directly to students, cut taxes for those paying tuition, allowed
students to cap their Federal loan payments at 10 percent of their
income, and created the College Scorecard to assist prospective students
in understanding their options for pursuing a higher education. Today,
more Americans are earning a degree in post-secondary education than
ever before, and HBCUs are playing an important role. In the 6 years
since I signed an Executive Order bolstering the White House Initiative
on HBCUs, we have helped ensure that more students have greater
opportunities and that these institutions can benefit from a fuller
range of Federal programs and assistance. HBCUs and community colleges
help build our Nation's economy and strengthen the middle class, which
is why I am working to make 2 years of community college free for
hardworking students across our country through America's College
Promise--a proposal that also helps 4-year HBCUs provide more low-income
students with up to 2 years of college for free or at reduced tuition.
This week, we recognize the ways in which HBCUs are central to our
experience as a Nation and recommit ourselves to the work that lies
ahead. Let us honor the spirit in which these institutions were
constructed by reaffirming the enduring truths at their core, and let us
continue endeavoring to ensure all people have the chance to access
higher education and secure ever greater opportunity.
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 October 23 through
October 29, 2016, 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 twenty-first day of
October, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
first.
BARACK OBAMA