[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 131, 115th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9642 of September 15, 2017

National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week, 2017

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

As we celebrate Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week, we
recognize the extraordinary contributions that Historically Black
Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have made, and continue to make, to
the general welfare and prosperity of our country. Established by
visionary leaders, America's HBCUs have long played an integral role in
our Nation's history, providing Black Americans opportunities to learn
and achieve their dreams.
Many HBCUs were founded under the cold shadow of segregation and racial
prejudice. Before the Civil War, most institutions of higher learning
denied admittance to minority students. HBCUs formed to overcome such
discrimination and prove to the Nation that all students deserve a high-
quality education, and that all Americans can rise to great heights if
given the opportunity. For more than 150 years, HBCUs have produced some
of our Nation's leaders in business, government, academia, and the
military, and they have helped create a thriving and important Black
middle class. Today, they continue to provide a rigorous education to
students, who are often from low-income backgrounds, who seek to advance
themselves and give back to their Nation. We can see the influences of
HBCUs in every sector of our economy, from medicine and law, to sports
and journalism.
Today, more than 100 HBCUs are thriving in 19 States, the District of
Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, enrolling more than 300,000
students. This year, Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week
coincides with the 150th anniversary of nine HBCUs: Alabama State
University, Barber-Scotia College, Fayetteville State University, Howard
University, Johnson C. Smith University, Morehouse College, Morgan State
University, St. Augustine's University, and Talladega College. It is a
great honor for our Nation to join in celebrating the achieve

[[Page 2502]]

ments of these nine institutions, as well as those of every HBCU across
the country.
Investing in HBCUs strengthens America's future, and my Administration
will help ensure that HBCUs continue to be self-sustainable and viable
institutions of higher education for generations to come. This week, we
will also host the Annual White House Historically Black College and
Universities Summit to provide a forum for HBCU presidents, faculty
members, students, government partners, and other stakeholders to
address the priorities set forth in my Executive Order to Promote
Excellence and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and
Universities, signed February 28, 2017. This annual summit also serves
to honor HBCU All-Star Students, who are appointed for 1 year to serve
as ambassadors for the White House Initiative on Historically Black
College and Universities.
National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week serves to
remind us of the historic and ongoing struggle for equal access that led
to the establishment of HBCUs in our Nation. We use this week to
recognize the importance of HBCUs in educating the leaders of tomorrow,
and reaffirm our commitment to providing every student with the
opportunity to learn, grow, and find success no matter his or her
background.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, 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 17 through
September 23, 2017, 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
the 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 fifteenth day of
September, in the year of our Lord two thousand seventeen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
second.
DONALD J. TRUMP