[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 133, 116th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9922 of September 6, 2019

National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week, 2019

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

For more than 180 years, America's Historically Black Colleges and
Universities (HBCUs) have made extraordinary contributions to the
general welfare and prosperity of our country by advancing the
educational pursuits of African Americans and many others. These fine
institutions help shape citizens of character and purpose, position them
to thrive beyond graduation, and expand our Nation's pipeline of
productivity by creating meaningful employment opportunities that
empower talented employees to succeed in the workforce and in public
service. During National Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Week, we celebrate these pillars of higher learning, their unique
history, and the pathways to success they provide for African American
students and our country.
While HBCUs comprise just 3 percent of all nonprofit colleges and
universities, they enroll nearly 10 percent of all African American
college students. Moreover, these institutions account for 17 percent of
African Americans who earn their bachelor's degrees and 27 percent of
those

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who earn degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math fields.
My Administration has made HBCU success a national priority. I have
signed legislation providing more than $404 million in funding for HBCU
Higher Education Act programs and assisted 13 schools experiencing
financial difficulty to restructure to be better positioned to meet
student and community needs. HBCUs directly contribute $15 billion to
our Nation's economy and directly support more than 134,000 jobs. We are
working every day to enhance this sizable economic footprint.
In accordance with my Executive Order establishing the President's Board
of Advisors on HBCUs, 32 Federal agencies have outlined plans describing
efforts to make HBCUs stronger and more competitive when seeking grants
and other Federal support. Additionally, I have commissioned the
Executive Office of the President to develop a unique Federal HBCU
strategy that encourages HBCUs to partner with leaders in advancing
local economic development goals. We will continue to strengthen the
role of these institutions to help them improve the lives of their
students, alumni, and the communities they serve.
This year, as our Nation solemnly recognizes the 400th anniversary of
the arrival of the first Africans in the American colonies in 1619, we
take the time to herald the unyielding spirit of African Americans who
have triumphed over enslavement, discrimination, oppression, and
injustice. We commend HBCUs for all that they have done and continue to
do to inspire and foster success in their students, preserve our
history, and ensure that we remember, learn from, and build upon the
past to create a brighter and more prosperous future for all Americans.
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 8 through
September 14, 2019, as National Historically Black Colleges and
Universities Week, and further proclaim September 9, 2019, as the
Inaugural National HBCU Colors Day. I call upon all Americans to observe
this week with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities and to
boldly, joyfully, and proudly don institutional colors.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth day of
September, in the year of our Lord two thousand nineteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
fourth.
DONALD J. TRUMP