[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 38 (Monday, September 27, 1999)]
[Pages 1770-1771]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7225--National Historically Black Colleges and Universities 
Week, 1999

September 17, 1999

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    America's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have 
provided a crucial avenue to educational and economic advancement for 
African American youth for more than 150 years. These institutions, 
dedicated to equality and excellence in higher education, have their 
roots in a segregated society; their survival in the face of limited 
financial resources or outside support stood as a beacon of hope for 
generations of African Americans.
    While our society has changed in the intervening decades, the need 
for these institutions has not. Our Nation's HBCUs have assisted African 
American and other students from low-income communities in achieving 
their educational goals and reaching their full potential, while keeping 
tuition costs affordable. The vast majority of African Americans with 
bachelor's degrees in engineering, computer science, life science, 
business, and mathematics have graduated from one of the 105 
Historically Black Colleges and Universities. According to the 
Department of Education's National Center for Educational Statistics, 
HBCUs conferred 28 percent of all bachelor's degrees awarded to African 
American graduates in 1996, although enrollment at HBCUs constituted 
only 16 percent of all African American college students.
    In addition to giving students the knowledge and skills they need to 
succeed in today's challenging global economy, HBCUs also offer students 
leadership opportunities that build self-confidence, a nurturing 
learning and social environment, and networks of successful alumni who 
serve as positive role models and mentors for graduates. Cultural 
programs and educational outreach to minority- and low-income areas in 
our Nation help preserve African American heritage and make HBCUs a 
source of pride and knowledge for the communities they serve.
    By serving the African American community, HBCUs serve all 
Americans. These institutions embody many of our most deeply cherished 
values--equality, diversity, opportunity, and hard work. HBCUs prepare 
talented young men and women to succeed in every sector of our economy. 
And the alumni of HBCUs have contributed immeasurably to our Nation's 
success--as scientists, businesspeople, educators, public servants, and 
so much more. As education and diversity become increasingly important 
in the 21st century, graduates of HBCUs will continue to be at the 
vanguard of America's progress.
    Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the 
Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 
19 through 25, 1999, as National Historically Black Colleges and 
Universities Week. I call

[[Page 1771]]

upon the people of the United States, including government officials, 
educators, and administrators, to observe this week with appropriate 
programs, ceremonies, and activities honoring America's Historically 
Black Colleges and Universities and their graduates.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day 
of September, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-nine, 
and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred 
and twenty-fourth.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 9:16 a.m., September 21, 
1999]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on 
September 22. This item was not received in time for publication in the 
appropriate issue.