[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 37 (Monday, September 17, 2001)]
[Page 1291]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7460--National Birmingham Pledge Week, 2001

 September 8, 2001

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    The United States has grown strong and vibrant because of its 
diversity and common values. Representing different religions, cultures, 
ethnic groups, and backgrounds, our citizens have laid the foundation 
for our country's remarkable achievements.
    As a Nation, we celebrate those achievements and look forward to new 
challenges. At the same time, we also recognize that racism still exists 
in America.
    One of the darkest days for the cause of civil rights was September 
15, 1963, when a bomb exploded in the basement of the Sixteenth Street 
Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. The blast ended the lives of four 
young African-American girls, and ultimately demonstrated the tragic 
human costs of bigotry and intolerance.
    Through the efforts of heroes like Martin Luther King, Jr., and 
other brave men and women of the civil rights movement, our Nation has 
made progress in battling racism and building a society that more fully 
lives up to its democratic ideals. However, regardless of the decades 
that have passed, despicable acts such as the Birmingham bombing remain 
an unforgettable reminder of the need for continued vigilance against 
those who would infest our society with hate.
    The Birmingham Pledge, started in 1998, forges a positive legacy 
from the lessons of the Birmingham tragedy. The Pledge encourages people 
to take personal responsibility for conducting themselves in ways that 
will achieve greater racial harmony in our communities. It calls for a 
commitment to ``treat all people with dignity and respect.'' This is our 
solemn duty as citizens.
    As part of National Birmingham Pledge Week, I encourage all 
Americans to join me in renewing our commitment to fight racism and 
uphold equal justice and opportunity. We also must strive to treat each 
other with civility, to love our neighbors, and to extend the American 
dream to every willing heart. By doing so, we can fulfill our Nation's 
promise and build brighter futures for all our citizens as we look 
forward to the challenges of tomorrow.
    Now, Therefore, I, George W. Bush, 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 9-15, 2001, as 
National Birmingham Pledge Week. I call upon the people of the United 
States to mark this observance with appropriate programs and ceremonies.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of 
September, in the year of our Lord two thousand one, and of the 
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
sixth.
                                                George W. Bush

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 9:02 a.m., September 
11, 2001]

Note: This proclamation was released by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on September 8, and it was published in the Federal Register 
on September 12.