[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 183 (Wednesday, September 22, 1999)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 51417-51418]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-24889]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 183 / Wednesday, September 22, 1999 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 51417]]
Proclamation 7225 of September 17, 1999
National Historically Black Colleges and
Universities Week, 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 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.
[[Page 51418]]
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.
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 99-24889
Filed 9-21-99; 9:16 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P
