National African American History Month, 2016

Proclamation 9392 of January 29, 2016

National African American History Month, 2016

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

America's greatness is a testament to generations of
courageous individuals who, in the face of
uncomfortable truths, accepted that the work of
perfecting our Nation is unending and strived to expand
the reach of freedom to all. For too long, our most
basic liberties had been denied to African Americans,
and today, we pay tribute to countless good-hearted
citizens--along the Underground Railroad, aboard a bus
in Alabama, and all across our country--who stood up
and sat in to help right the wrongs of our past and
extend the promise of America to all our people. During
National African American History Month, we recognize
these champions of justice and the sacrifices they made
to bring us to this point, we honor the contributions
of African Americans since our country's beginning, and
we recommit to reaching for a day when no person is
judged by anything but the content of their character.

From the Revolutionary War through the abolitionist
movement, to marches from Selma to Montgomery and
across America today, African Americans have remained
devoted to the proposition that all of us are created
equal, even when their own rights were denied. As we
rejoice in the victories won by men and women who
believed in the idea of a just and fair America, we
remember that, throughout history, our success has been
driven by bold individuals who were willing to speak
out and change the status quo.

Refusing to accept our Nation's original sin, African
Americans bound by the chains of slavery broke free and
headed North, and many others who knew slavery was
antithetical to our country's conception of human
rights and dignity fought to bring their moral
imagination to life. When Jim Crow mocked the advances
made by the 13th Amendment, a new generation of men and
women galvanized and organized with the same force of
faith as their enslaved ancestors. Our Nation's young
people still echo the call for equality, bringing
attention to disparities that continue to plague our
society in ways that mirror the non-violent tactics of
the civil rights movement while adapting to modern
times. Let us also not forget those who made the
ultimate sacrifice so that we could make our voices
heard by exercising our right to vote. Even in the face
of legal challenges, every eligible voter should not
take for granted what is our right to shape our
democracy.

We have made great progress on the journey toward
ensuring our ideals ring true for all people. Today,
African American high school graduation and college
enrollment rates are at an all-time high. The African-
American unemployment rate has been halved since its
Great Recession peak. More than 2 million African
Americans gained health insurance thanks to the
Affordable Care Act. The incarceration rates for
African-American men and women fell during each year of
this Administration and are at their lowest points in
over two decades. Yet challenges persist and obstacles
still stand in the way of becoming the country
envisioned at our founding, and we would do a
disservice to all who came before us if we remained
blind to the way past injustices shape the present. The
United States is home

to 5 percent of the world's population, but 25 percent
of the world's prisoners--a disproportionate number of
whom are African American--so we must find ways to
reform our criminal justice system and ensure that it
is fairer and more effective. While we've seen
unemployment rates decrease, many communities,
particularly those of color, continue to experience
significant gaps in educational and employment
opportunities, causing too many young men and women to
feel like no matter how hard they try, they may never
achieve their dreams.

Our responsibility as citizens is to address the
inequalities and injustices that linger, and we must
secure our birthright freedoms for all people. As we
mark the 40th year of National African American History
Month, let us reflect on the sacrifices and
contributions made by generations of African Americans,
and let us resolve to continue our march toward a day
when every person knows the unalienable rights to life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, 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 February 2016 as
National African American History Month. I call upon
public officials, educators, librarians, and all the
people of the United States to observe this month with
appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord
two thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and fortieth.