Minority Enterprise Development Week, 1994

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Part III

The President

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Proclamation 6713--
Minority Enterprise Development Week, 1994

Federal Register
Vol. 59, No. 154
Thursday, August 11, 1994

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Title 3--
The President
Proclamation 6713 of August 9, 1994

Minority Enterprise Development Week, 1994

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Growth and development in the minority business
community are crucial to the social fabric, as well as
to the overall economy, of this Nation. While racial
and ethnic minorities constitute over 26 percent of the
total U.S. population--a proportion that is constantly
growing--minority citizens continue to be
underrepresented in commerce and industry.

This lack of representation results in losses of
opportunities and in losses to the American economy.
This can and must be rectified. Every individual has a
contribution to make and deserves to participate fully
in the public and private sectors of the United States,
without regard to racial or ethnic origin.

Minority business development is an essential element
in helping to enable every American to become a full
participant in the economic life of our country.
Minority entrepreneurs often face tremendous odds on
the road to success. However, the assistance and
encouragement of our Government is available to all of
our citizens. This includes up-to-date information
regarding market opportunities, increased capital for
business expansion, advice and experience in business
management, and recognition of the quality goods and
services minority-owned firms can provide.

Commerce in America is at a watershed: to achieve
economic security, we must eliminate old ways of doing
business and initiate practices that are inclusive.
Discriminatory and exclusionary practices have no place
in our Nation. Ours has always been a society comprised
of minorities; diversity is our strength. And everyone
must be included in this country's economic team.

We are definitely on the right track, as the economic
policies of this Administration have already resulted
in renewed economic growth that has generated 3.5
million new private-sector jobs for our citizens. And
with the unemployment rates of our minority citizens
showing improvement as well, this means we are
producing more jobs for those Americans who have too
often been excluded from the mainstream of our society.
But more remains to be done, and we will need to look
to minority businesspeople to become a cornerstone of
an urban renaissance, creating even more jobs where we
most need them. Minority business development is one
place where a small investment can yield tremendous
dividends.

Minority Enterprise Development Week highlights the
benefits of commercial and economic expansion for
minorities and offers us an opportunity to acknowledge
the growing number of successful minority entrepreneurs
and to pledge support for continued growth.

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 the week of October 9
through October 15, 1994, as ``Minority Enterprise
Development Week.'' I call on the people of the United
States to recognize the contributions that minority-
owned businesses make to the well-being of this Nation
and to observe this occasion with appropriate
ceremonies.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
ninth day of August, in the year of our Lord nineteen
hundred and ninety-four, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and
nineteenth.

(Presidential Sig.)>