Minority Enterprise Development Week, 2012

Proclamation 8912 of November 30, 2012

Minority Enterprise Development Week, 2012

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

At the core of who we are as a Nation is a fundamental
belief: that no matter who you are, no matter what you
look like, no matter where you come from, if you have
an idea and a willingness to work hard, you can
succeed. It is this belief that leads a worker to leave
a job to become her own boss, propels a basement
inventor to sell a new product, or drives an amateur
chef to open a restaurant. It is this belief that has
drawn millions to our shores and spurred America's
prosperity for centuries.

The belief in tomorrow's promise is guiding minority
entrepreneurs across our country to start the kinds of
businesses that make up the backbone of our economy.
With a combined economic output of $1 trillion,
minority-owned firms are key producers in an array of
industries, hubs of innovation and new technology, and
engines of job creation in our communities.

Because the continued growth and success of minority
enterprises is essential to our economic recovery, my
Administration has taken steps to help bolster these
businesses. Through the Minority Business Development
Agency, we are providing access to capital, consulting,
contracts, and markets to minority entrepreneurs
seeking to expand their businesses at home and
overseas. We are also making it easier for business
owners to find Federal resources with
www.BusinessUSA.gov, a centralized, one-stop platform
for businesses to access services to help them grow and
hire.

As the number and size of minority-owned firms continue
to expand, we must harness the diversity and power of
these businesses to help strengthen our economy and put
people back to work. As we celebrate the 30th
anniversary of Minority Enterprise Development Week,
let us honor the role America's minority-owned
businesses play in spurring our prosperity and recommit
to equipping them with the tools for success in the
21st century.

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 December 2 through
December 8, 2012, as Minority Enterprise Development
Week. I call upon all Americans to celebrate this week
with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities
to recognize the many contributions of our Nation's
minority enterprises.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirtieth day of November, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.