123STA T . 3 680PROCL A M AT I O N 8 4 04 — A UG .30 , 200 9shal l bef l own a t half - staff at the W h i te H o u se an d u p on all publi c buildin g sandg r ounds , at all m ilitar y posts and na v al stations, and on all naval vessels of the F ederal G overnment in the D istrict of C olumbia and throughout the U nited S tates and its T erritories and possessions until sunset on A ugust 30 , 2 00 9.I also direct that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff until sunset on the day of his inter- ment. I further direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same periods at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations. I N WITN E SS WHE R E O F, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty- si x th day of August, in the year of our L ord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth. B ARAC K OBA M A Proclam a ti o n840 4o fAug u s t 3 0 ,2 00 9Nation a lH i s to r i c all yB lac kC oll eg es an dU ni v ersities W eek ,20 0 9BythePr e sid e n t of the U nited S t a tes of Am eri c a A Proc l amation For generations, education has opened doors to untold opportunities and bright futures. Through q uality instruction and a personal commit- ment to hard wor k , young people in every part of our Nation have gone on to achieve success. Established by men and women of great vision, leadership, and clarity of purpose, Historically Black Colleges and Uni- versities ( HBCUs ) have provided generations of Americans with oppor- tunity, a solid education, and hope. For more than 14 0 years, HBCUs have released the power of knowl- edge to countless Americans. P ivotal in the Civil Rights Movement, HBCUs offer us a window into our Nation ’ s past as well as a path for- ward. Graduates of HBCUs have gone on to shape the course of Amer- ican history — from W.E.B. DuBois and Booker T. Washington, to Langston Hughes and Thurgood Marshall. Today, in twenty States, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. V irgin Islands, these colleges and universities are serving hundreds of thousands of students from every background and have contributed to the expansion of the African American middle class, to the growth of local communities, and to our Nation’s overall economy. This week, we celebrate the accomplishments of HBCUs and look to the future with conviction and optimism. These institutions will play a key role in reaching our ambitious national education goals, includ- ing having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020. As our Nation strives toward this goal, we invite HBCUs to em- ploy new, innovative, and ambitious strategies to help the next genera- tion of Americans successfully complete college and prepare them- selves for the global economy. During National Historically Black Col- leges and Universities Week, we recommit ourselves to never resting
