[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 187 (Thursday, September 28, 2023)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 67045-67047]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-21637]



[[Page 67043]]

Vol. 88

Thursday,

No. 187

September 28, 2023

Part III





The President





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Proclamation 10628--National Historically Black Colleges and 
Universities Week, 2023



Proclamation 10629--Asian American and Native American Pacific 
Islander-Serving Institutions Week, 2023



Proclamation 10630--National Hunting and Fishing Day, 2023



Proclamation 10631--National Public Lands Day, 2023


                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 88 , No. 187 / Thursday, September 28, 2023 / 
Presidential Documents

___________________________________________________________________

Title 3--
The President

[[Page 67045]]

                Proclamation 10628 of September 22, 2023

                
National Historically Black Colleges and 
                Universities Week, 2023

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Our Nation's Historically Black Colleges and 
                Universities (HBCUs) are rooted in a fundamental tenet 
                of our democracy: A quality education is a right that 
                belongs to all people, and every single American should 
                be free to pursue the limits of their talent and 
                ambition. During National Historically Black Colleges 
                and Universities Week, we recommit to supporting and 
                investing in HBCUs so they can continue the essential 
                work of educating and empowering students who enrich 
                the soul of our Nation.

                Throughout their history, HBCUs have instilled in their 
                students a sense of culture and purpose and a 
                commitment to making a difference in the lives of all 
                Americans. They are centers of academic excellence, 
                producing 40 percent of all Black engineers in America, 
                50 percent of all Black lawyers in America, 70 percent 
                of all Black doctors and dentists in America, and 80 
                percent of all Black judges in America. They are 
                incubators of scholars and educators; advocates and 
                athletes; and leaders in every sector of our society, 
                including industry, public interest firms, faith, 
                medicine, and the arts and sciences. They have molded 
                trailblazers, visionaries, and public servants, who 
                have helped make our democracy more inclusive and 
                equitable. I see the excellence of HBCUs manifested 
                every day in my Administration by HBCU alumni who are 
                gifted members of my cabinet--like Vice President 
                Kamala Harris and Administrator of the Environmental 
                Protection Agency Michael Regan--and in staff serving 
                at all levels of my Administration.

                Despite the wealth of their contributions to our 
                society, HBCUs often do not have the same endowments 
                and financial resources as other colleges and 
                universities. That is not only unfair--it undermines 
                the full potential of our Nation. It means leading 
                institutions are often unable to build and fund 
                research labs, which can lead to the new technologies 
                and innovations that define American excellence. That 
                is why, with the help of Vice President Harris, my 
                Administration has delivered more than $7 billion to 
                HBCUs--including to prepare students to contribute to 
                the future in high-demand and high-income fields, like 
                cybersecurity, engineering, biochemistry, and health 
                care. I have also re-established the White House 
                Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, 
                and Economic Opportunity for HBCUs to increase their 
                participation in Federal programs that offer greater 
                access to funding, ensuring HBCUs can continue to be 
                engines of opportunity in the future.

                While talent, creativity, and the willingness to work 
                hard are everywhere in this country, equal opportunity 
                is not. To make sure every American has the opportunity 
                to pursue higher education, my Administration has 
                increased the maximum Pell Grant by $900--the largest 
                increase in the last decade--and my new budget will put 
                us on a path to double the maximum award by 2029. 
                Further, in response to my budget, the Congress 
                established a program to provide direct support to 
                academic institutions by creating and sustaining 
                evidence-based strategies that support students through 
                college re-enrollment, retention, and completion.

[[Page 67046]]

                There is still so much to do to make higher education 
                more accessible and affordable. Last year, I announced 
                a student debt relief plan, and we were on the verge of 
                providing thousands of dollars in relief to more than 
                40 million Americans. Then the Supreme Court ruled 
                against it, derailing an opportunity that would have 
                changed so many lives for the better. Though that 
                decision closed one door, I responded immediately by 
                announcing that my Administration is pursuing an 
                alternative path for debt relief, and that we finalized 
                the Saving on a Valuable Education Program (SAVE)--the 
                most affordable student loan repayment program ever 
                created.

                This program calculates loan payments based on a 
                student's income and family size, not on the size of 
                the loan. Under this plan, some students' monthly 
                payments will drop to zero, and others will save around 
                $1,000 a year. Borrowers who pay what they owe on this 
                plan will no longer see their loans grow due to unpaid 
                interest, and the program will get some borrowers to 
                forgiveness faster. I will never stop fighting to 
                create the student debt relief Americans need to help 
                restore their faith in the American Dream. With the 
                Supreme Court's decision to effectively end affirmative 
                action, my Administration will continue fighting to put 
                quality education within reach of everyone and fulfill 
                the promise of America for all Americans. Lastly, my 
                Administration is aware that there have been threats by 
                domestic extremists who may seek to spread fear on HBCU 
                campuses. We are committed to protecting any and all 
                Americans who find themselves on the frontline of 
                domestic extremist threats or violence.

                More than five decades ago, in response to an act of 
                racist terror, a young Morehouse student named Martin 
                Luther King, Jr. wrote a letter to the Atlanta 
                Constitution saying, ``We want and are entitled to the 
                basic rights and opportunities of American citizens.'' 
                In those words, we see just one example of the sacred 
                and proud tradition of HBCUs: opening the doors of 
                opportunity wider for students, helping them find the 
                power in their voice, and giving them the tools to make 
                true change in our world. Today, we recommit to 
                supporting HBCUs that, in raising the next generation 
                of dreamers and doers, bring more equity, prosperity, 
                and opportunity for our Nation.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., 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 September 24 
                through September 30, 2023, as National Historically 
                Black Colleges and Universities Week. I call upon 
                educators, students, public officials, professional 
                organizations, corporations, and all Americans to 
                observe this week with appropriate programs, 
                ceremonies, and activities that acknowledge the 
                countless contributions these institutions and their 
                alumni have made to our country.

[[Page 67047]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twenty-second day of September, in the year of our Lord 
                two thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of 
                the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                eighth.
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                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2023-21637
Filed 9-27-23; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3395-F3-P