PROCLAMATION 7226—SEPT. 24, 1999 113 STAT. 2147 dents leadership opportunities that build self-confidence, a niurturing learning and social environment, and netwtyks of successful alumni who serve as positive role models and mentors for graduates. Cultural programs and educational outreach to minority- and low-income areas in our Nation help preserve African American heritage and make HBCUs a source of pride and knowledge for the communities they serve. By serving the African American community, HBCUs serve all Americans. These institutions embody many of our most deeply cherished values—equality, diversity, opportunity, and hard work. HBCUs prepare talented young men and women to succeed in every sector of our economy. And the alumni of HBCUs have contributed immeasurably to our Nation's success—as scientists, businesspeople, educators, public servants, and so much more. As education and diversity become increasingly important in the 21st century, graduates of HBCUs will continue to be at the vanguard of America's progi'ess. NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTO^J, 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 h«3reby proclaim September 19 through 25, 1999, as National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week. I call upon the people of thei United States, including government officials, educators, and administrators, to observe this week with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities honoring America's Historically Black Colleges and Universities and their graduates. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of September, in the year of om: Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-foiulh. WILLIAM J. CLINTON Proclamation 7226 of September 24, 1999 Gold Star Mother's Day, 1999 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation For generations, the brave men and women of our Armed Forces have answered our Nation's call to service. In the air, on the sea, and across the world's battlefields, they have fought with valor and determination so that we might continue to live in freedom. The blessings of liberty and peace we know today have been paid for with the lives of those who never retvirned home. The Gold Star Mothers of America know the: price of freedom all too well. They have experienced one of life's greatest joys in becoming a parent and have endured one of life's greatest sorrows in losing a son or daughter. The spirit of sacrifices made by our fallen warriors lives on in the hearts of our Gold Star Mothers. Their sacrifice lives on as well in the work Gold Star Mothers perform in communities throughout our country, working with disabled vet-
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