Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 124.djvu/4615

124 STAT. 4589 PROCLAMATION 8477—FEB. 1, 2010 create jobs here at home. We are also reinvesting in our schools and making college more affordable, because a world class education is our country’s best roadmap to prosperity. These initiatives will expand opportunities for African Americans, and for all Americans, but parents and community leaders must also be partners in this effort. We must push our children to reach for the full measure of their potential, just as the innovators who succeeded in previous generations pushed their children to achieve something great- er. In the volumes of black history, much remains unwritten. Let us add our own chapter, full of progress and ambition, so that our chil- dren’s children will know that we, too, did our part to erase an unjust past and build a brighter future. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Con- stitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Feb- ruary 2010 as National African American History Month. I call upon public officials, educators, librarians, and all the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of February, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Inde- pendence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty- fourth. BARACK OBAMA Proclamation 8477 of February 1, 2010 American Heart Month, 2010 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Its vic- tims are women and men, and people of all backgrounds and ethnicities, in all regions of our country. Although heart disease is one of our Nation’s most costly and widespread health problems, it is among the most preventable. During American Heart Month, we re- dedicate ourselves to fighting this disease by improving our own heart- healthy habits, and by raising awareness in our homes and our commu- nities. Protecting our families from heart disease requires each of us to take responsibility for our health and that of our children—including exer- cising regularly, maintaining a healthy diet, avoiding tobacco, and rais- ing our children to spend more time playing outside. Because obesity is a leading risk factor for heart disease, good nutrition and physical activity are crucial for all our families. This month, we honor the health-care professionals, researchers, and heart health ambassadors who save lives and spare suffering. Every day, these dedicated individuals put themselves on the front lines of our fight against heart disease. To better equip them, my Administra- tion is investing in cutting-edge research, such as a large DNA sequenc-