Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 123.djvu/3698

 123STA T . 3 678PROCL A M AT I O N 8 40 2 — A UG .2 5, 200 9Consti t u tion a n dl a w so f t heU nited S tates , do he r e byp ro c lai mA u g ust 21 ,2 0 0 9 ,asthe F iftieth Anni v ersary of H awaii Statehood .I call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities. I NW I T N E SS WHE R E O F, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty - first 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 n8402 o fAug u s t2 5, 200 9Women’sEqualityD ay ,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 Today, our country renews its commitment to freedom and j ustice for all our citi z ens. As we prepare to celebrate this women ’ sdayofe q ual- ity, we reflect on the sacrifices once made to allow women and girls the basic rights and choices we freely e x ercise today. The future we leave to our daughters and granddaughters will be determined by our willingness to build on the achievements of our past and move forward as one people and one Nation. The fight for women’s equality is not a woman’s agenda, but an American agenda. We honor the resilience, accomplishments, and history of all women in the United States. We celebrate the courageous women who fought to uphold a fundamental principle within our Constitution — the right to vote—and in so doing, protected the cornerstone of our vibrant de- mocracy. These visionaries of the Seneca Falls Convention of 1 84 8 sought to ensure that our country lived up to its founding ideals. Al- though only one, Charlotte Woodward, at the age of 81, had the oppor- tunity to exercise her newfound right, the struggle reminds us that no righteous cause is a lost one. We also commemorate women li k e Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, a poet and lecturer who formed the Na- tional Association of Colored Women Antonia P antoja, a tireless advo- cate of education equality within the Latino community; Sarah Winnemucca, a voice for peace within the Native American commu- nity; and Patsy Mink, author of Title I X and the first woman of color and Asian American woman elected to the United States Congress. These women’s talents, and the contributions of countless others, built upon the framework of 1848 and forged paths for future generations. Our Nation has come a long way since that ground-breaking conven- tion in New Y ork. Women have occupied some of the most significant positions in government. They have delivered justice from the bench of our highest court, fought for our country in foreign lands, discovered cures to diseases, and joined the ranks of the greatest business leaders of our time. Female college graduates now outnumber their male coun- terparts. Women have sought equality through government, dem- onstrated by the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, and the establishment of the White House Council on Women and G irls. They have sought equality through advocacy, exemplified by the