Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 124.djvu/4667

 124 STAT. 4641 PROCLAMATION 8527—MAY 28, 2010 The United States Merchant Marine also shepherds the safe passage of American goods. They carry our exports to customers around the world and support the flow of domestic commerce on our maritime highways. They help strengthen our Nation’s economy; bolster job-cre - ating businesses; and, along with the transportation industry, employ Americans on ships and tugs, and in ports and shipyards. Today, we pay tribute to the United States Merchant Marine, and we honor all those whose tireless work is laying a foundation for growth, prosperity, and leadership in the 21st century. The Congress, by a joint resolution approved May 20, 1933, has des- ignated May 22 of each year as ‘‘National Maritime Day,’’ and has au- thorized and requested the President to issue annually a proclamation calling for its appropriate observance. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 22, 2010, as National Mari- time Day. I call upon the people of the United States to mark this ob- servance with appropriate activities, and I encourage all ships sailing under the American flag to dress ship on that day. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of May, 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 8527 of May 28, 2010 African-American Music Appreciation Month, 2010 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Music can tell a story, assuage our sorrows, provide blessing and re- demption, and express a soul’s sublime and powerful beauty. It in- spires us daily, giving voice to the human spirit. For many, including the African-American community, music unites individuals through a shared heritage. During African-American Music Appreciation Month, we celebrate the extraordinary legacy of African-American singers, composers, and musicians, as well as their indelible contributions to our Nation and our world. Throughout our history, African-American music has conveyed the hopes and hardships of a people who have struggled, persevered and overcome. Through centuries of injustice, music comforted slaves, fueled a cultural renaissance, and sustained a movement for equality. Today, from the shores of Africa and the islands of the Caribbean to the jazz clubs of New Orleans and the music halls of Detroit, African- American music reflects the rich sounds of many experiences, cultures, and locales. African-American musicians have created and expanded a variety of musical genres, synthesizing diverse artistic traditions into a distinc- tive soundscape. The soulful strains of gospel, the harmonic and improvisational innovations of jazz, the simple truth of the blues, the