Parenthood is the ultimate gift and an incredible
responsibility. Every day, fathers across our country give
everything they have to build a better future for their family,
asking nothing in return but their children’s love and success.
On Father’s Day, we honor the men in our lives who have helped
shape us for the good, and we recommit to supporting fatherhood
in our families, in our communities, and across our Nation.
Fathers, along with our mothers, are our first teachers,
coaches, and advisors. They help us grow into adults, consoling
us in times of need and celebrating with us in times of triumph.
Strong male role models come in all forms, but they have one
thing in common: they show up and give it their best. A father
figure may be a biological father, or he may be a surrogate
father who raises, mentors, or cares for another’s child. Every
family is different, but what matters is the unconditional
support, guidance, and love fathers and mentors give us
throughout life.
Today, too many children in our country grow up without
such support and guidance. A father’s absence is felt by
children, families, and communities in countless ways, leaving a
hole that can have lasting effects. Their absence is also felt
by mothers, who work overtime and double shifts, put food on the
table, and care for children alone while trying to make ends
meet. And it is felt in our communities, when boys grow up
without male leaders to inspire them.
My Administration has made supporting fathers and their
communities a priority. Last year on Father’s Day, I announced
the President’s Fatherhood and Mentoring Initiative, a
nationwide effort to support organizations that foster
responsible fatherhood and help re-engage fathers in the lives
of their children. We have bolstered community and faith-based
programs that provide valuable support networks for fathers.
We are also promoting work-life balances that benefit families,
and partnering with businesses across America to create
opportunities for fathers and their children to spend time
together. And military leaders are joining in our efforts to
help families keep in touch when a dad is deployed overseas,
so the fathers who serve to protect all our children can stay
connected to their own.
On Father’s Day, we celebrate the men who make a difference
in the life of a child, and we pay tribute to all the fathers
who have been our guiding lights. In the days ahead, we
recommit ourselves to making fatherhood, and the support men
need to be fathers, a priority in our Nation.
2
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, in accordance with a joint resolution
of the Congress approved April 24, 1972, as amended (36 U.S.C.
109), do hereby proclaim June 19, 2011, as Father’s Day.
I direct the appropriate officials of the Government to display
the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on
this day, and I call upon all citizens to observe this day with
appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF,
seventeenth day of June,
two thousand eleven, and
United States of America
I have hereunto set my hand this
in the year of our Lord
of the Independence of the
the two hundred and thirty-fifth.
BARACK OBAMA
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