A presidential proclamation is an official statement of the Presidents policy or a ceremonial observance. Most proclamations are symbolic and do not themselves create new legal obligations, regulatory duties, or appropriate money. A proclamation can have legal effect only when it is issued under existing constitutional or statutory authority (for example, setting a national monument under the Antiquities Act or implementing provisions of a statute); even then it does not by itself create appropriations — Congress must provide funding.
The National Garden of American Heroes is a proposed national statuary park (a sculpture garden of American figures) first ordered by Executive Order in 2020 and further directed by later EOs. The EOs direct an interagency Task Force and the relevant Cabinet Secretary to identify a site and proceed to the extent consistent with the Secretarys existing authorities or authority later provided by Congress, but they do not appropriate funds. As of available public records the project remains a plan directed by executive action; construction and permanent funding have not been provided by Congress and no completed garden exists.
The proclamation refers to an Executive Order directing federal action for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The specific EO language (as cited by the administration) directs agencies to promote excellence and innovation at HBCUs, strengthens federal engagement and partnership with HBCUs, and charges agencies to remove barriers and improve access to federal programs for HBCUs. (The proclamation references such an EO; the full, text-specific provisions depend on the particular EO the administration issued and should be read in that EO for exact duties and agency instructions.)
Prince Estabrook was an enslaved Black militiaman from Lexington, Massachusetts, who is believed to have been among the colonial militia wounded at the first exchange of gunfire on April 19, 1775 (the Battle of Lexington and Concord). He is often cited as one of the first Black Americans to fight and be wounded in the American Revolutionary War; local histories and memorials in Lexington honor his service.
In this proclamation context the phrase targets broad currents of contemporary politics rather than a discrete legal list. Commonly cited targets of such language include efforts to change how U.S. history is taught (e.g., critical race theory debates), calls to remove or reinterpret historical statues and monuments, and policy agendas associated with progressive platforms (such as expansive government programs, changes to policing policy, or identity-based curricula). The proclamation does not identify specific bills or actions; examples often referenced in public debate include school-curriculum disputes over race and history and street protests that led some jurisdictions to remove statues — but the proclamation itself does not enumerate particular policies.