What This Bill Does
This bill directs the Director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture to conduct a study on how Black history is taught in public elementary and secondary schools. The Director must examine which states and school districts require Black history education and assess the quality of that teaching. After completing the study, the Director must submit a report to Congress with the findings.
Who It Affects
The National Museum of African American History and Culture and its Director are responsible for conducting the study. Public elementary and secondary schools across the United States are the subject of the study. Congress receives the final report. State governments and local school districts are examined for their Black history education requirements.
Key Provisions
• The Director must begin the study no later than 180 days after the bill becomes law and complete it within 3 years (Sec. 2(a)(2)).
• The Director must identify which states and local school districts require Black history education and which ones do not (Sec. 2(b)(1) and (2)).
• The Director must assess the quality of Black history education through classroom discussions, homework assignments, and project-based learning activities (Sec. 2(b)(3)).
• The Director must examine the types and quality of instructional materials used to teach Black history (Sec. 2(b)(4)).
• The Director must submit the completed report to Congress no later than 180 days after finishing the study (Sec. 2(c)(2)).
What Changes
If this bill becomes law, the National Museum of African American History and Culture will conduct a detailed examination of Black history education in American schools. Congress will receive a comprehensive report documenting which schools teach Black history, how well they teach it, and what materials they use.
Important Definitions
• "Black history" means the study and stories of Black life in the United States and around the world, focusing on the triumphs and struggles, including political, social and cultural achievements, of African Americans (Sec. 2(d)(2)).
• "Black history education" means educational activities designed to improve student awareness of African American history, teach about slavery and the Civil Rights movement to prevent hate and bigotry, and study racism and white supremacy (Sec. 2(d)(3)).
• "Project based learning" means a teaching method where students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects (Sec. 2(d)(4)).
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 971
To direct the Director of the National Museum of African American History
and Culture to conduct a study on Black history education efforts in
public elementary and secondary schools, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 9, 2023
Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN (for herself, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. MCGOV-
ERN, Mr. NADLER, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr.
COHEN, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. NORTON, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Mr. JOHNSON
of Georgia, Mr. CARSON, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, and Mr. CARTER of Lou-
isiana) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on House Administration
A BILL
To direct the Director of the National Museum of African
American History and Culture to conduct a study on
Black history education efforts in public elementary and
secondary schools, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Black History Matters
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Act’’.
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•HR 971 IH
SEC. 2. STUDY AND REPORT ON BLACK HISTORY EDU-
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CATION.
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(a) STUDY.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—During the period described
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in paragraph (2), the Director of the National Mu-
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seum of African American History and Culture (re-
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ferred to in this Act as the ‘‘Director’’) shall conduct
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a study on Black history education efforts in public
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elementary and secondary schools.
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(2) PERIOD.—The Director shall, with respect
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to the study required under paragraph (1)—
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(A) begin such study not later than 180
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days after the date of the enactment of this
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Act; and
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(B) complete such study not later than 3
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years after the date of the enactment of this
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Act.
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(b) ELEMENTS.—In conducting the study under sub-
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section (a), the Director shall—
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(1) identify States and local educational agen-
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cies that require Black history education as part of
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the curriculum taught in public elementary and sec-
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ondary schools;
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(2) identify States and local educational agen-
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cies that do not require Black history education as
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•HR 971 IH
part of the curriculum taught in public elementary
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and secondary schools;
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(3) assess the quality of Black history edu-
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cation provided by public elementary and secondary
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schools, including through the qualitative and quan-
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titative analysis of such indicators as—
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(A) in-class discussion;
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(B) educational activities conducted out-
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side the classroom, including homework assign-
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ments; and
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(C) project based learning;
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(4) assess the types and quality of instructional
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materials used to teach students about Black his-
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tory;
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(5) examine the duration and comprehensive-
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ness of any Black history-related courses or lessons
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provided by public elementary and secondary
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schools; and
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(6) analyze the approaches used by such schools
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to assess students’ knowledge of Black history, in-
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cluding the use of traditional and nontraditional as-
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sessments.
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(c) REPORT.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Following the completion of
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the study under subsection (a), the Director shall
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prepare and submit to Congress a report on the re-
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sults of the study.
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(2) DEADLINE
FOR
SUBMITTAL.—The report
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required under paragraph (1) shall be submitted not
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later than 180 days after the completion of the
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study under subsection (a)(2)(B).
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(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act:
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(1) ESEA TERMS.—The terms ‘‘elementary
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school’’, ‘‘local educational agency’’, ‘‘secondary
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school’’, and ‘‘State’’ have the meanings given those
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terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Sec-
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ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
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(2) BLACK
HISTORY.—The term ‘‘Black his-
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tory’’ means the study and stories of Black life in
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the United States and around the world, with a spe-
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cific focus on the triumphs and struggles (including
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political, social, and cultural achievements) of Afri-
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can Americans throughout the United States.
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(3) BLACK
HISTORY
EDUCATION.—The term
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‘‘Black history education’’ means educational activi-
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ties that are specifically intended—
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(A) to improve students’ awareness and
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understanding of the history of people of Afri-
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can descent, especially as it relates to United
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States history;
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•HR 971 IH
(B) to educate students on the lessons of
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chattel slavery, Reconstruction, Jim Crow laws,
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and the Civil Rights movement as a means to
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raise awareness about the importance of pre-
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venting genocide, hate, and bigotry against any
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group of people; and
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(C) to study the history of racism, its deep
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historical roots, the use of discrimination and
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propaganda that target the Black people, and
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the evolving nature of white supremacy over
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time.
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(4) PROJECT
BASED
LEARNING.—The term
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‘‘project based learning’’ means a teaching method
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through which students learn by actively engaging in
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real-world and personally meaningful projects.
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Æ
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