1619 Act

II 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. 4193 To develop and nationally disseminate accurate, relevant, and accessible resources to promote understanding about African-American history. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES JULY 2, 2020 Mr. PETERS (for himself, Mr. CASEY, Ms. ROSEN, Ms. DUCKWORTH, Mr. WYDEN, Ms. BALDWIN, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Ms. STA- BENOW, Ms. SINEMA, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. BROWN, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. WARNER, and Ms. WARREN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration A BILL To develop and nationally disseminate accurate, relevant, and accessible resources to promote understanding about African-American history. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘1619 Act’’. 4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 5 Congress finds the following: 6 (1) The United States has demonstrated a com- 7 mitment to remembrance and education about the 8 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:51 Jul 15, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4193.IS S4193 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •S 4193 IS experiences of African Americans in the United 1 States. 2 (2) Congress has played a critical role in pre- 3 serving the memory of the African-American experi- 4 ence in the United States and promoting awareness 5 by recognizing African-American History Month in 6 1976 to ‘‘seize the opportunity to honor the too- 7 often neglected accomplishments of black Americans 8 in every area of endeavor throughout our history.’’. 9 (3) 400 years after the first slaves were brought 10 to American shores, and growing distance of stu- 11 dents and their families from this history, it is im- 12 portant to institutionalize education about the events 13 of African-American history such as slavery, the 14 Civil War, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the Civil 15 Rights Movement, which led to monumental legisla- 16 tion like the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights 17 Act, among other notable events. 18 (4) As intolerance, bigotry, and racism are pro- 19 moted by hate groups, African-American history 20 education provides a context in which to learn about 21 the danger of what can happen when hate goes un- 22 challenged and there is indifference in the face of 23 the oppression of others. The African-American ex- 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:51 Jul 15, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4193.IS S4193 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •S 4193 IS perience is an important component of the education 1 of citizens of the United States. 2 (5) Today, those who deny the importance of 3 African-American history or distort the true nature 4 of the Africa-American experience continue to find 5 forums, especially online. This denial and distortion 6 dishonors those who were persecuted and murdered, 7 making it even more of a national imperative to edu- 8 cate students in the United States so that they may 9 explore the lessons that African-American history 10 provides for all people, sensitize communities to the 11 circumstances that gave rise to the African-Amer- 12 ican experience, and help youth be less susceptible to 13 the falsehood about African-American history and 14 destructive messages of hate that arise from Afri- 15 can-American history denial and distortion. 16 (6) Currently, 7 States (Arkansas, Florida, Illi- 17 nois, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode 18 Island) require by law that schools, in collaboration 19 with special K–12 Black history oversight commit- 20 tees, teach students about African-American history. 21 More schools and teachers, including those in under- 22 served communities, can and should deliver quality 23 African-American history education. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:51 Jul 15, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4193.IS S4193 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •S 4193 IS (7) For more than 4 years, the National Mu- 1 seum of African American History and Culture has 2 worked to build and support the field of African- 3 American history education, and advance the quality 4 and sustainability of African-American history edu- 5 cation at the local, State, and national levels, by en- 6 gaging teachers and students across disciplines and 7 grade levels. 8 (8) The Federal Government, through support 9 for educational activities of national museums estab- 10 lished under Federal law, can assist teachers in ef- 11 forts to incorporate historically accurate instruction 12 on human rights atrocities, including the African- 13 American experience, in curricula. 14 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 15 In this Act: 16 (1) AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY.—The term 17 ‘‘African-American history’’ means the systematic, 18 bureaucratic, State-sponsored enslavement of Afri- 19 cans brought to the United States, the era of the 20 Civil War, Reconstruction, segregation, and the 21 modern experience of African Americans as equal 22 citizens under the law. 23 (2) AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY EDUCATION 24 CENTER.—The term ‘‘African-American history edu- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:51 Jul 15, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4193.IS S4193 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •S 4193 IS cation center’’ means an institution that furthers the 1 teaching and learning about African-American his- 2 tory by offering programs for students and training 3 for teachers and other types of professional leader- 4 ship audiences. 5 (3) AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY EDUCATION 6 PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘African-American history 7 education program’’ means a program that has as 8 its specific and primary purpose to improve aware- 9 ness and understanding of the African-American ex- 10 perience and educate individuals on the lessons of 11 African-American history as a means to raise aware- 12 ness about the importance of preventing oppression, 13 hate, and bigotry against any group of people. 14 (4) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 15 the Director of the National Museum of African 16 American History and Culture. 17 (5) ELIGIBLE PROGRAM PARTICIPANT.—The 18 term ‘‘eligible program participant’’ means— 19 (A) a high school teacher, a teacher of one 20 of the middle grades, or a school leader of a 21 high school or a school that includes one of the 22 middle grades (as such terms are defined in 23 section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary 24 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801)); 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:51 Jul 15, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4193.IS S4193 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 6 •S 4193 IS (B) an educational leader or expert who is 1 not employed by a local educational agency (as 2 defined in section 8101 of the Elementary and 3 Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 4 7801)) or an elementary school or secondary 5 school (as such terms are so defined) that is 6 independent of any local educational agency; or 7 (C) a prospective teacher enrolled in a pro- 8 gram of postsecondary education coursework or 9 preservice clinical education. 10 (6) RACISM.—The term ‘‘racism’’ means a cer- 11 tain perception of African Americans, which may be 12 expressed as hatred or discrimination, and the rhe- 13 torical and physical manifestations of which are di- 14 rected toward African-American or non-African- 15 American individuals or their property, and African- 16 American community institutions and religious facili- 17 ties, exacerbating an inequitable distribution of re- 18 sources, opportunity, and power that is detrimental 19 to African-American communities. 20 (7) SLAVERY.—The term ‘‘slavery’’ means the 21 legal institution of human chattel enslavement, pri- 22 marily of Africans and African Americans prior to 23 the passage of the 13th Amendment to the Constitu- 24 tion of the United States. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:51 Jul 15, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4193.IS S4193 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 7 •S 4193 IS SEC. 4. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED. 1 (a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 2 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 3 $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2021 and each of the 4 suc- 4 ceeding fiscal years. 5 (b) DONATIONS, GIFTS, BEQUESTS, AND DEVISES OF 6 PROPERTY.—In accordance with section 5 of the National 7 Museum of African American History and Culture Act (20 8 U.S.C. 80r–3), and in furtherance of the purposes of this 9 Act, the Director is authorized to solicit, accept, hold, ad- 10 minister, invest, and use donated funds and gifts, be- 11 quests, and devises of property, both real and personal. 12 (c) USE OF FUNDS.—The Director, using funds ap- 13 propriated under subsection (a) and resources received 14 under subsection (b), and including through the engage- 15 ment of eligible program participants as appropriate— 16 (1) shall develop and nationally disseminate ac- 17 curate, relevant, and accessible resources to promote 18 understanding about how and why notable events in 19 African-American history happened in the manner 20 that it did, which shall include digital resources and 21 may include other types of resources, such as print 22 resources and traveling exhibitions; and 23 (2) may carry out one or more of the following 24 African-American history education program activi- 25 ties: 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:51 Jul 15, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4193.IS S4193 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 8 •S 4193 IS (A) Development, dissemination, and im- 1 plementation of principles of sound pedagogy 2 for teaching about African-American history. 3 (B) Provision of professional development 4 for eligible program participants, such as 5 through— 6 (i) local, regional, and national work- 7 shops; 8 (ii) teacher trainings in conjunction 9 with African-American history education 10 centers and other appropriate partners; 11 (iii) engagement with— 12 (I) local educational agencies (as 13 defined in section 8101 of the Ele- 14 mentary and Secondary Education 15 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801)); and 16 (II) high schools and schools that 17 include one of the middle grades (as 18 so defined) that are independent of 19 any local educational agency; and 20 (iv) operation and expansion of a 21 teacher fellowship program to cultivate and 22 support leaders in African-American his- 23 tory education. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:51 Jul 15, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4193.IS S4193 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 9 •S 4193 IS (C) Engagement with State and local edu- 1 cation leaders to encourage the adoption of re- 2 sources supported under this Act into curricula 3 across diverse disciplines. 4 (D) Evaluation and research to assess the 5 effectiveness and impact of African-American 6 history education programs, which may include 7 completion of the report required under section 8 8. 9 (d) APPLICATIONS.—The Director may seek the en- 10 gagement of an eligible program participant under sub- 11 section (c) by requiring submission of an application to 12 the Director at such time, in such manner, and based on 13 such competitive criteria as the Director may require. 14 SEC. 5. ONLINE AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY EDUCATION 15 RESOURCES. 16 (a) WEBSITE.—The Director shall maintain on the 17 website of the National Museum of African American His- 18 tory and Culture a special section designated for African- 19 American history education resources to improve aware- 20 ness and understanding of African-American history and 21 educate individuals on the lessons of the African-American 22 experience as a means to raise awareness about the impor- 23 tance of preventing hate and bigotry against any group 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:51 Jul 15, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4193.IS S4193 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 10 •S 4193 IS of people. The website and resources shall be made pub- 1 lically available. 2 (b) INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION.—The Director 3 shall distribute information about the activities funded 4 under this Act through the website of the National Mu- 5 seum of African American History and Culture, and shall 6 respond to inquiries for supplementary information con- 7 cerning such activities. 8 (c) BEST PRACTICES.—The information distributed 9 by the Director shall include best practices for educators. 10 SEC. 6. NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HIS- 11 TORY AND CULTURE COUNCIL. 12 The National Museum of African American History 13 and Culture Council established under section 5 of the Na- 14 tional Museum of African American History and Culture 15 Act (20 U.S.C. 80r–3), shall have governance responsi- 16 bility for the programs and activities carried out under 17 this Act in accordance with the National Museum of Afri- 18 can American History and Culture Act (20 U.S.C. 80r). 19 SEC. 7. ENGAGEMENT OF ELIGIBLE PROGRAM PARTICI- 20 PANTS. 21 (a) IN GENERAL.—An eligible program participant 22 shall be engaged at the discretion of the Director to par- 23 ticipate in African-American history education program 24 activities authorized under this Act and approved by the 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:51 Jul 15, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4193.IS S4193 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 11 •S 4193 IS Director pursuant to an application described in section 1 4(d). 2 (b) ENGAGEMENT PERIOD.—Engagement of eligible 3 program participants under this Act shall be for a period 4 determined by the Director. 5 (c) PRIORITY.—In engaging eligible program partici- 6 pants under section 4, the Director shall give priority to 7 applications from such participants who work for or with 8 a local educational agency, or a school that is independent 9 of any local educational agency, that does not, at the time 10 application is made, offer any African-American history 11 education programming. 12 SEC. 8. ANNUAL REPORT. 13 Not later than February 1 of each year, the Director 14 shall submit to Congress a report describing the activities 15 carried out under this Act. 16 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:51 Jul 15, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S4193.IS S4193 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS