Black History is American History Act

Hozzl · 2025-02-28T05:23:22Z

Explore the details of House Bill 844 Black History is American History Act currently in Congress. Get insights into its purpose, current status, sponsors, and potential impact on undefined. Stay informed on legislative developments.

2/28/2025, 5:23 AM

Summary of Bill HR 844

Bill 119 hr 844, also known as the African American History Education Act of 2021, aims to authorize the Secretary of Education to provide grants to eligible entities for educational programs that focus on the history of African Americans in the United States. These programs would cover topics such as the role of African Americans in the settling and founding of America, the economic and political factors that led to the development, institutionalization, and eventual abolition of slavery, and the impact of slavery on all Americans.

Additionally, the educational programs funded by this bill would explore the exploration and expansion of America, as well as the contributions of African Americans to the development and enhancement of American life in various areas such as United States history, literature, the economy, politics, body of laws, and culture.

The goal of this bill is to ensure that the history and contributions of African Americans are properly recognized and integrated into educational curricula across the country. By providing grants to support these educational programs, the bill aims to promote a more comprehensive and inclusive understanding of American history and culture.

Congressional Summary of HR 844

Black History is American History Act

This bill requires entities (e.g., institutions of higher education, libraries, and museums), in order to be eligible for certain grants administered by the Department of Education (ED), to include Black history in their teaching of American history. It also requires Black history to be included in tests administered by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).

Specifically, the bill mandates the inclusion of Black history as a required component of American history for such entities to be eligible for American History and Civics Academies' competitive grants. These grants support the establishment of (1) Presidential Academies for Teachers of American History and Civics, which offer workshops to teachers of American history and civics to strengthen their knowledge and prepare them to teach in these subjects; and (2) Congressional Academies for Students of American History and Civics, which support high school students in developing an understanding of these subjects. (Currently, Black history is not a required component of American history for either academy.)

In addition, ED must give priority to grant applicants that align their activities with programs and resources of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture.

The bill also requires the inclusion of Black history in tests administered by the NAEP, which measures student academic achievement in various subjects.

Read the Full Bill

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Current Status of Bill HR 844

Bill HR 844 is currently in the status of Bill Introduced since January 31, 2025. Bill HR 844 was introduced during Congress 119 and was introduced to the House on January 31, 2025. Bill HR 844's most recent activity was Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce. as of January 31, 2025

Bipartisan Support of Bill HR 844

Total Number of Sponsors

Democrat Sponsors

Republican Sponsors

Unaffiliated Sponsors

Total Number of Cosponsors

115

Democrat Cosponsors

115

Republican Cosponsors

Unaffiliated Cosponsors

Policy Area and Potential Impact of Bill HR 844

Primary Policy Focus

Alternate Title(s) of Bill HR 844

To authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to eligible entities to carry out educational programs that include the history of peoples of African descent in the settling and founding of America, the economic and political environments that led to the development, institutionalization, and abolition of slavery and its impact on all Americans, the exploration and expansion of America, impact on and contributions to the development and enhancement of American life, United States history, literature, the economy, politics, body of laws, and culture, and for other purposes.

Comments

Maisy Pearson

436

9 months ago

I think it's about time we start educating our youth on the history of African Americans in this country. It's an important part of our nation's story that often gets overlooked. I'm glad to see this bill being proposed. How do you think this will impact our schools in the short term?

Johan Rankin

417

10 months ago

I don't think this bill is a good idea. It's just more government spending on something that may not even make a difference. It's not fair to force taxpayers to foot the bill for programs that may not benefit everyone. I'm not sure how this will impact me personally, but I'm not too thrilled about it. #HRBill844 #NotAFan

Sylas Erickson

506

10 months ago

I don't know much about this bill, but it sounds like a good idea to me. We should all learn about the history of African Americans in America. It's important to understand how slavery and discrimination have impacted our country. I'm all for education and learning more about our past. #historylesson #education #supportingchange