Bill > A02184

This bill establishes the Commission on African American History and Achievement, a 13-member body comprising state education leaders, gubernatorial appointees, and legislative appointees, with expertise in education, history, and African American culture. The commission will develop and recommend curriculum that incorporates African American contributions and achievements throughout American and New York state history, focusing on specific areas like the women's abolitionist movement, Harlem Renaissance, Buffalo anti-slavery movement, and suffrage movements. The commission will survey current elementary and secondary education curriculum, develop recommendations for kindergarten through twelfth-grade instruction, and prepare annual reports to state leadership starting in August 2026. The New York State Commissioner of Education will establish age-appropriate African American history curriculum based on the commission's recommendations, which schools may integrate into their history curriculum or implement as they see fit. Additionally, the bill requires students in New York City's public, charter, and nonpublic schools to visit sites that educate about African American historical events, with a specific focus on history since 1619, to provide a comprehensive and immersive learning experience about African American contributions and experiences.

Education

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A2184