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H.R. 844 · 119th Congress

Black History is American History Act

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IntroducedPassed one chamberPassed both chambersBecame law (gold)Resolution agreed to (full, dark)Failed or vetoed (gray)

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JBD BeattySponsor
60 cosponsors · 60 D
AAD Adams SBD Bishop SBD Bonamici NBD Barragán SBD Brown JCD Clyburn ECD Cleaver KCD Castor YCD Clarke ACD Carson TCD Carter SCD Cherfilus-McCormick DDD Davis DDD DeGette DDD Davis LDD Doggett MDD DeSaulnier DDD Dingell DED Evans LFD Frankel MFD Frost VFD Foushee RGD Grijalva AGD Green DGD Goldman SHD Horsford JHD Hayes GID Ivey HJD Johnson JJD Jackson RKD Kelly SKD Kamlager-Dove TKD Kennedy RLD Larsen SLD Lynch GMD Meeks GMD Meng LMD McBath SMD Magaziner RMD Menendez LMD McIver END Norton SPD Plaskett APD Pressley MSD Strickland TSD Sewell ESD Sykes BTD Thompson RTD Tlaib STD Thanedar LUD Underwood NVD Velázquez MWD Waters NWD Williams DWD Wasserman Schultz FWD Wilson BWD Watson Coleman ASD Salinas TLD Lieu SCD Carbajal

57 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.

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.

What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in House · Jan 31, 2025

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.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov

About this bill and sources

Official title: Black History is American History Act

Latest action (Jan 31, 2025): Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Policy area: Education · Origin: House · Introduced: Jan 31, 2025

Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)

No recorded floor vote found.