BILL NUMBER: S5116A
SPONSOR: CLEARE
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to the documentation and
preservation of Black history in New York state by the state university
of New York
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To create an official state mechanism to capture, record and preserve
the history of Black New Yorkers, particularly those who are Older New
Yorkers, and who, in their collective lifetimes have witnessed the
entire continuum from Slavery to Jim Crow, Migration, Civil Rights, The
Great Society, Obamacare, et al.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
The Black History Preservation Commission is created. Scope, composition
and goals are delineated. Making people more conscious about the unique
singularity of Black history is the objective.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
From slavery to Reconstruction, the injustices of Jim Crow, the Civil
Rights Movement, and the ongoing fight for equity today, Black people
have played a significant role in the development of New York. The state
recognizes that the Black community has been uprooted and its history
has been lost due to gentrification and the underrepresentation of Black
history. Therefore, a commission must be established in order to prevent
Black communities from losing their history. We wouldn't know our
origins or how to resolve problems that have arisen in the past if
history didn't exist. By establishing this commission, we will document,
preserve, and distribute historical resources about Black history in New
York, as well as increase knowledge and awareness of Black history.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
90th Day.