# Plain Language Summary: African American History Act

This bill gives the National Museum of African American History and Culture funding and authority to expand its educational programs about African American history and culture. The museum would use this money to create and share educational materials with schools, teachers, and families across the country—both in person and online. The bill authorizes $2 million per year for five years (2022-2026) to support these efforts.

The museum would use this funding to develop teaching resources, digital content, traveling exhibitions, and research materials that cover African American history from the African diaspora through today, including slavery, abolition, reconstruction, and the civil rights movement. It would also create professional development programs and workshops to train teachers on how to effectively teach African American history in their classrooms. The bill specifically mentions using a "social justice and anti-bias lens," meaning the educational approach would examine historical injustices and work to counter bias in how history is presented.

Practically speaking, this could mean teachers in your local school district might have access to better African American history curriculum materials, students could use online resources from the museum to learn more about this history, and educators could attend training programs to improve how they teach these topics. The museum would also work to translate its materials into multiple languages and expand its collection of artifacts and documents related to African American history. Every year, the museum would have to report to Congress on how the money was spent and what educational activities were created.

African American History Act

Bowman, Jamaal

African American History Act This bill authorizes the National Museum of African American History and Culture to carry out educational programs and related activities. Such activities include <ul> <li>developing and making available accurate, relevant, and accessible resources to promote the understanding of African American history; and</li> <li>expanding the collection acquisition and collection access processes, including conservation and digitization.</li> </ul> The museum may also develop and maintain on its website content designated for educators, students, and families to improve their awareness and understanding of African American history.