Bill · H.R. 1359· House(119-HR-1359)
Black History Matters Act
- Introduced
- 2/13/2025
- Last activity
- 2/13/2025 — Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
- Sponsored by
- Bonnie Watson Coleman
- Cosponsors
- - 38 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The "Black History Matters Act" directs the Director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture to conduct a study on Black history education efforts within public elementary and secondary schools. The Director must begin this study within 180 days of the Act's enactment and complete it within three years. The study involves identifying which States and local educational agencies require or do not require Black history education in their curricula. Furthermore, the Director is tasked with assessing the quality of education, instructional materials, and the duration of related courses. Finally, the Director must submit a report of the results to Congress following the study's completion.
Yes· 3 of 5
Would Black Americans be better off under this?+5
The bill directs a study specifically focused on the education of Black history and the impact of instructional materials on those subjects.
Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated?+5
The bill initiates a comprehensive study of Black history education to better understand and evaluate how this history is taught in public schools.
Would children be better off under this?+3
The bill aims to evaluate and potentially improve the quality of Black history education for students in public schools.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Assessment of Educational Quality: The study aims to assess the quality of Black history education by looking at in-class discussions, educational activities like homework, and project based learning (Sec. 2(b)(3)). This could provide insight into how well students are being taught.
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Evaluation of Instructional Materials: The Director will assess the types and quality of instructional materials used to teach Black history (Sec. 2(b)(4)). This ensures that the materials used in schools are being reviewed for quality.
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Insight into Curriculum Requirements: The study will identify which States and local educational agencies require Black history education and which do not (Sec. 2(b)(1)-(2)). This provides a clear picture of how different regions approach this part of the curriculum.
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Review of Student Assessment Methods: The bill directs an analysis of how schools assess students' knowledge of Black history, including both traditional and nontraditional assessments (Sec. 2(b)(6)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts are explicitly stated in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For African Americans+5Good For Children+3Good For Students+3
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Racial Equity+5
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+3
- 4/24/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 2/26/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 2/24/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 2/14/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 2/13/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
- 34 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
Shontel BrownDemocrat · Ohio
Wesley BellDemocrat · Missouri
Yvette ClarkeDemocrat · New York
Steve CohenDemocrat · Tennessee
André CarsonDemocrat · Indiana
Troy CarterDemocrat · Louisiana
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormickDemocrat · Florida
Danny DavisDemocrat · Illinois
Dwight EvansDemocrat · Pennsylvania
Adriano EspaillatDemocrat · New York
Lois FrankelDemocrat · Florida
Valerie FousheeDemocrat · North Carolina
Raúl GrijalvaDemocrat · Arizona
Al GreenDemocrat · Texas
Jahana HayesDemocrat · Connecticut
Henry JohnsonDemocrat · Georgia
Jonathan JacksonDemocrat · Illinois
Robin KellyDemocrat · Illinois
Timothy KennedyDemocrat · New York
Summer LeeDemocrat · Pennsylvania
James McGovernDemocrat · Massachusetts
Gwen MooreDemocrat · Wisconsin
Robert MenendezDemocrat · New Jersey
LaMonica McIverDemocrat · New Jersey
Jerrold NadlerDemocrat · New York
Eleanor NortonDemocrat · District of Columbia
Stacey PlaskettDemocrat · Virgin Islands
Ayanna PressleyDemocrat · Massachusetts
Delia RamirezDemocrat · Illinois
Janice SchakowskyDemocrat · Illinois
Bennie ThompsonDemocrat · Mississippi
Rashida TlaibDemocrat · Michigan
Shri ThanedarDemocrat · Michigan
Sylvester TurnerDemocrat · Texas
Nydia VelázquezDemocrat · New York
Maxine WatersDemocrat · California
Nikema WilliamsDemocrat · Georgia
Frederica WilsonDemocrat · Florida