§ 16-110-1. Legislative findings.
The General Assembly hereby finds and declares that:
(1) Rhode Island holds a unique place in history with the establishment of its Royal Charter on July 8, 1663, that marked the first time that a sovereign leader signed a charter guaranteeing that individuals within a society were free to practice the religion of their choice without any interference from the government.
(2) As Rhode Island became the first American colony to declare its independence from Great Britain on May 4, 1776, it simultaneously was one of the most active slave ports in British North America within the Transatlantic Slave Trade transporting thousands of enslaved Africans to the colony, with the first documented slave ship arriving at Newport in 1696.
(3) The contributions of African Heritage Peoples from across the African Diaspora representing all walks of life and their endeavors to learn and thrive throughout history and make unforgettable marks in our state and nation as artists, scientists, educators, businesspeople, influential thinkers, members of the faith community, athletes, and political and governmental leaders, reflects the greatness of the state of Rhode Island.
(4) The United States Department of Education says “education is primarily a state and local responsibility in the United States. It is states and communities, as well as public and private organizations of all kinds that establish schools and colleges and develop curricula.”
(5) The state of Rhode Island also has previously demonstrated its concerns and interests regarding raising awareness on the subject of African Heritage and History through the work of the 1696 Historical Commission as established by the general assembly and signed into law on July 1, 2014, and was tasked with developing a comprehensive African Heritage History curriculum for Rhode Island public schools from kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) and the commission led by our secretary of state and comprised of scholars, civic and educational leaders developed and submitted a comprehensive report that included units of instruction and educational resources.
(6) With the unifying call that Black Lives Matter, for racial reconciliation, and for social justice during the summer of 2020, and citizen equity being reflected across the state, nation, and world, the establishment of an African Heritage History curriculum in Rhode Island is long overdue. Given the importance of the issue to the political affairs of the United States, as well as the responsibility of the state to educate its citizens, it is a fundamental responsibility of the state of Rhode Island to ensure that the critical subject of African Heritage History is included as part of the curriculum in all public schools. In the words of civil rights leader, Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr., “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character — that is the goal of a true education.” Doctor King further stated, “History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.”
(7) It is the judgment of the Rhode Island general assembly to encourage that every board of education in the state shall include instruction on the subject of African Heritage History studies in an appropriate place in the curriculum, for all elementary and secondary students.
History of Section.
P.L. 2021, ch. 288, § 1, effective July 9, 2021; P.L. 2021, ch. 289, § 1, effective
July 9, 2021.