S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7330
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              March 25, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. WRIGHT -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Higher Education
 
 AN  ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the documentation and
   preservation of Black history in New York state by the state universi-
   ty of New York
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 351-a
 to read as follows:
   § 351-A. THE DOCUMENTATION AND PRESERVATION OF BLACK  HISTORY  IN  NEW
 YORK  STATE  BY THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK. 1. LEGISLATIVE INTENT.
 THE STATE OF NEW YORK RECOGNIZES HOW BLACK NEW YORKERS AND  PARTICULARLY
 COMMUNITIES  LIKE  HARLEM  HAVE SHAPED THE STATE'S CULTURAL, SOCIAL, AND
 HISTORICAL IDENTITY. BLACK COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN A PART  OF  NEW  YORK'S
 DEVELOPMENT  FROM  ENSLAVEMENT TO RECONSTRUCTION, THROUGH THE INEQUITIES
 OF JIM CROW, THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, AND THE CONTINUOUS STRUGGLE  FOR
 EQUITY  TODAY. THE STATE ACKNOWLEDGES THAT GENTRIFICATION AND THE UNDER-
 REPRESENTATION OF BLACK HISTORY HAVE CAUSED THE BLACK  COMMUNITY  TO  BE
 UPROOTED  AND  TO  LOSE  ITS HISTORY. FORTUNATELY, WE CURRENTLY HAVE THE
 PRIVILEGE OF HEARING FIRST-HAND STORIES FROM PEOPLE WHO WERE PRESENT  AT
 IMPORTANT  MOMENTS  IN  THE  BLACK  LIBERATION  MOVEMENT. THEIR PERSONAL
 ACCOUNTS  ARE  PRICELESS  EVIDENCE  OF  DETERMINATION,   ADVOCACY,   AND
 PROGRESS.  IF WE DO NOT TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION TO PROTECT THESE VOICES WE
 RUN THE RISK OF LOSING AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF OUR HISTORY.  THIS  SECTION
 AIMS  TO BUILD A RECORD OF THE IMPACT OF THESE COMMUNITIES ON THE FORMA-
 TION OF THE STATE AND TO PROVIDE METHODS FOR  THE  TEACHING,  RECORDING,
 AND PRESERVATION OF BLACK HISTORY.
   2.  BLACK  HISTORY  PRESERVATION  COMMISSION. (A) IN ORDER TO COLLECT,
 PRESERVE, AND DOCUMENT BLACK HISTORY IN NEW YORK STATE, THE BLACK HISTO-
 RY PRESERVATION COMMISSION IS HEREBY CREATED. INITIALLY, THE  COMMISSION
 SHALL PARTNER WITH THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT ALBANY, THE STATE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09879-01-5
              

 A. 7330                             2
 
 UNIVERSITY  OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO, AND THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
 AT STONY BROOK TO ASSESS THE PROJECT'S EFFECTIVENESS BEFORE EXPANDING TO
 ADDITIONAL CAMPUSES.
   (B)  THE  COMMISSION  SHALL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING NINE MEMBERS: (I)
 ONE MEMBER APPOINTED BY THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE; (II)  ONE
 MEMBER  APPOINTED  BY  THE  SPEAKER  OF  THE  ASSEMBLY; (III) ONE MEMBER
 APPOINTED BY  THE  MINORITY  LEADER  OF  THE  SENATE;  (IV)  ONE  MEMBER
 APPOINTED  BY  THE  MINORITY  LEADER  OF  THE  ASSEMBLY; (V) TWO MEMBERS
 APPOINTED BY THE CHANCELLOR OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF  NEW  YORK;  (VI)
 TWO  MEMBERS  APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR; AND (VII) THE CHANCELLOR OF THE
 STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK.
   (C) THE CHANCELLOR OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK SHALL SERVE  AS
 CHAIR  OF THE COMMISSION TO PROVIDE INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT AND ENSURE THE
 PROJECT ALIGNS WITH THE GOALS  OF  THE  STATE  UNIVERSITY  OF  NEW  YORK
 SYSTEM.
   (D)  THE  COMMISSION  SHALL ADVANCE THE UNDERSTANDING AND AWARENESS OF
 BLACK HISTORY, PARTICULARLY  THE  HISTORY  AND  CONTRIBUTIONS  OF  BLACK
 COMMUNITIES   IN   NEW  YORK  STATE  THROUGH  EDUCATIONAL  PROGRAMS  AND
 RESOURCES.
   (E) THE COMMISSION SHALL BE IN CHARGE OF DOCUMENTING, PRESERVING,  AND
 CIRCULATING HISTORICAL MATERIALS ABOUT BLACK HISTORY IN NEW YORK.
   (F)  THE  COMMISSION  SHALL GUARANTEE THAT BLACK NEW YORKERS' PERSPEC-
 TIVES AND CONTRIBUTIONS ARE HEARD BY COLLABORATING WITH CULTURAL  INSTI-
 TUTIONS AND HISTORICAL GROUPS.
   (G)  THE  COMMISSION  SHALL  ADVOCATE FOR LEGISLATIVE SUPPORT TO FUND,
 PROMOTE, AND SUSTAIN INITIATIVES RELATED TO THE PRESERVATION AND  EDUCA-
 TION OF BLACK HISTORY WITHIN NEW YORK.
   (H)  THE  STATE  UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK SHALL ASSIST THE COMMISSION IN
 ACHIEVING THESE OBJECTIVES THROUGH JOINT  RESEARCH  INITIATIVES,  PUBLIC
 AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS, AND THE CREATION OF EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS TO ENSURE
 GREATER  AWARENESS  AND  UNDERSTANDING  OF BLACK HISTORY CREATING A MORE
 INCLUSIVE AND ACCURATE REPRESENTATION OF NEW YORK'S DIVERSE HISTORY.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.