20 U.S.C. § 80r: Findings

Summary

Congress says there is no Smithsonian museum that focuses on African American life, art, history, and culture for the whole nation. It notes the United States stands for democracy and freedom, and that African American history is a key part of that story. The museum should cover major eras like slavery, Reconstruction, the Harlem Renaissance, the civil rights movement, and other periods. Congress says a National Museum of African American History and Culture would collect, save, study, and show items that reflect the wide range of experiences of people of African descent in the United States.

Title 20, §80r

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Congress finds that—

(1)since its founding, the United States has grown into a symbol of democracy and freedom around the world, and the legacy of African Americans is rooted in the very fabric of the democracy and freedom of the United States;

(2)there exists no national museum within the Smithsonian Institution that—

(A)is devoted to the documentation of African American life, art, history, and culture; and

(B)encompasses, on a national level—

(i)the period of slavery;

(ii)the era of Reconstruction;

(iii)the Harlem renaissance;

(iv)the civil rights movement; and

(v)other periods associated with African American life, art, history, and culture; and

(3)a National Museum of African American History and Culture would be dedicated to the collection, preservation, research, and exhibition of African American historical and cultural material reflecting the breadth and depth of the experiences of individuals of African descent living in the United States.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title

Pub. L. 108–184, § 1, Dec. 16, 2003, 117 Stat. 2676, provided that: “This Act [enacting this subchapter] may be cited as the ‘National Museum of African American History and Culture Act’.”

§80r Findings

Summary

Title 20, §80r

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title

Citations & Metadata