§ 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.