August 2019 will commemorate 400 years since the first documented arrival of Africans to arrive in the U.S. which is why Rep. Bobby Scott introduced the 400 Years of African-American History Commission Act last year. He, along with a close group of like-minded individuals, wanted to establish a committee dedicated to creating programs and planning various events which would acknowledge the arrival of these people as well as their contributions and influence in the United States.
Surprisingly, President Trump signed the bill into law on Monday! Per Congress’s website, the 400 Years of African-American History Commission Act “establishes the 400 Years of African-American History Commission to develop and carry out activities throughout the United States to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Africans in the English colonies at Point Comfort, Virginia, in 1619.”
One of the things that the commission must do under this bill is create programs which acknowledge the impact that slavery and certain discriminatory laws have had on the United States. They may also provide grants to non-profits or communities who develop any programs and “scholarly organizations to research, publish, or distribute information relating to the arrival of Africans in the United States.”
This feels like a win, y’all!
TSR STAFF: Talia O. @theclosetratchet on IG
Source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1242
