Rep. La Shawn K. Ford

Filed: 2/28/2020

 

 


 

 


 
10100HB4954ham001LRB101 18614 CMG 70677 a

1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 4954

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 4954 on page 1, line
35, after "24-2", by inserting ", 27-20.4,"; and
 
4on page 4, immediately below line 14, by inserting the
5following:
 
6    "(105 ILCS 5/27-20.4)  (from Ch. 122, par. 27-20.4)
7    Sec. 27-20.4. Black History study. Every public elementary
8school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit
9of instruction studying the events of Black History, including
10the history of the African slave trade, slavery in America, and
11the vestiges of slavery in this country. These events shall
12include not only the contributions made by individual
13African-Americans in government and in the arts, humanities and
14sciences to the economic, cultural and political development of
15the United States and Africa, but also the socio-economic
16struggle which African-Americans experienced collectively in

 

 

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1striving to achieve fair and equal treatment under the laws of
2this nation. The studying of this material shall constitute an
3affirmation by students of their commitment to respect the
4dignity of all races and peoples and to forever eschew every
5form of discrimination in their lives and careers.
6    In addition, the teaching of Black History must also
7include all of the following areas:
8        (1) The study of the American civil rights renaissance,
9    that period of time from 1954 to 1965 called the Movement.
10        (2) The study of the pre-enslavement history of Black
11    people from 3,000 BCE to AD 1619, including instruction
12    about ancient civilizations, kingdoms, kings, queens, and
13    warriors; their contributions to medicine, literature,
14    technology, architecture, and economics; and their
15    achievements.
16        (3) The study of the reasons why Black people came to
17    be enslaved.
18        (4) The promotion of a commonality of identity for all
19    people to help with conflict resolution and to increase
20    self-worth.
21    The State Superintendent of Education may prepare and make
22available to all school boards instructional materials,
23including those established by the Amistad Commission, which
24may be used as guidelines for development of a unit of
25instruction under this Section; provided, however, that each
26school board shall itself determine the minimum amount of

 

 

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1instruction time which shall qualify as a unit of instruction
2satisfying the requirements of this Section.
3    A school may meet the requirements of this Section through
4an online program or course.
5(Source: P.A. 100-634, eff. 1-1-19.)".