Section 1. Chapter 71 of General Laws is hereby amended adding the following section:

Section 2. Every school district and school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of Black History, including the history of the African slave trade, slavery in America, and the vestiges of slavery in this country. These events shall include not only the contributions made by individual African-Americans in government and in the arts, humanities and sciences to the economic, cultural and political development of the United States and Africa, but also the socio-economic struggle which African-Americans experienced collectively in striving to achieve fair and equal treatment under the laws of this nation. The studying of this material shall constitute an affirmation by students of their commitment to respect the dignity of all races and peoples and to forever eschew every form of discrimination in their lives and careers. The Department of Education and Secondary Education may prepare and make available to all school districts and schools instructional materials, which may be used as guidelines for development of a unit of instruction under this Section; provided, however, that each school district and school shall itself determine the minimum amount of instruction time which shall qualify as a unit of instruction satisfying the requirements of this Section. A school may meet the requirements of this Section through an online program or course.

Section 3. Public community colleges, colleges and universities shall offer a course studying the events of Black History, including the history of the African slave trade, slavery in America, and the vestiges of slavery in this country. These events shall include not only the contributions made by individual African-Americans in government and in the arts, humanities, and sciences to the economic, cultural, and political development of the United States and Africa, but also the socio-economic struggle that African-Americans experienced collectively in striving to achieve fair and equal treatment under the laws of this nation. The taking of this course shall constitute an affirmation by students of their commitment to respect the dignity of all races and peoples and to forever eschew every form of discrimination in their lives and careers.

Public community colleges, colleges and universities may meet the requirements of this Section by offering an online course.