HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4215        FILED ON: 3/14/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Vanna Howard

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying resolve:

Resolve providing for a special commission to examine anti-slavery education in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4215        FILED ON: 3/14/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

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Resolve providing for a special commission to examine anti-slavery education in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Resolved, that a special commission is hereby established for the purpose to study and make recommendations regarding the teaching of anti-slavery education in Massachusetts schools.  Every school district shall for the purpose of educating middle and high school students include in its curriculum a unit of instruction on the history of slavery utilizing, but not be limited to, the Massachusetts History and Social Science Curriculum Framework disseminated by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Acts of slavery across the globe shall be taught consistently within the curriculum frameworks to (i) promote the teaching of racism issues in all public schools and school districts, with particular attention to the study of the inhumanity of slavery; (ii) address the notion that national, ethnic, racial, or religious hatred can overtake any nation or society, leading to calamitous consequences; and (iii) reaffirm the commitment of free peoples from all nations to never again permit the occurrence of another genocide and recognition that crimes of slavery continue to be perpetrated across the globe as they have been in the past, and to deter indifference to crimes against humanity and human suffering wherever they may occur.

The commission shall consist of the commissioner of the department of secondary and elementary education or his designee, who shall serve as commission chair; 2 members of the senate, 1 of whom shall be appointed by the senate president and 1 of whom shall be appointed by the minority leader of the senate; 2 members of the house of representatives, 1 of whom shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and 1 of whom shall be appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives; 2 persons to be appointed by the governor, 1 of whom shall have experience as an educator in the field of anti-slavery education; 2 persons appointed by the attorney general, 1 of whom shall have experience in education law in the field of anti-slavery education. The commission shall convene its first meeting not later than June 1, 2023, and shall file a report along with any recommendations for legislation not later than November 30, 2023, with the clerks of the senate and house, the chairs of the senate and house committees on ways and means, and the chairs of the joint committee on education.