I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1278 
To establish the African Burial Ground International Memorial Museum and 
Educational Center in New York, New York, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 14, 2019 
Mr. NADLER (for himself, Mr. MEEKS, Ms. CLARKE of New York, and Mr. 
ESPAILLAT) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To establish the African Burial Ground International Memo-
rial Museum and Educational Center in New York, New 
York, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘African Burial Ground 
International Memorial Museum and Educational Center 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds that— 
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(1) the African Burial Ground National His-
toric Landmark in New York, New York, holds the 
remains of up to 20,000 enslaved Africans and 
early-generation African Americans from the colonial 
era; 
(2) the Africans and African Americans that 
suffered under slavery show us the strength of the 
human character and provide us with a model of 
courage, commitment, and perseverance; 
(3) as President George W. Bush stated on 
July 8, 2003, during his remarks at Goree Island, 
Senegal: ‘‘For 250 years the captives endured an as-
sault on their culture and their dignity. The spirit 
of Africans in America did not break. . . . All the 
generations of oppression under the laws of man 
could not crush the hope of freedom and defeat the 
purposes of God.’’; 
(4) on February 27, 2006, President George W. 
Bush established the National Monument, which was 
comprised of the approximately 15,000-square-foot 
parcel of the National Historic Landmark that was 
bounded by Duane and Elk Streets in Lower Man-
hattan; 
(5) an international memorial museum facility 
dedicated to those individuals who suffered the grave 
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injustice of slavery in the United States, while at the 
same time helping to build the country, would— 
(A) reflect the significance of the African 
Burial Ground; and 
(B) help the people of the United States 
understand the past and honor the history of all 
people in the United States; 
(6) in 1998, the Secretary of the Smithsonian 
Institution— 
(A) stated that the African Burial Ground 
affords the perfect opportunity to gain insight 
into— 
(i) the institution of slavery, as prac-
ticed in urban, rural, northern, and south-
ern parts of the United States; and 
(ii) the international slave trade; and 
(B) proposed that a partnership be formed 
among the Smithsonian, the National Park 
Service, and the General Services Administra-
tion to further develop the African Burial 
Ground; 
(7) the National Museum of African American 
History and Culture Act (20 U.S.C. 80r et seq.), 
which authorized construction of a museum in 
Washington, DC, identified the period of slavery as 
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one of the periods of the African-American diaspora 
that would be encompassed by the museum; 
(8) the African Burial Ground— 
(A) is unlike any other anthropological and 
symbolic site in the United States or the world; 
(B) includes DNA samples from the re-
markably well-preserved human remains that 
will enable researchers to trace the home 
‘‘roots’’ in Africa of those individuals buried at 
the African Burial Ground; and 
(C) provides a fitting location for a na-
tional memorial facility, relating to the National 
Museum of African American History and Cul-
ture that would— 
(i) pay special tribute to— 
(I) the thousands of enslaved in-
dividuals who are buried at the Afri-
can Burial Ground; and 
(II) all of the individuals who 
were enslaved during the history of 
the United States; 
(ii) examine the African cultural tra-
ditions brought to the United States by the 
enslaved; and 
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(iii) explore in-depth the institution of 
slavery; 
(9) a memorial museum at the site of the Afri-
can Burial Ground— 
(A) was first recommended by a Federal 
steering committee in 1992; and 
(B) in conjunction with the World Trade 
Center memorial and other nearby sites, would 
attract millions of visitors from the United 
States and abroad, making a substantial con-
tribution to the development and revitalization 
of Lower Manhattan in response to the attacks 
on the World Trade Center of September 11, 
2001; 
(10) Public Law 99–511 (100 Stat. 2080) en-
couraged support for the establishment of a com-
memorative structure within the National Park Sys-
tem or on other Federal land that is dedicated to the 
promotion of understanding, knowledge, opportunity, 
and equality for all people; 
(11) similar to the National Museum of the Na-
tive American that was established by section 3(a) of 
the National Museum of the American Indian Act 
(20 U.S.C. 80q–1(a)), a memorial museum at the 
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site of the African Burial Ground would benefit from 
a partnership among— 
(A) the Federal Government; 
(B) the State of New York; 
(C) the city of New York; and 
(D) members of the private sector; 
(12) the African Burial Ground— 
(A) has been determined to be nationally 
significant as— 
(i) a National Historic Landmark; 
and 
(ii) a National Monument; and 
(B) provides an important opportunity for 
interpretation, understanding, partnership and 
pride; and 
(13) the National Park Service— 
(A) has played an important role in the de-
velopment of the African Burial Ground (in-
cluding the designation of the African Burial 
Ground as a National Monument); 
(B) successfully operates other national fa-
cilities in the city of New York that symbolize 
freedom and the quest for freedom in America, 
including— 
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(i) the Statue of Liberty National 
Monument; and 
(ii) the Ellis Island National Monu-
ment; 
(C) provided key support to the Presi-
dential Study Commission for the National Mu-
seum of African American History and Culture; 
and 
(D) is well-suited to assume a leadership 
role with respect to the creation of the Museum. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the General 
Services Administration. 
(2) ADVISORY COUNCIL.—The term ‘‘Advisory 
Council’’ means the African Burial Ground Advisory 
Council established by section 7(a). 
(3) CITY.—The term ‘‘City’’ means the city of 
New York, New York. 
(4) EXPANSION PROPERTY.—The term ‘‘expan-
sion property’’ means the property that is acquired 
by the Secretary under section 5(a). 
(5) MUSEUM.—The term ‘‘Museum’’ means the 
African Burial Ground International Memorial Mu-
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seum and Educational Center established by section 
4(a). 
(6) NATIONAL
LANDMARK.—The term ‘‘Na-
tional Landmark’’ means the African Burial Ground 
National Historic Landmark in the City. 
(7) NATIONAL
MONUMENT.—The term ‘‘Na-
tional Monument’’ means the African Burial Ground 
National Monument in the City. 
(8) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di-
rector of the National Park Service. 
(9) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 
of New York. 
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF MUSEUM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established at the 
National Monument a memorial museum and educational 
center, to be known as the ‘‘African Burial Ground Inter-
national Memorial Museum and Educational Center’’. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the Museum are— 
(1) to serve as a permanent living memorial— 
(A) to the enslaved who are buried at the 
African Burial Ground; and 
(B) to other Africans and African Ameri-
cans who were enslaved; 
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