An Act To Require Education about African-American History and the History of Genocide
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 0187
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: LUCHINI, TALBOT ROSS
Amends: 20-A MRSA §4706

Legislative Document
No. 187
S.P. 74
In Senate, January 25, 2021
An Act To Require Education about African-American History and 
the History of Genocide
Received by the Secretary of the Senate on January 21, 2021.  Referred to the Committee 
on Education and Cultural Affairs pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator LUCHINI of Hancock.
Cosponsored by Representative TALBOT ROSS of Portland.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §4706, as amended by PL 2009, c. 313, §§8 and 9, is further 
amended to read:
§4706.  Instruction in American history, African-American studies, Maine studies 
and, Maine Native American history and the history of genocide
Instruction in American history, government, citizenship and, African-American 
studies, Maine studies and the history of genocide must be aligned with the parameters for 
essential instruction and graduation requirements established under section 6209.
1.  American history.  American history, government and citizenship, including the 
Constitution of the United States, the Declaration of Independence, the importance of 
voting and the privileges and responsibilities of citizenship, must be taught in and required 
for graduation from all elementary and secondary schools, both public and private.  A 
required component of American history is African-American studies, which must be 
included in the review of content standards and performance indicators of the system of 
learning results conducted in accordance with section 6209, subsection 4.  
African-American studies must address African-American cultural systems and the 
experience of African-Americans throughout history.  Topics may include, but are not 
limited to, precolonial indigenous ethnic populations, African-American genocide, the 
Underground Railroad, emancipation, Reconstruction, the Great Migration, Jim Crow 
laws, the civil rights movement, the so-called war on drugs, the federal War on Poverty 
initiative and mass incarceration.  For the purposes of this subsection, "African-American 
genocide" means discriminatory genocidal laws, policies or actions targeted against 
African-Americans and indigenous ethnic populations throughout history, including 
slavery, lynching, economic disenfranchisement and other state-sanctioned killings.
2.  Maine studies.  Maine history, including the Constitution of Maine, Maine 
geography and environment and the natural, industrial and economic resources of Maine 
and Maine's cultural and ethnic heritage, must be taught.  A required component Required 
components of Maine studies is are Maine Native American studies and Maine African-
American studies, which must be included in the review of content standards and 
performance indicators of the learning results conducted in accordance with section 6209, 
subsection 4.  The Maine Native American studies must address the following topics:
A.  Maine tribal governments and political systems and their relationship with local, 
state, national and international governments;
B.  Maine Native American cultural systems and the experience of Maine tribal people 
throughout history;
C.  Maine Native American territories; and
D.  Maine Native American economic systems.
3.  History of genocide.  The history of genocide, including the Holocaust, must be 
taught and must be included in the review of content standards and performance indicators 
of the system of learning results conducted in accordance with section 6209, subsection 4.  
For purposes of this subsection, "Holocaust" means the program of discriminatory and 
genocidal laws, policies or actions targeted against discrete groups of individuals based on 
race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, physical disability or national origin, from 
January 1, 1933 to December 31, 1945, in Nazi Germany or in any European country allied 
with or occupied by Nazi Germany.
Sec. 2.  Development of curriculum; advisory groups.  The Department of 
Education shall identify curricular themes, collect information and prepare and distribute 
resources and materials for teaching African-American history and culture, including 
Maine African-American history and culture, and the history of genocide in accordance 
with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 4706.  The department shall also 
identify educators in the State who are implementing model approaches to teaching 
African-American history and culture and the history of genocide and highlight these 
educators in the distributed materials.
In order to collect information and prepare materials under this section for the teaching 
of African-American history and culture, the department shall convene a volunteer 
advisory group that includes scholars on African-American history and culture, 
representatives from African-American civil rights organizations in the State, 
African-American history and cultural organizations and the Gerald E. Talbot Collection 
at the University of Southern Maine and members of the public with knowledge, life 
experience or educational backgrounds that would inform the collection of information and 
preparation of materials.
In order to collect information and prepare materials under this section for the teaching 
of the history of genocide, the department shall convene a volunteer advisory group that 
includes scholars on the Holocaust and genocide studies, representatives of civil and human 
rights organizations and the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine and members 
of the public with knowledge, life experience or educational backgrounds that would 
inform the collection of information and preparation of materials.
Sec. 3.  Appropriations and allocations.  The following appropriations and 
allocations are made.
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF
Learning Systems Team Z081
Initiative: Provides one-time funds for the costs associated with the Department of 
Education holding meetings with stakeholders to revise the social studies standards.
GENERAL FUND
2021-22
2022-23
All Other
$9,000
$0
__________
__________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$9,000
$0
SUMMARY
This bill requires that African-American studies be taught in schools, aligned with the 
parameters for essential instruction and graduation requirements and included in the review 
of content standards and performance indicators of the system of learning results.  The bill 
directs the Department of Education to convene 2 volunteer advisory groups to collect 
information and prepare and make available materials for teaching African-American 
history and culture and the history of genocide in accordance with this legislation.