African Burial Ground International Memorial Museum and Educational Center Study Act

This bill tells the U.S. Interior Department to study whether to create a new museum and learning center at the African Burial Ground National Monument in New York City. The museum would honor the people buried there and others who were enslaved, share African cultural traditions, and teach about slavery and the African diaspora. It would host permanent and temporary exhibits and collect and study artifacts and documents, with partnerships encouraged with the National Museum of African American History and Culture, HBCUs, and other museums and schools.

The study must look at what collections the museum would hold, whether they are unique and important, and even whether DNA from well-preserved remains could help trace the African homelands of those buried there. It must also review community and stakeholder support, a basic funding plan, who should run the museum, and where it should go—either at 22 Reade Street next to the monument or another spot within the monument. A report with findings on costs, location options, and recommendations is due within three years after funding begins.

• Who is affected: local residents, businesses, state and local governments, nonprofits, museums, schools (including HBCUs), and visitors and learners nationwide.
• What changes: a formal study on creating the African Burial Ground International Memorial Museum and Educational Center, including possible exhibits, collections, partnerships, management, and site choice (such as 22 Reade Street) .
• When: a public report is due within three years after funds are made available to carry out the act.