Section 57.51. Legislative findings

The  legislature finds and declares
  that:
    1. During the period beginning late in the fifteenth  century  through
  the  nineteenth  century,  millions  of  persons  of African origin were
  enslaved and brought to the Western  Hemisphere,  including  the  United
  States  of  America;  anywhere  from  between twenty to fifty percent of
  enslaved Africans died during their journey to the  Western  Hemisphere;
  the  enslavement  of  Africans  and  their  descendants  was  part  of a
  concerted effort of physical and psychological terrorism  that  deprived
  groups  of people of African descent the opportunity to preserve many of
  their social, religious, political and other customs;  the  vestiges  of
  slavery  in this country continued with the legalization of second class
  citizenship  status  for  African-Americans  through  Jim   Crow   laws,
  segregation  and  other  similar  practices;  the  legacy of slavery has
  pervaded the fabric of our society; and in spite of these  events  there
  are  endless  examples  of  the  triumphs of African-Americans and their
  significant contributions to the development of this country.
    2. All people should know  of  and  remember  the  human  carnage  and
  dehumanizing atrocities committed during the period of the African slave
  trade  and  slavery  in  America  and of the vestiges of slavery in this
  country; and it is in fact  vital  to  educate  our  citizens  on  these
  events,  the  legacy  of  slavery,  the  sad  history  of racism in this
  country, and on  the  principles  of  human  rights  and  dignity  in  a
  civilized society.
    3.  It  is the policy of the state of New York that the history of the
  African slave trade, slavery in America, the depth of  their  impact  in
  our society, and the triumphs of African-Americans and their significant
  contributions  to  the development of this country is the proper concern
  of all people, particularly students enrolled  in  the  schools  of  the
  state of New York.
    4. It is therefore desirable to create a state-level commission, which
  shall  research  and  survey the extent to which the African slave trade
  and slavery in America is included in the curricula of  New  York  state
  schools,  and  make  recommendations  to  the  legislature and executive
  regarding the implementation of education and awareness programs in  New
  York  concerned  with  the  African slave trade, slavery in America, the
  vestiges  of  slavery  in  this  country,  and  the   contributions   of
  African-Americans  in  building  our  country.  Such recommendations may
  include,  but  not  be  limited  to,  the  development   of   workshops,
  institutes,  seminars, and other teacher training activities designed to
  educate teachers on this subject matter; the coordination of events on a
  regular  basis,  throughout  the   state,   that   provide   appropriate
  memorialization of the events concerning the enslavement of Africans and
  their  descendants  in America as well as their struggle for freedom and
  liberty; and suggestions for revisions to the  curricula  and  textbooks
  used  to  educate  the  students  of  New  York  state to reflect a more
  adequate inclusion of issues identified by the commission.