“A bill to establish the Julius Rosenwald and Rosenwald Schools National Historical Park, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section states the purposes of the Act, including (1) establishing a unit of the National Park System to commemorate the life and legacy of Julius Rosenwald—who partnered with Booker T. Washington and approximately 5,000 African American communities to build Rosenwald Schools (constructed 1912-1932 in 15 states that educated over 600,000 African American children, including civil rights leaders such as Rep. John Lewis, Maya Angelou, Medgar Evers, Nina Simone, and Carlotta Walls LaNier)—and to honor other aspects of Rosenwald's legacy, such as Julius Rosenwald Fund fellowships (1928-1948 to nearly 900 individuals, two-thirds African American, including Marian Anderson, Langston Hughes, and others), support for NAACP legal cases leading to Brown v. Board of Education, historically Black colleges and universities, and contributions to Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, Hull House, and the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry; (2) preserving representative Rosenwald School sites (e.g., San Domingo School in Sharptown, Maryland; Saint George Rosenwald School in Saint George, South Carolina; and Woodville Rosenwald School in Gloucester County, Virginia) and establishing a headquarters and visitor center for the Julius Rosenwald and Rosenwald Schools National Historical Park within or near the former Sears Merchandising Complex in Chicago's North Lawndale to educate visitors on Rosenwald's legacy and the schools' impact on African American education and U.S. democracy; and (3) establishing a National Park Service network to connect remaining Rosenwald Schools and disseminate their story nationwide.
This section defines four terms for purposes of the Act: (1) Map, meaning the map prepared under section 4(b)(2)(A); (2) Network, meaning the Rosenwald Schools National Network established under section 5(a)(1); (3) Park, meaning the Julius Rosenwald and Rosenwald Schools National Historical Park established by section 4(a)(1); and (4) Secretary, meaning the Secretary of the Interior.
This section establishes the Julius Rosenwald and Rosenwald Schools National Historical Park as a unit of the National Park System upon the Secretary of the Interior's determination that sufficient land or interests in land have been acquired to constitute a manageable unit, with notice published in the Federal Register. The park boundary encompasses (1) a 40-acre site in Chicago, Illinois, including the Sears Roebuck and Company Complex National Historic Landmark and adjacent Sears Sunken Garden; (2) the San Domingo Rosenwald School in Sharptown, Maryland; (3) the Saint George Rosenwald School in Saint George, South Carolina; (4) the Woodville Rosenwald School in Gloucester County, Virginia; and (5) any additional Rosenwald School or area designated by Congress post-enactment. A boundary map shall be prepared, filed, and made available for public inspection in National Park Service offices. The Saint George and Woodville schools are associated contributing resources but not directly managed by the National Park Service. The Secretary shall administer the park consistent with laws generally applicable to National Park System units (including 54 U.S.C. §§ 100101(a), 100751(a), 100752, 100753, 102101; chs. 1003, 3201). The Secretary may enter cooperative agreements with specified states, Chicago, and other entities to support interpretive and educational programs, preservation assistance, signage, exhibits, and interpretive devices at non-federal properties within or related to the park (ensuring reasonable public access); use appropriated funds for related marking, restoration, or technical assistance (subject to reimbursement for inconsistent use); and acquire easements or leases in Chicago's National Historic Landmark District (or nearby if needed) for administration and visitor services. The San Domingo School may be acquired only by donation, purchase with donated funds, or exchange. The Secretary shall provide interpretation of Julius Rosenwald's life and legacy—emphasizing his partnership with Booker T. Washington and approximately 5,000 Southern communities that established Rosenwald Schools—at the Lincoln Home National Historic Site and other relevant locations. (As background, Rosenwald Schools were constructed primarily in the early 20th century to provide education to African American children in the segregated South.)
This section establishes, within the National Park Service, the Rosenwald Schools National Network—a program to coordinate and promote sites, facilities, and programs related to Julius Rosenwald and the Rosenwald Schools (i.e., approximately 5,000 schools built for Black children in the segregated South, primarily from 1917 to 1932, with philanthropic funding from Rosenwald). The Secretary of the Interior must solicit proposals for Network participation; administer the Network by reviewing studies on the schools' historical importance, producing and disseminating educational materials (e.g., handbooks, maps, guides), entering cooperative agreements, adopting a uniform symbol with usage regulations, conducting research, recommending additional school sites for potential National Park Service management, and providing grants to Network elements; and coordinate with federal, state, local, and private entities. Network elements include relevant NPS units and programs, other federal, state, local, or private properties related to the schools that are listed or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, and directly related governmental or nongovernmental educational, research, or interpretive sites, facilities, or programs.