The U.S. House of Representatives voted today to create the African American Civil Rights Network Program within the National Park Service (H.R. 1927). The following is a statement from Thomas J. Cassidy, Jr., vice president, government relations and policy, National Trust for Historic Preservation:

“At historic sites, routes, corridors, and regions all over the country, the civil rights movement helped define the struggle for African-American equality. Establishing a network that links the vital places where these transformative events occurred deepens our understanding of our history and helps us to grasp its full context and complexity.

“We applaud Rep. Lacy Clay (D-MO) for his leadership in introducing this legislation, which represents a crucial advancement in how the diverse stories of our nation’s heritage are told. Companion legislation (S. 857) has been introduced in the Senate by Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN). That legislation is also included in S. 2012, the Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2016, a broad based bi-partisan energy bill introduced by Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA).”

Background on the African American Civil Rights Network Act

The African American Civil Rights Network Act recognizes the importance of the Civil Rights Movement and the sacrifices made by those who fought against discrimination and segregation of African-Americans. It creates the African American Civil Rights Network Program, which authorizes the National Park Service (NPS) to coordinate sites, activities and research that commemorate, honor and interpret the history of the modern Civil Rights movement (1939-1968).