African Diaspora Heritage Month Act of 2025
The African Diaspora Heritage Month Act of 2025 would require the President to designate, each year, a month as African Diaspora Heritage Month and to issue a corresponding proclamation calling on federal, state, and local governments, as well as the American people, to observe the month with appropriate programs and activities. The bill would add a new Sec. 149 to Chapter 1 of Title 36 (U.S. Code), establishing this annual designation and observation, and would update the table of sections to reflect Sec. 149. The bill also includes a long list of findings about the African diaspora in the United States—its size, diversity, economic contributions, and international ties—to justify the designation. No funding or spending authorization is attached to the bill.
Key Points
- 1Designation and proclamation
- 2- The President must issue an annual proclamation designating a month as African Diaspora Heritage Month and urging observance by state/local governments and the public, including civil and educational communities.
- 3Legislative addition
- 4- Adds new Sec. 149 to Title 36, United States Code, codifying the designation and observance requirement.
- 5- Amends the table of sections to add “149. African Diaspora Heritage Month.”
- 6Findings used to justify designation
- 7- The bill lays out findings about the growth and contributions of the African diaspora in the U.S., including population size, economic impact, remittances, trade with Africa, and the role of the diaspora in U.S.–Africa relations.
- 8Scope of observance
- 9- Encourages observance through programs and activities at federal, state, and local levels, and by civil and educational authorities.
- 10Funding
- 11- The text does not authorize funding or spending for the designation; it is a symbolic/ceremonial designation with no appropriation included.