New York Gov. Kathy Hochul released a final report from the state Commission on African American History recommending investments in areas of education, community, economic development and more in an effort to offer actions the state can take to counterbalance historic disparities with Black residents, the governor’s office said Wednesday.
The governor also announced $16 million to support the development and implementation of those recommendations.
The report is a response to an executive order Hochul signed in March 2022 establishing the commission to spend two years studying the subject.
“While Juneteenth is a joyous occasion, it’s also a reminder of how we must reckon with all parts of our shared history as New Yorkers,” Hochul said in a statement. “Thanks to the great work of this Commission, we are making progress to right the wrongs of the past as we celebrate and preserve the history of our state’s Black community for generations to come.”
Hochul said the $16 million will help advance recommendations made by the commission in time to observe the 400th anniversary of the arrival of 11 captured Africans brought to New Amsterdam for purchase in New York state, occurring in 2026.
Separately, a panel created by legislation last year will look into the state’s history of slavery and how to repair its lasting impacts on descendants of enslaved New Yorkers.
