This bill establishes a new National Historical Park to commemorate Julius Rosenwald, a Sears executive and philanthropist who, in partnership with Booker T. Washington, funded the construction of approximately 5,000 schools for African American children in the segregated South between 1912 and 1932. The park will consist of a headquarters and visitor center at the former Sears complex in Chicago, Illinois, along with three restored historic Rosenwald School buildings in Maryland, South Carolina, and Virginia. The bill also creates a Rosenwald Schools National Network within the National Park Service to connect and interpret remaining schools throughout the country and educate the public about Rosenwald's broader philanthropic legacy, which included supporting civil rights legal cases and funding fellowships for talented African Americans, many of whom became prominent civil rights leaders and artists. The Secretary of the Interior will administer the park and network, enter into cooperative agreements with states and local partners, and must complete a management plan within three fiscal years after funding becomes available, though the specific funding amount is not specified in the legislation.
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