Julius Rosenwald and Rosenwald Schools National Historical Park Act

Bill Number: H.R. 8887
Origin Chamber: House
Congress: 119th Congress, Session 2
Policy Area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Status: Introduced
Latest Action: 2026-05-19: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Last Updated: 2026-07-10T08:05:56Z

AI-Generated Summary

Establish the Julius Rosenwald and Rosenwald Schools National Historical Park as a unit of the National Park System.
Commemorate the life and legacy of Julius Rosenwald, including his role in building Sears, Roebuck and Co., his philanthropy, and his partnership with approximately 5,000 African American communities to construct schools in the segregated South.
Recognize the Rosenwald Schools, built between 1912 and 1932 across 15 states, which educated more than 600,000 African American children and produced graduates who became civil rights leaders.
Honor additional elements of Rosenwald's legacy, such as the Julius Rosenwald Fund’s fellowships, support for legal cases leading to Brown v. Board of Education, and aid to historically Black colleges and universities.
Preserve select Rosenwald School sites and create a headquarters and visitor center near the former Sears complex in Chicago, Illinois.
Establish the Rosenwald Schools National Network to connect remaining sites and disseminate the story of the schools nationwide.

Establishment and Boundary (Section 4): Creates the Park upon the Secretary of the Interior’s determination that sufficient land has been acquired for a manageable unit. The boundary includes the 40-acre Sears Roebuck and Company Complex National Historic Landmark in Chicago, the San Domingo Rosenwald School (Maryland), the Saint George Rosenwald School (South Carolina), the Woodville Rosenwald School (Virginia), and any future sites designated by Congress.
Administration (Section 4): Directs the Secretary to manage the Park under existing National Park System laws (title 54, United States Code). Allows cooperative agreements with states, localities, and private entities for interpretation and preservation. Limits direct National Park Service management of two contributing schools. Authorizes land acquisition (with limits on the Maryland site) and requires a general management plan within three fiscal years of funding.
Interpretation and Related Sites (Section 4): Mandates inclusion of Rosenwald’s story at the Lincoln Home National Historic Site and Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site.
Rosenwald Schools National Network (Section 5): Establishes a program within the National Park Service to link related sites, produce educational materials, conduct research, issue grants, adopt an official symbol, and enter cooperative agreements. Includes all relevant National Park Service units, eligible National Register properties, and other educational sites.

Adds a new unit to the National Park System focused on a specific historical theme, integrating with but not substantially amending prior statutes governing the National Park Service.
Authorizes new cooperative agreements and grant authority for non-federal sites outside traditional park boundaries.
Requires the Secretary to develop a management plan and interpretive programs at existing National Park Service sites not previously connected to this topic.

Government Agencies: Expands responsibilities of the National Park Service for site management, visitor services, and network coordination; involves coordination with the Departments of the Interior and other federal entities through cooperative agreements.
Citizens: Provides public access to preserved historic sites and educational resources on African American education history and philanthropy; may increase tourism and preservation efforts in affected communities.
International Relations: No direct provisions or impacts identified in the legislation.

National Park Service and the Department of the Interior.
States of Illinois, Maryland, South Carolina, and Virginia, along with the city of Chicago.
Local communities, property owners, and organizations associated with the designated Rosenwald School sites.
Educational institutions, historical societies, and groups linked to civil rights history or the Julius Rosenwald Fund.
Private entities and nonpublic organizations eligible for cooperative agreements or network participation.

Legal: Establishes conditions for park creation tied to land acquisition; includes reimbursement provisions for misuse of funds and limitations on acquisition methods for specific sites. Operates under existing authorities in title 54, United States Code, without creating new regulatory frameworks beyond network symbol usage.
Constitutional: Aligns with Congress’s authority to establish national parks and manage federal property; no explicit constitutional challenges or limitations noted.
Political: Focuses on commemorating cross-community partnerships in education and civil rights history through federal designation and network expansion.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Julius Rosenwald and Rosenwald Schools National Historical Park Act — issued 2026-05-19 — PDF (16 pages)