NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A6583A
SPONSOR: Shrestha TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing November
twenty-sixth of each year as a day of commemoration known as "Sojourner
Truth Day"
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This legislation would establish the twenty-sixth of November as a day
of commemoration known as "Sojourner Truth Day" in honor of the prolific
abolitionist and women's rights advocate. A commemoration is an official
day of remembrance the state recognizes. It is neither a holiday nor a
resolution. In New York State, 36 commemorations are recognized in
Subdivision 3 of section 168-a of the executive law. Examples include
March 10th as Harriet Tubman Day and the 4th Saturday of September as
Native American Day.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1: List of days of commemoration as defined by subdivision 3 of
section 168-a of the executive law, including November twenty-sixth as
"Sojourner Truth Day".
Section 2: Effective Date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Sojourner Truth was a New York-born abolitionist who escaped slavery
with her infant daughter in 1826 and dedicated the remainder of her life
to fighting for equality. Truth was born into slavery in 1797 in the
Hudson Valley and was sold multiple times to slave owners there. In
1828, she became the first Black woman to successfully sue white men to
get her son released from slavery-a historic lawsuit that took place at
the Ulster County Courthouse in Kingston, New York.
Truth is one of the best known African-Americans of the 19th century and
the first Black woman to have a statue in the U.S. Capitol building,
unveiled in 2009 by first lady Michelle Obama. Along with Joan of Arc,
Harriet Tubman, Sacagawea, and Rosa Parks, Truth is one of the women
most represented in statues in the United States. Smithsonian magazine
listed Truth as one of the "100 Most Significant Americans of All Time."
She is one of the three 19th century abolitionists to be commemorated by
a U.S. postage stamp, along with Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass.
In 2016, the U.S. The Treasury Department announced that an image of
Sojourner Truth will appear on the back of a newly designed $10 bill
along with other prominent women, such as Susan B. Anthony.
Truth's significance is also found in cultural works, such as being
illustrated on the cover of New Yorker magazine, being referenced .in
the Broadway musical, The Civil War, and almost having Gloria
Steinheim's magazine named after her-it was eventually named Ms.
instead of Sojourner.
And yet, of the well-known black abolitionists of the 19th century,
Maryland-born Harriet Tubman is the only one New York
State'commemorates. Susan B. Anthony, who is associated with Truth in
their struggle for women's suffrage, is also commemorated by New York,
but Sojourner Truth is not, despite experiencing and fighting slavery
right here in our state, and going on to gain national prominence as one
of the best known social reformers of the era. New York's history of
emancipation and women rights is incomplete without the story of Sojour-
ner Truth. We must commemorate November 26th, the date of her death, as
Sojourner Truth Day, so that we can anchor her story to the story of our
state.
Unlike a resolution, which is one-time, a commemoration is an annual
remembrance day. Such an official day of remembrance would encourage the
re-telling and celebration of Truth's story and her role in our state's
history every year, such as with programming and events at cultural
centers, libraries, schools, parks, and more.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
01/31/22A9052 - referred to governmental operations
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This bill is effective immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6583--A
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 19, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SHRESTHA, BICHOTTE HERMELYN, RAGA, MEEKS, ANDER-
SON, CUNNINGHAM, HYNDMAN, KIM, RAJKUMAR, SHIMSKY, GALLAGHER, MAMDANI,
SIMON, DICKENS, GONZALEZ-ROJAS, LEVENBERG, WEPRIN, SIMONE, ALVAREZ,
SEPTIMO, BEEPHAN, THIELE, GUNTHER, AUBRY, LUNSFORD, MITAYNES,
O'DONNELL, REYES, DARLING, L. ROSENTHAL, BORES, ZINERMAN, TAYLOR,
RIVERA, JACOBSON, RAMOS, FAHY, PEOPLES-STOKES, KELLES, WALKER,
FORREST, VANEL, CLARK, EPSTEIN, LAVINE, LUCAS, SILLITTI -- read once
and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations -- recommit-
ted to the Committee on Governmental Operations in accordance with
Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing November
twenty-sixth of each year as a day of commemoration known as "Sojour-
ner Truth Day"
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 168-a of the executive law, as
2 amended by chapter 652 of the laws of 2023, is amended to read as
3 follows:
4 3. The following days shall be days of commemoration in each year:
5 January sixth, to be known as "Haym Salomon Day", January twenty-sev-
6 enth, to be known as "Holocaust Remembrance Day", February fourth, to be
7 known as "Rosa Parks Day", February fifteenth, to be known as "Susan B.
8 Anthony Day", February sixteenth, to be known as "Lithuanian Independ-
9 ence Day", February twenty-eighth, to be known as "Gulf War Veterans'
10 Day", March fourth, to be known as "Pulaski Day", March eighth, to be
11 known as "International Women's Day", March tenth, to be known as
12 "Harriet Tubman Day", March twenty-ninth, to be known as "Vietnam Veter-
13 ans' Day", April ninth, to be known as "POW Recognition Day", April
14 twenty-seventh, to be known as "Coretta Scott King Day", April twenty-
15 eighth, to be known as "Workers' Memorial Day", the first Tuesday in May
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05369-02-4
A. 6583--A 2
1 to be known as "New York State Teacher Day", May seventeenth, to be
2 known as "Thurgood Marshall Day", the first Sunday in June, to be known
3 as "Children's Day", June second, to be known as "Italian Independence
4 Day", June twelfth, to be known as "Women Veterans Recognition Day",
5 June nineteenth, to be known as "Juneteenth Freedom Day", June twenty-
6 fifth, to be known as "Korean War Veterans' Day", the second Monday in
7 July, to be known as "Abolition Commemoration Day", August twenty-
8 fourth, to be known as "Ukrainian Independence Day", August twenty-
9 sixth, to be known as "Women's Equality Day", September eleventh, to be
10 known as "Battle of Plattsburgh Day" and also to be known as "September
11 11th Remembrance Day", September thirteenth, to be known as "John Barry
12 Day" and also to be known as "Uncle Sam Day in the State of New York",
13 September seventeenth, to be known as "Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben
14 Memorial Day", the third Friday in September to be known as "New York
15 State POW/MIA Recognition Day" except if such date of commemoration
16 cannot be observed due to a religious holiday, such observances shall
17 then be conducted on the second Friday of September, the last Saturday
18 in September, to be known as "War of 1812 Day", the fourth Saturday of
19 September, known as "Native-American Day", the last Sunday in September,
20 to be known as "Gold Star Mothers' Day", October fifth, to be known as
21 "Raoul Wallenberg Day", October eleventh, to be known as "New Netherland
22 Day in the State of New York", October eighteenth, to be known as "Disa-
23 bilities History Day", October twenty-seventh, to be known as "Theodore
24 Roosevelt Day", November ninth, to be known as "Witness for Tolerance
25 Day", November twelfth, to be known as "Elizabeth Cady Stanton Day", the
26 third Tuesday in November to be known as "New York State School-Related
27 Professionals Recognition Day", November twenty-sixth, to be known as
28 "Sojourner Truth Day", November thirtieth, to be known as "Shirley
29 Chisholm Day", December third, to be known as "International Day of
30 Persons with Disabilities", December seventh, to be known as "Pearl
31 Harbor Day", December sixteenth, to be known as "Bastogne Day" and that
32 day of the Asian lunar calendar designated as new year to be known as
33 "Asian New Year".
34 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
