About the Commission
The Amistad Commission is charged to survey, design, encourage, and promote the implementation of education and awareness programs in New Jersey concerned with the contributions of African Americans in building our country, including:
- The history of African civilizations
- The forced migration of African people to the Western hemisphere
- The ancestral origins of African Americans
- The history of slavery in the Americas
- The role African Americans in the development of the American colonies and the Republic
- The development of African American culture
- The resistance to oppression and enslavement
- The abolition movement
- African American practice of freedom
- Resistance to Inequality
- The creation of Black institutions
- Black cultural productions
- Civil Rights achievements
- Contemporary Black culture and resistance
The Commission shall develop workshops, institutes, seminars and other training activities designed to educate teachers on this subject matter; and shall be responsible for the coordination of events on a regular basis, throughout the State of New Jersey as well as provide appropriate memorialization of the events concerning the enslavement of Africans and their descendants in America as well as their struggle for freedom and liberty.
The Commission’s Teaching Resources and Educator Support Committee asserts that African Americans, and all others excluded from the national narrative, shaped this country’s trajectory in important ways. The Commission also asserts that the significance of African Americans, and others, has been devalued in K-12 classrooms. The primary work of this Commission is to provide an inclusive social studies and world history curriculum, especially in United States. The committee approached its work with thoughtful urgency.
The approach also affirms the need for schools to continue to offer separate courses on African Americans as a subfield of United States history. As in other subfields – women’s history, labor history, and ethnic histories – in African American history, scholars interpret the human story from within the African American experience, and through that lens, scholars reveal universal truths about the human experience. Much of the new interpretations of United States history emanate from knowledge discovered within subfields such as African American history.
Meet our Board of Commissioners
Vice-Chair
Acting Commissioner of Education
Meet our Team
Dr. Patrick J. Lamy
Executive Director
Ms. Iman AQuddus
Education Program Development Specialist 3 Coordinator for Projects, Research, and Policy Analysis
Mr. Trevor K. Melton
Education Program Development 2 Specialist and Special Programs Liaison
Ms. Glender Terrell
Administrative Assistant
STRATEGIC PLAN: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
We are thrilled to present the strategic plan for the Amistad Commission. Since embarking on this journey in March 2023, our initial steps focused on identifying our internal and external support networks, recognizing that the Commission’s future hinges on forging new partnerships. We also acknowledged the importance of involving all stakeholders in discussions about our mission, vision, core values, and key priorities for the next five years.
The Strategic Planning Council and the Strategic Plan Advisory Group have been pivotal in preparing the Commission to fulfill the Amistad Law’s mandate. We listened to the voices of our students, teachers, community partners, and supporters, who highlighted opportunities to enhance the Commission’s work. Our statewide survey provided a crucial assessment of our current standing and offered a fresh perspective on our past achievements and future opportunities. Although some feedback was challenging to hear, it has been both insightful and impactful. Our new direction is firmly rooted in community feedback, and we are grateful to everyone who contributed to shaping our strategies for future success.
We are proud of our new vision, mission, and core values. More importantly, we are excited about the strategic priorities that have emerged from these foundational elements. We will move forward with partnership, collaboration, and purpose. The Commission’s best work lies ahead as we build on six strategic priorities:
- 1Ensuring our collective efforts meet legislative mandates
- 2Building bridges with major stakeholders and community partners
- 3Establishing clear, measurable goals and objectives for the Commission
- 4Increasing district participation statewide
- 5
Boldly and strategically communicating the Amistad Commission agenda
- 6
Providing new supportive resources for students, teachers, and school districts
Our new Strategic Plan will be evaluated annually with input from our internal and external communities. It serves as our blueprint for the vital work of the Amistad Commission.