Kaine Introduces Bill to Create African Diaspora Heritage Month

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced a bill authorizing the formal designation of an African Diaspora Heritage Month, traditionally celebrated by the diaspora community in September, recognizing and reaffirming the significant contributions of the African diaspora to the growth and prosperity of the United States.

“The African diaspora makes our Commonwealth and country stronger,” said Kaine. “I’m proud to introduce this bill to celebrate this diverse group and acknowledge their abundant cultural and economic contributions to our communities.”

In addition to Kaine, the bill is cosponsored by Senators Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR).

Virginia is home to more than 115,000 African immigrants, thousands of whom are small- and medium-sized business owners who have helped bring more than $200 million in international trade to the Commonwealth. The Virginia General Assembly passed a resolution to designate September as Virginia African Diaspora Heritage Month in March 2022.

Full text of the bill is available here.

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