Congress finds that—

(1) since its founding, the United States has grown into a symbol of democracy and freedom around the world, and the legacy of African Americans is rooted in the very fabric of the democracy and freedom of the United States;

(2) there exists no national museum within the Smithsonian Institution that—

(A) is devoted to the documentation of African American life, art, history, and culture; and

(B) encompasses, on a national level—

(i) the period of slavery;

(ii) the era of Reconstruction;

(iii) the Harlem renaissance;

(iv) the civil rights movement; and

(v) other periods associated with African American life, art, history, and culture; and

(3) a National Museum of African American History and Culture would be dedicated to the collection, preservation, research, and exhibition of African American historical and cultural material reflecting the breadth and depth of the experiences of individuals of African descent living in the United States.