§41-9-981. Legislative findings.

The Legislature finds and declares the following:

(1) During the period from 1933-1945, six million Jews and millions of other Europeans were murdered in Nazi concentration camps as part of a carefully orchestrated program of cultural, social, political, and ethnic genocide known as the Holocaust.

(2) All people should remember the horrible atrocities committed at that time and other times in human history as the result of bigotry, discrimination, and the abuse of power and should continually rededicate themselves to the principles of human rights and equal protection under the laws of this democratic society.

(3) It is desirable to educate Alabama citizens about the events leading up to the Holocaust and about organizations, institutions, and facilities that were created and used purposefully for the systematic destruction of human beings.

(4) It is the policy of the State of Alabama that Holocaust education is the proper concern of all peoples.

(5) Although annual commemorations for the remembrance of the Holocaust, programs, workshops, institutes, seminars, and other teacher-training activities for the study of the Holocaust have taken place on a limited basis during recent years in Alabama, it is now desirable to create a permanent state-level commission.

(6) The commission, as an organized body, shall survey, design, encourage, and promote implementation of ongoing Holocaust education and awareness programs of the Holocaust throughout the state.

(Act 99-404, p. 685, §1.)