Growing up, many of us took pride in our heritage, yet often questioned the label “African-American.” For some — like myself — it felt overly broad, missing the depth and specificity of our unique lineage. As descendants of Black people who were enslaved or free in the United States before 1865 — including Freedmen, Gullah Geechee, Cherokee Freedmen, Soulaan, Creole, and other native lineages — our ancestry is not simply connected to this land; it is embedded in its very foundation. The term “African-American,” introduced in 1989, unintentionally groups our experience with more recent African and Caribbean immigrants, without distinguishing the distinct historical trajectory of those whose roots were forged through chattel slavery, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the unfinished promises of emancipation. While all members of the African diaspora deserve dignity and recognition, Foundational Black Americans carry a specific historical and political experience unique to the United States.

This is why we are calling for the formal recognition and delineation of Foundational Black Americans (FBA) as an ethnic group.

Delineating as FBA is not about exclusion. It is about clarity. It is about preservation. It is about political maturity and cultural pride. It allows us to distinguish our lineage, advocate for equitable policy outcomes tied to the specific harms inflicted upon our ancestors, and protect the cultural legacy that was rebuilt after centuries of forced displacement, family separation, and systemic erasure.

Juneteenth — June 19, 1865 — reminds us that even freedom in this country arrived late. Two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to inform enslaved Black Americans that they were legally free. That moment represents both delayed justice and the beginning of civic participation for our people. The Juneteenth star symbolizes that history — and the unfinished work that remains.

The Black American Heritage flag, created in 1967, represents pride in a culture reconstructed from fracture. It honors a people who had language stripped, lineage obscured, and identity fragmented — yet rebuilt themselves anyway.

The Soulaan lineage, Freedmen, Gullah Geechee, Creole, and other distinct communities demonstrate that not all Black Americans share identical migratory paths or genealogical stories. Recognizing this diversity within Black American identity strengthens, rather than weakens, our collective standing. This movement is supported by the Black Coffee Political Alliance — an independent civic alliance committed to educating, organizing, and advocating for the permanent interest of Foundational Black Americans.

Black Coffee represents clarity and awakening. It is strong, undiluted, and purposeful. We are neither Republican nor Democrat. We are focused on a permanent interest — the Black American interest.

We have no permanent friends.

We have no permanent enemies.

...Only a permanent interest.

By identifying and honoring Foundational Black Americans, we affirm our ancestors’ contributions to this nation, address the unique harms of systemic racism tied specifically to U.S. chattel slavery, and give our children a clear understanding of who they are and where they come from.

This is more than a label.

It is cultural clarity.

It is historical accuracy.

It is civic alignment.

It is long overdue recognition.

Please sign this petition to support the formal delineation and acknowledgment of Foundational Black Americans.