I am petitioning the U.S. Census Bureau and all federal, state, and private institutions to offer a distinct category for Black Americans who are not African immigrants.

Right now, the racial category “Black or African American” treats all Black people in the U.S. as one group, even though our identities, cultures, and histories are different. I did not grow up identifying as “African American,” and neither did many of my elders. We are Americans, born here for generations, and our roots are in the South, in American slavery, and in Black communities that go back centuries.

At the same time, there are immigrant Black people from Africa or the Caribbean who also deserve to mark their identities clearly.

When job applications, government forms, and school paperwork lump everyone under “Black or African American,” it erases the cultural differences and challenges that Foundational Black Americans or other heritage groups face.

I believe there should be:

✅ A category for Black American (non-immigrant). 

✅ A separate category for African or Caribbean immigrants 

✅️Hispanics/Latinos are asked to check "White or Black", after they check "Hispanic/Latino"... Same can be for Americans.

We deserve accurate recognition, data, and respect for our true cultural identity. Help make this change possible by signing and supporting this petition. Our names, our stories, and our heritage matter.

✅️ I also want to acknowledge that some of us don’t feel fully represented by the term “Black” or “African American.” These labels were chosen for us, not by us. We deserve the freedom to choose a name that reflects our reality. A new name or classification can and should be developed with input from our communities. It’s not about separating ourselves out of division, but about being recognized for our unique American experience—not treated like immigrants when we’re not.

✅️ Black Americans are from America - the USA 🇺🇸❤️⚜️🖤