Declaration of Freedom

We are the descendants of chattel slavery in the United States of America. Our ancestors endured the unthinkable and still chose to survive. In their honor, we make this Declaration of Freedom.

We offer it as an act of remembrance,

not as a reaction to what was done to us, 

but as confirmation of who we are.

Our freedom was not granted by law. 

It was carried through generations, 

guarded in prayer, 

secured through the sacrifice of labor, 

and spoken boldly by those who dreamed beyond what they were given.

We name it now, 

not to claim it for the first time, 

but to preserve it—fully, formally, and without apology.

This is not the origin of our freedom.
This is our liberation.

We are not here because space was made for us.
We are here because our ancestors refused to give up.
They endured without promise.
They fought without praise.

They hoped without proof
so we could live without bondage.

We rise in their name.
We walk in their footsteps.
We build what they made possible.

We Affirm:

• That joy is a part of our heritage.
• That rest is a part of our legacy.
• That our children deserve provision.
• That healing is our accountability.
• That our history is significant.
• That our culture is influential.
• That our rights are requirements.
• That our lives are meaningful.

We Reject:

• The belief that pain makes us authentic.
• The silence that underpins injustice.
• The illusion of inclusion without power.
• The lie that our worth must be proven.
• Systems that divide us and deny our humanity.

We Commit:

• To honor our collective past and presence.
• To physical, spiritual, and structural restoration.
• To teach our children the truth with discernment.
• To speak thoughtfully and listen with patience.
• To lead with integrity without acknowledgement.
• To build institutions that reflect our sovereignty.
• To align with fellow Foundational Black Americans.

Freedom is our inheritance.
It is sacred.
It is covenant.
It is structural.
It is not given.
It is secured.

We carry it.
We protect it.
We extend it.

For those who came before us.
For those who stand with us.
For those still to come.

We are free.
And our freedom will be sustained
generation to generation,
system to system,
with truth, honor, and dignity.