Freedmen Nation Recognizes the Cultural Term “FBA” Under Article XXI

The Freedmen Reparations Fund Trust has formally adopted Article XXI, which recognizes the term Foundational Black Americans (FBA) as a cultural and social expression connected to the lived experience of Freedmen. While the Trust does not use “FBA” for legal verification or reparative eligibility, this recognition affirms its relevance in modern discourse and acknowledges its resonance within the Freedmen community.

The term “FBA” has emerged in recent years as a way to identify those whose lineage traces back to persons enslaved in the United States. Though the Trust retains “Freedmen” as its exclusive legal classification for verification, reparations, land protections, and advocacy, the term “FBA” may be used in educational, cultural, or outreach materials—as long as it does not imply legal status or replace the identity standards upheld by the Trust.

This recognition is part of a broader effort to preserve clarity and alignment in the language we use to defend Freedmen rights. As with our recognition of the term “Negro” in historical records, we are committed to protecting the documentation and expressions that define our experience—without allowing them to be misused or misrepresented.

FBA is cultural. Freedmen is legal.

Article XXI ensures that both can exist within the Freedmen Nation framework without confusion, erasure, or contradiction.