Freedmen Status Correction Officially Filed with U.S. Census and OMB
- Arthur Watkins Jr.
- Apr 10, 2025
- 2 min read
On March 27, 2025, the Freedmen Reparations Fund Trust mailed certified letters to two of the most powerful federal agencies that control how Americans are classified: the U.S. Census Bureau and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). These letters carried a direct legal message: the Trust objects to the forced classification of Verified Freedmen under broad racial or ethnic categories such as “Black” or “African American.”
Delivery Confirmations
On April 7, 2025, the certified letter to Dr. Ron S. Jarmin, Acting Director of the U.S. Census Bureau, was delivered and accepted in Washington, DC.
On April 10, 2025, the certified letter to Dr. Karin A. Orvis, Chief Statistician at the Office of Management and Budget, was officially picked up and confirmed received.
These two agencies are responsible for maintaining the federal standards on race and ethnicity classifications used across nearly every aspect of government—from the census and contracts to civil rights enforcement and funding formulas. By delivering these formal objections, the Freedmen Reparations Fund Trust has now legally placed both institutions on notice.
What This Declaration Does
This declaration affirms that Freedmen:
Are not defined by race, but by a specific legal status tied to U.S. chattel slavery and federal emancipation.
Must not be categorized under generalized labels that include immigrants or non-Freedmen groups.
Have the right to be governed and represented by a status-based classification system overseen by the Trust itself.
From this point forward, any attempt to classify Verified Freedmen under pan-racial categories—despite the formal objection—may be considered willful misclassification, which could support future legal action or civil rights complaints.
A Historic Step in Self-Determination
This is more than a letter—it’s a legal foundation for a people.
It marks a turning point where Freedmen no longer wait for recognition, but claim it.
It also protects future generations from being erased, absorbed, or misrepresented by federal systems that were never designed to serve our specific experience.
With this declaration, the Trust has made it clear: our identity is not a checkbox.
It’s a —and it will be defended accordingly.
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