FRFT’s Objection to Trump: Freedmen’s Love for America Is Written Into Its History
The Freedmen Reparations Fund Trust objects to any suggestion that Freedmen’s demand for reparations demonstrates hatred of America. Disagreement over reparations does not justify questioning an entire people’s love for their country.
Mr. Trump, being president does not, by itself, demonstrate love for every American. Asking America to address its history does not demonstrate hatred of America.
Freedmen ancestors were here before the United States was founded. They lived, labored, and established families on this soil before there was an American presidency. Their connection to this country was not created by a political party, an administration, or a campaign. It extends across generations.
Our ancestors endured enslavement, and their labor contributed to the country’s development. That labor was forced, and we will not romanticize it as a voluntary sacrifice. But their contributions cannot be dismissed when their descendants raise questions about repair.
Freedmen ancestors and their descendants have served across generations of America’s wars. They defended this country while confronting exclusion and unequal treatment at home. Their service belongs in any honest discussion of American loyalty.
Our ancestral cemeteries remain on American soil. They hold parents, children, veterans, workers, church founders, and community builders. These burial grounds preserve the lives of people whose families helped shape this country. Protecting their resting places demonstrates care for our ancestors and for American history.
Our objection is direct: seeking accountability is not evidence of disloyalty.
If we are going to discuss “stealing” taxpayers’ money, we must also scrutinize how our hard-earned taxes are spent. FRFT objects to funding benefits for non-Americans while American families’ needs and longstanding claims for redress remain unaddressed. We regard that disregard for our communities as a betrayal of public trust.
Foreign actors’ use of government influence to benefit their own countries also deserves scrutiny. When that influence involves corruption, fraud, or improper diversion of public funds, officials should investigate and hold those responsible accountable. If public officials knowingly permit such abuse, their conduct deserves investigation as well.
Foreign assistance is not automatically theft. But spending abroad must face public scrutiny, and actual misuse of taxpayers’ money must not be excused while reparations are dismissed as “stealing.”
Our tax dollars deserve accountability. Our ancestors’ contributions deserve acknowledgment. Our claims deserve a substantive response.
A president may disagree with a reparations proposal. He may question its cost, eligibility standards, or implementation. Those matters can be debated on their merits. Questioning the patriotism of people seeking redress does not answer those questions.
Freedmen’s relationship with America includes profound attachment alongside painful history. Love of country can coexist with an insistence that the country acknowledge wrongdoing and fulfill its promises. Asking how public money is used—and whose needs are being prioritized—is consistent with that commitment.
FRFT rejects the premise that Freedmen must remain silent about historical harm to demonstrate that we belong. Our ancestors’ presence, our families’ service, and our continuing care for their communities and burial grounds are part of this nation’s record.
We have demonstrated our profound love for America across generations. Asking America to recognize that history does not erase it.
Show Your Love for America by Preserving Its History
Love for America can be expressed through caring for the people, places, and stories that helped build it. Honor Freedmen ancestors by helping preserve their history for future generations.
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