SOULAAN Enforcement: Protecting Status-Based Designations From Misuse

The American Freedmen Legal Fund (AFLF) has completed an enforcement action that resulted in the takedown and restriction of a website that was using the protected designation SOULAAN without authorization.

The website presented SOULAAN as a race-based or African Diaspora identity and incorporated the designation into monetized content. This framing was unauthorized and materially inconsistent with the legal status, governance, and cultural protections that govern SOULAAN.

SOULAAN is not a racial label, a generalized African or Diaspora term, or a public cultural descriptor. It is a status-based designation governed by formal legal instruments. The Freedmen Reparations Fund Trust (FRFT) holds an executed and notarized enforcement license authorizing cooperative protection of the SOULAAN mark on behalf of the trademark owner.

After notice and escalation through appropriate enforcement and platform channels, public access to the infringing content—previously published at https://thewanderingafro.com/soulaan/—was restricted. This action reflects standard intellectual property enforcement procedures and is unrelated to ideology, history, or free expression. It addresses unauthorized use, misrepresentation, and consumer confusion.

Licensing SOULAAN

Use of the SOULAAN designation is not prohibited; however, it does require authorization. Individuals, organizations, developers, publishers, or platforms seeking to use SOULAAN in a compliant manner may request a licensing agreement for approved uses.

Licensing inquiries should be submitted through the official contact portal at:

https://www.freedmennation.org/contact-us

Unauthorized use—particularly when tied to race-based narratives, misclassification, or monetization—will continue to be addressed through formal enforcement mechanisms.

The American Freedmen Legal Fund remains committed to protecting the integrity of status-based designations and ensuring that protected cultural identifiers are not diluted, misrepresented, or commercially exploited without permission.