Repairing Now, for the Future

Scrolls I–XX: The Freedmen Story

The Freedmen Scrolls I–XX
A comprehensive visual history tracing the lineage, struggles, and triumphs of Freedmen Descendants—from pre-colonial presence to the modern call for repair.
Each scroll illuminates a chapter of our shared history, culminating in the restoration goals of the Freedmen’s Bureau Reactivation and Modernization Act of 2025.

Scroll I – Before 1619: Presence, Exchanges and Record Loss — depicts early Freedmen presence in the Americas before colonial record keeping and enslavement. — Before 1619 — Presence, Exchanges and Record Loss

Scroll II – 1619–1776: The Colonial Roots of Slavery — illustrates how European colonial systems built racial hierarchies that ensnared Freedmen ancestors. — 1619–1776 — The Colonial Roots of Slavery

Scroll III – Names of Freedmen: Origins and Dates of Names Applied to Freedmen — explores naming impositions and identity erasure through law and records. — Names of Freedmen — Origins and Dates of Names Applied to Freedmen

Scroll IV – 1776–1863: The Inhumanity of American Slavery — shows the brutality of bondage during the nation’s founding and expansion. — 1776–1863 — The Inhumanity of American Slavery

Scroll V – 1776–1863: Freedom Suits in U.S. Courts — records legal battles waged by enslaved people seeking liberty before Emancipation. — 1776–1863 — Freedom Suits in U.S. Courts

Scroll VI – 1862–1865: Emancipation in Law vs. Reality — contrasts the legal promise of freedom with its uneven enforcement on the ground. — 1862–1865 — Emancipation in Law vs. Reality

Scroll VII – 1865–1866: Reconstruction: Promise and Betrayal — depicts the brief rise and systematic undermining of Freedmen rights after the Civil War. — 1865–1866 — Reconstruction: Promise and Betrayal

Scroll VIII – 1865–1866: Black Codes — reveals how states used law to reinstate control and limit Freedmen freedom. — 1865–1866 — Black Codes: Law, Not Just “Custom”

Scroll IX – 1862: Paying Enslavers and Pressuring Emigration — documents federal compensation to enslavers and schemes to remove Freedmen abroad. — 1862 — Paying Enslavers, Pressuring Emigration

Scroll X – 1866: Tribal Treaties and Freedmen Citizenship — details treaty obligations linking Freedmen to tribal nations and the ongoing fight for recognition. — 1866 — Tribal Treaties and Freedmen Citizenship

Scroll XI – 1816–1870: Liberia and U.S. Colonization Plans — examines efforts to export Freedmen under the guise of “civilizing” missions. — 1816–1870 — Liberia and U.S. Colonization Plans

Scroll XII – 1901–1921: Oklahoma Statehood and Tulsa Massacre — chronicles Freedmen towns, prosperity, and violent suppression. — 1901–1921 — Oklahoma Statehood, Disenfranchisement and Tulsa

Scroll XIII – 1865–1874: Freedmen’s Savings Bank — traces the rise and ruin of a federal bank that cost Freedmen millions in savings. — 1865–1874 — Freedmen’s Savings Bank: Promise and Collapse

Scroll XIV – 1870s–1900: From Black Codes to Jim Crow — shows how new laws and leasing systems re-enslaved Freedmen through penal labor. — 1870s–1900 — From Black Codes to Jim Crow and Convict Leasing

Scroll XV – 1910–1970: The Great Migration — follows mass relocation northward amid racial violence and economic hope. — 1910–1970 — The Great Migration and Racial Pogroms

Scroll XVI – 1916–1927: Marcus Garvey and the UNIA — celebrates Black internationalism and Freedmen self-determination. — 1916–1927 — Marcus Garvey and the UNIA

Scroll XVII – 1930s–1960s: New Deal Exclusions — exposes policy gaps that denied Freedmen equal economic advances. — 1930s–1960s — New Deal Exclusions, Redlining, GI Bill

Scroll XVIII – 1955–1970: Civil Rights Era — documents mass movements that secured new protections through federal law. — 1955–1970 — Movements and Rights: From Protests to Federal Law

Scroll XIX – 1970–Present: Mass Incarceration — connects post-civil rights policing to modern carceral labor systems. — 1970–Present — Mass Incarceration and Carceral Labor

Scroll XX – Naming Ourselves and Why FBRMA Now — concludes the series with the call for repair through the Freedmen’s Bureau Reactivation and Modernization Act of 2025. — Naming Ourselves and Why FBRMA Now

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