open letter to our european colonial american brethern

We, Foundational Black Americans (FBAs), acknowledge the undeniable truth of our shared history. Through both consensual and non-consensual interactions, our bloodlines have intertwined over centuries, binding us together as brethren and cousins in the forging of this great American story. Whether through the brutal realities of slavery or the complex relationships that followed, the truth remains—there is no America without us, and there is no us without America.

Every FBA carries within them the genetic legacy (DNA) of European ancestry, a fact that is often left unspoken but is nonetheless a marker of the deeply interwoven nature of our shared past. This is not a history of simple opposition, but one of entanglement—of struggle, conflict, resilience, and, at times, collaboration. It is a history that demands to be told in full, without omission, distortion, or shame.

Our ancestors were not merely laborers; they were builders, thinkers, innovators, and defenders of the ideals America claims to hold dear. Their sweat cultivated the land, their minds advanced science and industry, and their resilience ensured that the nation did not collapse under the weight of its own contradictions. Our labor, intellectual contributions, investments, and inventions are not merely Black history—they are American history, interwoven and inseparable from the broader national narrative.

Yet, too often, our contributions have been obscured, despised, or minimized, treated as an uncomfortable footnote rather than an essential chapter in America’s epic. This must change. The true, full telling of American history must embrace the reality that we are not outsiders in this nation—we are a fundamental part of its foundation. Our stories are not additions to the American experience; they are at its core.

We do not seek division, nor do we ask for recognition out of pity or guilt. Rather, we call for an honest reckoning with our collective history—a history that belongs to all Americans, regardless of race or origin. To acknowledge the full scope of our contributions is not to rewrite history, but to finally tell it in its entirety.

So, to our European American brethren, we extend this truth: we are family, bound by blood and history, and our shared legacy deserves to be embraced, honored, and passed down with pride.

With clarity, truth, and a commitment to unity,

Foundational Black Americans