Reclaiming Our Legacy: Support the Center for Freedmen Heritage & Records and the 500 Freedmen Family Census

Durham, NC 2026

Opened on February 14, 2026, The Center for Freedmen Heritage & Records was created to do more than preserve history—we are building an institution that helps Black American families document their lineage, reconnect generations, identify eligibility for benefits, and preserve records that might otherwise be lost. The Center exists because our history deserves more than remembrance—it deserves preservation, documentation, and a permanent institutional home. Every family we help reconnect, every record we preserve, and every workshop we host strengthens our collective future.

Like many community-based organizations, we have experienced a difficult grant cycle. Building lasting institutions takes time, and securing sustainable funding for long-term community infrastructure is one of the greatest challenges facing emerging nonprofits.

We believe our community cannot afford to wait for someone else to preserve our history, document our families, or build the institutions our descendants will need. That responsibility belongs to all of us. We cannot build this institution without the community it was created to serve.

In June, we launched our Reclaiming Our Legacy Initiative where we will census 500 Freedmen descendant families over the next five years. We have already helped over 50 families begin their journey to reestablish kinships and document their birthright and historical status: Freedmen (descendants).

Our immediate goal is to raise a minimum of $60,000 or $30,000 annually to expand operations and programming, and continue serving families throughout our community.

If this work has inspired you, benefited you, or reflects the future you want to help build, we ask you to stand with us today.

Please consider becoming a monthly supporter. Even a recurring gift of $10, $25, $50, or $100 each month provides the stable foundation that allows institutions like ours to grow and serve future generations.

Every contribution—large or small—is an investment in preserving our heritage, strengthening our community, and building an institution that will outlive all of us..

Sincerely,

Dawn Paige | President I Concerned Black American Citizens, Inc

Center for Freedmen Heritage & Records