I was duly assisted in writing this post by a bottle of Typhon Estates {SOLIS} Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 NV – Atlas Peak. This one is quite special. A solid 4.3 pointer. Heavy Napa Valley character. Warm. Resonant. Sophisticated tannins. Mild acidity. Leading in with dark fruits, black cherry, mild orange, and cassis. A strong sustain of vanilla, graphite, pear, and sweet spice. Ending in dry apple, strawberry, muted oak, and red grapes. A satisfying, long – layered, soft finish.
“If you can’t fly then run. If you can’t run then walk. If you can’t walk then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward…”
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The Foundational Black American / Freedmen Brothers and Sisters residing in the great State of New York need the help of the national American Freedmen community. They need that transnational help to powerfully reach out to New York State Legislators to demand urgent action regarding the replacement of the very unconstitutional Assembly Bill A.7691 – which has been enacted into law.
I
The Reason for a Call To Action
This Is Important: The U.S. Freedmen Project and its associates do support the creation of a Reparations Commission. Problem: Assembly Bill A.7691 contains race-based stipulations which renders it unconstitutional in fact – and even more important, would be proven to be so in law if challenged, not just in the Supreme Court. But in any court. This Bill is legally vulnerable (I know – because I read it – I understand bills – and it is). This undermines both its legitimacy and its mission. I am doing this reiterative blogpost because I happen to agree. I support the mission. But the “mission” as it is incorrectly rendered in A.7691 – must be corrected. Now.
The U.S. Freedmen Project respectfully urges New York State Legislators to:
- Support Assembly Bill A.5603 as a constitutionally sound alternative.
- Suspend funding and operations of the current task force until legal concerns are addressed.
- Request a formal legal review of A.7691’s constitutionality.
The U.S. Freedmen Project powerfully and correctly states: “We cannot afford to build a reparative framework on a legally unstable foundation. Our communities deserve a commission that honors justice, withstands scrutiny, and delivers lasting impact. Thank you for your leadership and attention to this urgent matter.”
I take the aforementioned statement as: “Point Blank.” Understand Family?
In the interest of up-front-ness and transparency – I will provide links to both Bills:
Unconstitutional A.7691 = https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/A7691
Constitutional A.5603 = https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A5603
I implore the FBA / Freedmen family to read through both Bills. I must say that the President of the U.S. Freedmen Project (Devine) and his team did a masterful job of producing a “strict scrutiny” proof bill [A.5603]. It is not only sharply worded and comprehensive. But it is also constitutionally comportive in the best sense possible.
Well Done.
II
How to Respond to the Call To Action
A productive Action response requires sending five separate emails to hundreds of legislators, each taking less than fifteen seconds to complete. Those emails are pre-written. All you have to do is follow as instructed on the website. And the Action will be accomplished. What is important to know is that you DO NOT have to be a New York State resident to do this. And!!! You can Action this multiple times if you like. Spread this website to your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, et cetera.
Here is the Action link:
https://bit.ly/breuckcalltoaction
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U.S. Freedmen Project Contacts:
The U.S. Freedmen Project Website: www.usfreedmenproject.org
Email: admin@usfreedmenproject.org
Telephone Number: 516.234.5187
I will also implore the Foundational Black American / Freedmen Family nationwide to take this opportunity to become full members of the U.S. Freedmen Project.
III
My Thoughts on this Action
Hearing Sister Breuck’s “Call To Action” on a recent YouTube video evoked inside of me a strong memory of a superbly enlightening quote from the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” He penetratingly wrote:
“… Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial ‘outside agitator’ idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds…”
There are times despite any petty differences that we may have between ourselves that we must rise above those and that to do for the collective. Twenty Twenty Six is a pivotal year in our Reparational lives. We cannot allow our good efforts to be reduced to a footnoted nothingness by those that have no good for us – but at the same time – sit in consequential seats. Making consequential decisions. Writing consequential documents. You do see this? I hope. The heavy and poisonous hand of The NAARC/N’COBRA Axis is openly apparent in the body of Assembly Bill A.7691. The details of my assessment can be clearly seen in a reading of that Bill. That is why I provided a link. See so you can object for yourself. For Yourself.
Like Dr. King – also being “cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states” is where I am at in terms of doing my small part from Chicago, Illinois in helping the U.S. Freedmen Project of New York State to accomplish its goals. Listen Family. This is the Reality: As pure lineage-based Reparationists, we are nationally caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, and actually tied in a single garment of missionistic destiny. What happens in New York State has a direct impact on what can happen reparationally in the State of Illinois. Bet That.
OH – a direct impact Reparationally in every other state as well.
Hopefully this Action could be the start of a political mutual aid network amongst the national Reparationist Family. Because when we return to extracting Pure Reparations from the Federal Government (as we should) – this will and must be a transnational project. Powered and expertised by a fully prepared network of Foundational Black Americans. Exclusively. Pan Africans, Africans, and Caribbeans must be expelled by a unified us from all Reparations politics and advocacy. Now. Those folks are doing way too much. Everything regarding Reparations politics counts everywhere, no matter where that “everything” was generated from. Every:
- Law
- Resolution
- Bill
- Lawsuit
- Incumbent
- Candidate
- Act
- Order
- Commission
- Platform
- Committee
- Task Force
- Amendment
- Protest
- and Arrest
counts in this Reparations space!!! If The NAARC/N’COBRA Axis has not taught us how important and (in some cases) dangerous the aforementioned bullet points can be – I don’t know what it would take. To aside – I applaud the U.S. Freedmen Project and their associates in putting the African Union on notice. Thus making them aware that we are aware of their attempted international finesse. Incredible.
In the meantime – I hope we all assist the U.S. Freedmen Project in accomplishing this. It’s important not just for New York State but it’s nationally important as well.
Please share on your platforms and comment below if you like.
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FREEDMEN ABSOLUTE 