The Freedmen Initiative: Reclaiming Lineage & Legacy
Reconnecting Ancestry. Restoring Dignity. Rebuilding Legacy
For generations, Black Americans have carried stories of resilience, faith, and family, but often without access to the full record of who they are and where they come from.
The Freedmen Initiative is The Kalipeni Foundation’s groundbreaking effort to help descendants of U.S. chattel slavery trace their lineage, legacy, and African origins through both DNA science and historical documentation.
Our goal is simple yet profound: to give families the power to reclaim their name, their lineage, and their rightful place in history.
What We Do
We combine genetic tracing, archival research, and oral history to help individuals confirm their ancestry as descendants of U.S. chattel slavery, and reconnect that story to Africa.
Our work integrates:
DNA Analysis, connecting genetic profiles with African ethnic and regional origins.
Genealogical Research, tracing family records through U.S. census data, Freedmen’s Bureau archives, property, and church records.
Community Documentation, collecting oral histories and family narratives to preserve intergenerational memory.
Why It Matters
Lineage-based tracing isn’t just about history, it’s about identity, equity, and justice.
This initiative helps families establish verified ancestral connections that can support reparative justice claims, historical recognition, and cultural healing.
Illinois is serving as the national pilot site for this work in partnership with local leaders, researchers, and the proposed Office of Genealogy, supported by State Rep. Carol Ammons.