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At 95 Counties, our work is rooted in historical truth, accountability, preservation, and repair for American Descendants of Slavery. We believe that addressing historical injustice requires more than symbolic gestures, public declarations, or appeals for unity. It requires an honest examination of history, acknowledgment of wrongdoing, and meaningful action that addresses the consequences of that wrongdoing.
 

For these reasons, 95 Counties does not endorse, promote, or encourage American Descendants to participate in reconciliation movements.
 

Why We Do Not Support Reconciliation Movements
 

Reconciliation is often presented as a pathway toward healing, unity, and moving forward from historical injustices. However, we question the premise that reconciliation is an appropriate objective when the underlying harms have not been adequately acknowledged, addressed, or repaired.
 

Reconciliation suggests the restoration of a relationship. Yet, in the context of slavery, racial oppression, the dispossession of Black communities, and the lasting consequences of these historical injustices, we must ask: What relationship is being restored, and what has actually changed?
 

American Descendants of Slavery have inherited the consequences of systems that generated wealth and institutions for others while imposing generational harm upon our ancestors and their descendants. These consequences cannot be resolved through symbolic recognition, dialogue, or appeals to forgive and move forward without meaningful accountability.
 

We are particularly concerned when reconciliation becomes a substitute for action, when it encourages communities to prioritize unity over truth, or when it places the expectation of healing upon those who have inherited the consequences of historical injustice.
 

We cannot support a process that asks Descendants to participate in reconciliation without first establishing what accountability looks like, what repair requires, and who is responsible for addressing the harm.
 

Words Are Not Repair
 

95 Counties believes that historical truth must be accompanied by tangible action. Acknowledging the history of slavery and its consequences is important. However, acknowledgment alone does not restore what was taken, preserve what remains at risk, correct historical erasure, or address the conditions that continue to affect American Descendants.
 

Our work prioritizes the preservation of Black American history, genealogical research, the recovery of ancestral identities, the protection of historic Black institutions and cemeteries, and opportunities for Descendants to reclaim knowledge of their family histories.
 

We believe these efforts contribute to something more substantive than symbolic reconciliation. They help restore historical knowledge, strengthen community connections, protect our heritage, and ensure that the lives and contributions of our ancestors are not forgotten. 
 

Our Commitment to American Descendants
 

95 Counties will not use its platform, programs, partnerships, or organizational resources to promote reconciliation movements or encourage Descendants to participate in them.

 

This position reflects our organizational responsibility to remain focused on our mission and on work that directly serves American Descendants. We do not consider participation in reconciliation initiatives a requirement for healing, progress, cooperation, or the preservation of our history.

 

We recognize that individuals may hold different perspectives and make their own decisions regarding participation in such initiatives. However, 95 Counties will remain grounded in its own principles and will not present reconciliation as a necessary or sufficient pathway toward addressing historical injustice.
 

We believe American Descendants deserve more than invitations to reconcile. They deserve historical truth, accountability, the preservation of their heritage, and meaningful efforts to address the consequences of historical injustice.
 

Our commitment is to the truth of our history, the preservation of our legacy, and the pursuit of repair for American Descendants.

We stand in solidarity with the First Peoples of Australia. Read Essay by Claire G. Coleman, Not Even the Right Word