What Is FBA?
Foundational Black American (FBA) is used in this project as a lineage-based identity for descendants of the historic Black American population formed in the United States during the era of American chattel slavery.
Two Lineage Pathways
- U.S. enslaved-ancestor lineage: at least one documented genealogical ancestor was enslaved in the United States.
- Historic Free Black American lineage: descent from the historic Free Black population of the United States during the slavery era.
The working definition is based on genealogical descent and historical continuity. It is not based on a required DNA percentage, a fractional racial rule, membership in an organization, or adherence to a political ideology.
Genealogy Standard vs. Federal Self-Identification
The research project can use historical records to study whether this lineage is consistently identifiable. Federal race and ethnicity data collection, however, is generally based on voluntary self-identification. The project is therefore developing a rigorous lineage definition while also studying a practical self-identification approach suitable for Census and other federal statistical collections.