United Sons & Daughters of Freedmen
National 501(c)(3) · Freedmen First · Freedmen Forever
Founders · Board of Directors · Mission · Vision · Accomplishments
Governed by a six-member board of directors, the United Sons & Daughters of Freedmen is led by founders and officers who bring deep expertise in constitutional law, history, finance, media, and community organizing.
Nyhiem Way is the President and Co-founder of the United Sons & Daughters of Freedmen (USADOF), a national 501(c)(3) organization advancing constitutional rights for American Freedmen through status-based — not race-based — legal frameworks grounded in the Reconstruction Amendments. He also leads Be The Power (BTP), a multi-state civic organizing initiative active in 5+ states, and operates Freedmen University, an educational YouTube platform. Nyhiem has deep expertise in constitutional law, Reconstruction-era history, and is the author of a book on Noble Drew Ali.
To ensure that the broken promises of Reconstruction are fulfilled for today's American Freedmen.
The United Sons & Daughters of Freedmen is a heritage-based organization dedicated to preserving the legacy and advancing the interests of those who trace their ancestry to persons emancipated in the United States and officially recognized as Freedmen.
Through rigorous genealogical research, historical preservation, and civic education, we seek to honor the resilience, contributions, and unbroken cultural identity of the Freedmen class. Our mission is to safeguard the memory of Freedmen communities, mark sites of historical significance, advocate for remedial justice, and cultivate a deeper public understanding of the Freedmen experience — before, during, and after the Reconstruction era.
We support initiatives that promote self-determination, commemorate military and civic service, and strengthen intergenerational ties rooted in shared history, responsibility, and purpose.
Since our founding in May 2020, USADOF has built a national record of legislative impact, academic influence, and civic organizing — establishing American Freedmen as a race-neutral, status-based constitutional class.
On Juneteenth 2021, USADOF hosted the first-ever reparations rally at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta, bringing unprecedented visibility to the cause in the South — the ancestral homeland of most American Freedmen. USADOF is incorporated in the State of Georgia as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
USADOF's work was cited during the early phases of California's Reparations Task Force, directly influencing the body's landmark decision to support lineage-based reparations over race-based standards. Working alongside CJEC, we helped define "American Freedmen," which was formally included in California Senate Bill No. 189 and California's proposed modern Freedmen's Bureau.
USADOF's knowledge of Freedmen as a legal status was called upon three times by the One High Point Commission in High Point, North Carolina, where our testimony helped lead to a unanimous vote to base reparations eligibility on Freedmen ancestry — rejecting vague racial identifiers in favor of a lineage-specific standard.
USADOF authored two pieces of state legislation: H. 1696 and HD. 3879. Our outreach in Cambridge contributed to the creation of the city's American Freedmen Commission — one of the first of its kind in the nation. H.4351 received a 10-0 favorable committee vote.
USADOF consulted with advocates from New York who educated lawmakers on the legal and historical necessity of using "American Freedmen" as an identifier instead of race-based terminology. That work culminated in proposed legislation, Bill A07828A. USADOF also formally submitted a recommendation to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to have "American Freedmen" recognized as a federal statistical category — ensuring proper disaggregation of data for the 40+ million American Freedmen.
USADOF collaborated with Dr. William A. ("Sandy") Darity Jr. of Duke University. On August 4, 2021, he and Ali Bey co-authored "Allegiance, Birthright, and Race in America" — presented at Yale University's "Contested Citizenship" roundtable. Our advocacy has been covered by Associated Press, The Hill, The Grio, NBC, and ABC. We've also educated Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of The 1619 Project, on the importance of "Freedmen" as a race-neutral lineage-based identifier.
United Sons & Daughters of Freedmen (USADOF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in the state of Georgia in May 2020. Governed by a six-member board of directors, USADOF is dedicated to the education, organization, and advocacy for American Freedmen — the lineage group composed of the descendants of persons emancipated in the United States following chattel slavery.
In October 2024, USADOF co-hosted a public debate on reparations with NCOBRA and distributed more than 30 books, educational packets, and free meals to local residents. Across the country, we continue to consult with state legislators in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Texas, and beyond — offering research, policy guidance, and organizing tools to secure tangible outcomes for the American Freedmen.
| Status | 501(c)(3) Nonprofit |
| Founded | May 2020, State of Georgia |
| Governance | 6-Member Board of Directors |
| Focus | American Freedmen — Status-Based, Not Race-Based |
| States Active | 5+ via Be The Power Network |
| Website | usadof.org |
"To ensure that the broken promises of Reconstruction are fulfilled for today's American Freedmen."