Who We Are
Our Mission
American Renewal 1870 (AR1870) defends the interests of Descendants of U.S. Chattel Slavery by advancing structural repair, economic stability, and institutional accountability—ensuring that public policy, funding, and implementation are lawfully aligned.
Wherever systems fail, funds are misused, or protections are diluted, we intervene. We operate across housing, workforce and economic mobility, education, criminal justice, reentry, and civil rights enforcement—working to verify that resources are not just promised, but properly administered, monitored, and delivered to the communities they were designed to serve.
AR1870 bridges history, law, research, and civic engagement to move solutions from principle to statute—and from statute to enforced, accountable implementation. We specialize in procurement integrity, public fund oversight, and policy compliance, ensuring that institutions meet their legal obligations.
Our leadership in shaping and securing Washington State’s lineage-based reparations study demonstrates our ability to turn disciplined advocacy into measurable outcomes. We now extend that model—strategic legislation, public education, structured oversight, and enforcement—into broader systems where accountability determines whether communities benefit or are left behind.
We are guided by a clear conviction:
When institutions operate without verification or enforcement, resources drift and communities pay the cost.
We exist to ensure that public systems function with integrity—lawfully, transparently, and in full service of those they were meant to protect.
Our Origins: The Birth of American Renewal 1870
American Renewal 1870 (AR1870) emerged from the unfinished work of Reparative Justice, founded to defend the constitutional and statutory rights of Descendants of U.S. Chattel Slavery in Washington State. From its inception, AR1870 has centered lineage, legal fidelity, and community authority—ensuring that those directly harmed by slavery are not symbolic participants, but the rightful architects and beneficiaries of repair.
AR1870 leadership served as part of the founding team that designed, advocated for, and successfully shepherded into law the Charles Mitchell & George Washington Bush Study on Reparative Action for Washington State’s Descendants of Victims of United States Chattel Slavery, signed by Governor Bob Ferguson. This milestone marked not an endpoint, but a structural beginning—establishing a lineage-based framework capable of withstanding legal scrutiny and guiding durable legislative repair.
Our Core Values
At American Renewal 1870, our values are not symbolic—they govern how we verify, enforce, and protect the lawful delivery of policy, funding, and opportunity for Descendants of U.S. Chattel Slavery.
1. Constitutional Grounding
We anchor our work in the lawful foundations established during Reconstruction and the constitutional mandate to remedy the condition of the Freedmen and their descendants.
Our strategy is guided by legal intent, statutory clarity, and historical precision.
We believe durable change is secured through structure, not narrative.
2. Structural Repair Through Enforcement
We do not only identify systemic harm—we ensure systems are corrected and held to their intended function.
Housing instability, economic exclusion, educational inequity, and justice disparities are structural outcomes—but without enforcement, they persist.
We pursue outcomes that are measurable, enforceable, and durable.
3. Institutional Accountability & Public Fund Integrity
Public systems must not only exist—they must perform lawfully.
We work to ensure that taxpayer-funded programs:
- Verify qualifications
- Monitor performance
- Prevent misuse
- Deliver intended outcomes
We specialize in procurement integrity, compliance verification, and accountability enforcement.
Because when oversight fails, resources drift—and communities are left without remedy.
4. Evidence, Verification & Proof
We operate on what can be demonstrated—not assumed.
Our work is grounded in:
- Public records
- Data and documentation
- Lived experience
- Policy analysis
We prioritize “records sufficient to show” as a standard of truth.
Verification is not optional—it is the foundation of accountability.
5. Community Authority Through Structure
The Descendant Community is not symbolic—it is a governing stakeholder.
We build systems that ensure:
- Informed participation
- Structured engagement
- Real influence over outcomes
Community voice is strongest when it is organized, documented, and positioned within systems of decision-making.
6. Strategic Implementation & Oversight
Policy is only the beginning.
We specialize in moving work:
- From principle → statute
- From statute → implementation
- From implementation → enforced accountability
From securing Washington State’s reparations study to monitoring its execution, we apply a model of strategy, oversight, and correction across all systems impacting generational opportunity.
7. Intervention Where Systems Fail
We do not wait for breakdowns to resolve themselves—we step in.
Where:
- Funds are misused
- Standards are ignored
- Communities are bypassed
We intervene with analysis, exposure, and corrective action.
Because absence of accountability is not neutral—it produces harm.
Our Commitment Forward
With the foundation of Washington State’s reparations study secured, AR1870 expands its role:
From advocacy → accountability infrastructure
We now operate across housing, economic mobility, education, justice, and reentry systems to ensure that:
- Laws are followed
- Funds are protected
- Outcomes are real
And that public systems function lawfully, transparently, and in full service of those they were meant to protect.