1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to ensure that the Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery sets evidentiary standards that are accessible, community-informed, and designed to include rather than exclude. The communities most harmed by slavery are also the communities whose records were most systematically destroyed. Literacy was illegal. Documentation was controlled by the enslaver. You cannot use the destruction of the record against the people whose records were taken. Oral history must count. Family testimony must count. Church records must count. The standards being set right now will determine who gets access to every benefit that follows. Set them right before the window closes. The Bay is waiting.