Freedman's Savings Bank

Operation HOPE, U.S. Small Business Administration and U.S. Treasury Host Roundtable to Celebrate Freedman's Bank

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 1, 2023
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ATLANTA, March 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Operation HOPE, Inc., the nation's largest non-profit dedicated to financial empowerment for underserved communities, joined Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and US Deputy Secretary of the Treasury (Treasury) Wally Adeyemo, to lead a roundtable discussion focused on advancing Black entrepreneurship. Several prominent leaders from the public and private sectors also participated, including White House Senior Advisor for Public Engagement, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.

Key Points: 
  • Several prominent leaders from the public and private sectors also participated, including White House Senior Advisor for Public Engagement, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
  • At the suggestion of John Hope Bryant, the Treasury Annex building was renamed the Freedman's Bank in 2015.
  • At the suggestion of John Hope Bryant, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE the Treasury Annex building was renamed in 2015.
  • "The Freedman's Bureau Act was the original small business program for formerly enslaved Black Americans, connecting assets – 40 acres and a mule - with capital and financial education through the Freedman's Bank," said Chairman Bryant.

Ancestry® Adds New Freedmen’s Bureau Collection that Enables Family History Discoveries for Descendants of Formerly Enslaved People

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, August 24, 2021
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Despite its significance, awareness of the Freedmen’s Bureau is very low. According to a Harris Poll survey by Ancestry, a staggering 72% of Americans surveyed have never heard of the Freedmen’s Bureau. However, nearly all of those familiar with the Freedmen’s Bureau (90%) believe it was a turning point in American history and that it still impacts Americans’ lives today, and 87% of Americans surveyed agree that it is important for the public to have access to historical records--like those saved by the Freedmen's Bureau--in order for African Americans to be able to trace their family roots.

Key Points: 
  • Today, Ancestry spotlights an important, yet often overlooked, part of American history by unveiling the worlds largest digitized and searchable collection of Freedmen's Bureau and Freedman's Bank records.
  • This addition of more than 3.5 million records can help descendants of previously enslaved people in the U.S. learn more about their families.
  • According to a Harris Poll survey by Ancestry, a staggering 72% of Americans surveyed have never heard of the Freedmens Bureau.
  • Free access to this collection will enable meaningful Black family history discoveries for generations to come, says Nicka Sewell-Smith, Professional Genealogist.