Where Black and Indigenous Histories Meet

A summary of Nehemiah D. Frank’s article “I Am Black. I Am Indigenous. I Am American.” published by The Black Wall Street Times on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, October 12, 2026.

On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Nehemiah D. Frank, founder and editor-in-chief of The Black Wall Street Times, reflects on his Black and Indigenous ancestry and the complicated histories that shape his sense of belonging. Drawing on his family’s Muscogee Creek and Choctaw roots, Frank explores the lasting effects of forced removal, enslavement, and the continuing struggle of Black Creek Freedmen descendants to secure their citizenship rights within the Muscogee Nation.

Frank considers how communities can acknowledge historical injustices within their own institutions while honoring tribal sovereignty and confronting anti-Blackness. His reflections also examine how Black and Indigenous histories intersect, challenging the expectation that people with multiple ancestral identities must choose one part of themselves to be recognized as belonging.

Read Nehemiah D. Frank’s full essay here.

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