Do you mean African Americans? If so here is the
Answer: Some were freed slaves or the descendents of freed slaves, some had escaped, some had bought their own freedom, and some lived in territories or states that had abolished slavery. This population of free African Americans grew steadily for the duration of the slave era. Many free African Americans formed FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS , such as the Brown Fellowship Society of South Carolina, for advancement and self-protection, and others worked to found schools and universities for free men and women.
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