By Lacey “G Souldier” Turner
In a time where conversations about race, history, and truth are louder than ever, one project is cutting through the noise—not with opinion, but with documented, scholarly-backed evidence.
America’s MVP: Honoring the First 12 Generations of Black People in America is not just a book or campaign—it is a declaration. I had the opportunity to sit down with civil rights activist Mathew Foggy Jr. and his business partner, Clifton D. Berry, America’s MVP consultant, for a powerful joint interview that revealed
not only the depth of their mission but the weight of the truth they are bringing to the forefront of American consciousness.
A Movement Rooted in Truth
Launched publicly on May 27, 2026, America’s MVP is already making waves across the St. Louis metropolitan area and East St. Louis, Illinois, where billboards now boldly declare a truth many have overlooked or ignored:
Without Black people, there is no United States of America.
This is not rhetoric. According to Foggy and Berry, it is a historically validated conclusion endorsed by 131 PhD historians from institutions across the nation.
The project reframes American history through three powerful truths:
● Most Valuable People — Black labor powered the economic engine of America.
● Most Valuable Property — Enslaved Black people were the largest financial investment in U.S. history.
● Most Vilified People — A deliberate lie of inferiority was constructed to justify centuries of exploitation.
The Man Behind the Mission
Mathew Foggy Jr., a lifelong civil rights activist and East St. Louis native, has spent over six decades on the front lines of justice. From marching in the 1963 March on Washington to building Skate King Corporation into a multi-decade Black-owned business success, his life has been defined by action.
But what sparked this particular mission?
“Just studying and finding out how vital African Americans were in the development of this country was information I didn’t have—and knowing people didn’t have it—it changed my perspective entirely,” Foggy told me.
That realization led to a decade-long deep dive into American history—one that would ultimately culminate in a project of national significance.
The Question That Changed Everything
Foggy described being “consumed” by one central question: Why has America been so obsessed with race?
What he discovered was both shocking and revealing.
“It was hiding in plain sight,” he said. “We have been pretty much brainwashed by a lie… that Black people are inferior. That lie justified 250 years of slavery and another 100 years of segregation. This government-sanctioned lie has been reinforced for over 350 years.”
For Foggy, this wasn’t just about uncovering history—it was about correcting it.
A Partnership Built on Purpose
Clifton D. Berry, a seasoned professional in banking, government relations, and housing policy, became a key partner in bringing this vision to life.
For Berry, the mission became personal after encountering Foggy’s research.
“Meeting Mathew—and then 10 years ago him educating me that 10 million African American people were the foundation of this nation… and we don’t even know their names—we are standing on their shoulders,” Berry said. “We have to honor them.”
Berry also reflected on how his own life experiences shaped his understanding of race in America.
“You don’t live 75 years in America as a Black man and not be touched by everything that has to do with race,” he shared.
Backed by the Highest Levels of Scholarship
One of the most compelling aspects of America’s MVP is its academic backing. The work has been reviewed and endorsed by 131 PhD historians from top institutions, including Harvard, Yale, and Duke.
When asked what gave him the confidence to take on such a massive undertaking, Foggy pointed to the undeniable weight of the evidence.
“The reality is finding out that the first 12 generations of Black people in America are the indispensable factor in the United States’ existence,” he said. “If you take those 10 million people out of the equation, there is no United States of America.”
Berry emphasized the uniqueness of Foggy’s perspective.
“These historians were obsessed with race and slavery—but they hadn’t put it together this way,” Berry explained. “Mathew looked at the same information, and what jumped out at him was contribution… the unpaid labor that built the foundation of the most successful nation in modern history.”
A Civic Moment, Not a Campaign
With billboards reaching millions across the region, America’s MVP is not positioned as a marketing effort—it is a public awakening.
It calls for Americans of all backgrounds to engage with a truth rooted in documented history, not political ideology.
The goal is not to assign guilt, but to establish clarity.
One Message to America
To close the interview, I asked both men a final question:
If you had one message to deliver to America in a single sentence—what would it be? Foggy didn’t hesitate.
“Black people built the foundation of America.”
Berry followed with a vision for what that truth could mean.
“If people wrapped their minds around that truth, we would be a better country.”
The Impact Ahead
America’s MVP is more than a book. It is a movement designed to reshape how history is understood, taught, and acknowledged. By connecting centuries of documented evidence into one unified narrative, Foggy and Berry are not just telling a story—they are delivering what they call a verdict.
And as this message continues to spread—from billboards to books to conversations—it may very well redefine how America sees itself.
Because when the full truth is finally told, it doesn’t just inform—it transforms.
For More Information. Click The Links: America’s MVP and Unpaidlabor.com
