The sun blazed down on the burnt necks of the soldiers patrolling the Western Frontier. The U.S. Government had promised a fair wage to these “Buffalo Soldiers,” and that giving their lives to America would prove that Black people deserved respect.
Did it make good on its promise?
Of course not. Buffalo Soldiers were as expendable as the Indigenous peoples they were forced to fight!
As they sacrificed their lives, America still lynched us. As they marched until their boots wore out, they still got the worst equipment, food, and support. They fought, hoping for the chance to determine their own fate in a society that hated them! But America refused.
Despite the 24th and 25th Infantry, and 9th and 10th Cavalry, fighting so relentlessly that they turned the tide of war in the West, they endured constant racism.
Despite becoming park rangers and building miles of roads, they received no respect.
No matter how hard they fought, they would never be considered equal. Years later, men like Henry Johnson received the Medal of Honor - but this didn’t stop Jim Crow.
Like all Black soldiers, they fought a war that wasn’t their own. The sacrifices we make for this country rarely turn into the kind of respect we deserve.
But WE can put respect on their names by honoring their legacy - and remembering that we have all the skills to be soldiers for our OWN causes. Was your ancestor a powerful Buffalo Soldier?