Latest news with #SherleySpears
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
What's happening for Buffalo Soldier Heritage Day 2025?
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — The Fort Concho National Historic Landmark and the NAACP Buffalo Soldier Memorial will partner to host a free Buffalo Soldier Heritage Day program on Sunday, Feb. 23, as part of Black History Month. What can attendees expect? According to the City of San Angelo, the event will be held in Fort Concho's Commissary Building, located at 702 Burgess St., from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Light refreshments will be available for attendees. During the event, Sherley Spears, former president of the For Concho Museum Board and founder of the NAACP Buffalo Soldier Memorial, 'will talk about the 2024 ceremony that corrected the unjust military trial and execution of 17 members of the all-Black 3rd Battalion of the 24th Infantry Regiment in 1917.' Black History Month: Local nail salon offers unique service 'A military panel reviewed the trials of these men who were among the 110 soldiers court martialed and dismissed from the U.S. Army after a riot took place in Houston,' the City said. 'At the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, where these men were buried, new gravestones were unveiled that properly reflected the soldiers' service dates, ranks and home states.' Spears attended the gravestone unveiling ceremony in February 2024. Updates will be given on the Buffalo Soldier Memorial project and future reservation projects relating to the Buffalo Soldiers in San Angelo during the program. Participants will also have a chance to visit the Buffalo Soldier display housed at the Barracks 1 Visitor Center. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Black History Month: A look at the history of the Buffalo Soldiers
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — The Buffalo Soldiers are a group of men that many people may not know about. They also may not know about the contributions they made to American history. Sherley Spears is the former NAACP president and said the black regiment known as the Buffalo Soldiers were vital in westward expansion. 'The purpose of having this black regimental group established west of the Mississippi was so they could help clear the country westward so that people could have more expansion as they moved across the country,' Spears said. The Buffalo Soldiers nickname was coined by the Native Americans due to the toughness these men displayed and their curly hair that resembled a buffalo. 'It was a term that they used because they had established a relationship when they were not in battle to show that they were in fact like a buffalo they were so tough and they gave them that nickname,' Spears said. Spears said if it were not for the black regiments arriving to Fort Concho and serving here, we would not have been able to create the San Angelo we know today. 'If it weren't for the Buffalo soldiers then we would not have been able to settle and create the San Angelo that we knew back then and that we still know today,' Spears said. It's because of this history Spears said she crafted the idea of a memorial honoring these soldiers. 'It took about fifteen months really maybe a little longer in terms of my vision and pouring it out into the community,' Spears said. After several months of planning, Spears was able to unveil The Buffalo Soldier memorial in July of 2023. The memorial is located across from Fort Concho at El Paseo de Santa Angela. 'I felt that was a perfect location after the idea came up because it is right across the street from the fort…so that way it almost looks like you are doing one step you go to the memorial and then you come over here and see the rest of the living history,' Spears said. Spears said this memorial was built as one way to ensure that everyone who comes through the fort and to the memorial, especially young kids and adults, see they are represented in American history. 'Representation matters…when you look at young people…young adults or even young kids…it's important for them to see themselves as part of the American fabric and if you only show them one side then you are being unfair,' Spears said. The Buffalo Soldier Memorial is free to visit, and the pillars also feature QR codes so that people can scan to have access to more information. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
