Historical exhibit honors the Buffalo Soldiers
Thursday was national Buffalo Soldiers Day, commemorating the Black men who served in segregated regiments of the U.S. Army from 1866 to 1951, and in Pomona there’s an exhibit about the Buffalo Soldiers that’s on display through Sunday at the Alliance Community Cultural Center, 406 W. Second St.
Donna Jackson-Houston, a member of Pomona’s Community Life Commission, was involved in organizing the exhibit and she has a personal connection to the Buffalo Soldiers.
The exhibit features articles about and photos of some of the men who were Buffalo Soldiers in the 25th Infantry of the U.S. Army, stationed at Camp Little, Ariz., including Jackson-Houston’s grandfather, Lucius Franklin Monroe Jackson.
“My family and I only recently discovered this historic fact. Last year I read an article that my grandfather had come to Nogales (Arizona) in 1918 as a Buffalo Soldier to secure and patrol the U.S. border,” Jackson-Hunter said in a news release. “With this newfound discovery, I thought it was vital to recognize not only my grandfather but also the other Black soldiers who fought for our country.”
With the help of family members and community leaders in Nogales, Jackson-Houston organized a threeday celebration last January of the Buffalo Soldiers who were stationed at Camp Little, many of whom settled in Nogales and raised families there.
The celebration included a program in downtown Nogales, a cemetery salute and a museum exhibit.
After the Nogales event, the exhibit traveled to Pomona and opened at the African American Museum of Beginnings during the Juneteenth holiday weekend.
During the opening ceremony, officials including Pomona Mayor Tim Sandoval, Pomona City Council members and Andrea Moreno from the office of 1st District Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis presented certificates of recognition. Others attending were Darren Knowles, interim superintendent of the Pomona Unified School District, and members of the school district’s Board of Trustees.
High school student Brooklyn Swodeck presented an art piece she created honoring the Buffalo Soldiers, and speakers included David Judah Oliver, Pomona poet laureate, and Malcolm Green, a retired Pomona history teacher.
Donna Jackson-Houston is the founder and president of the Nogales Buffalo Soldiers Legacy Association. The mission of the association is to partner with schools and communities across the nation to educate and inform and to highlight the accomplishments of the Buffalo Soldiers.
For information about the association, go to NogalesBuffalosoldiers.org.