A Buffalo Soldiers Juneteenth in North Texas: Living the Legacy. By Black Texans, Inc.

 

A Buffalo Soldiers Juneteenth in North Texas: Living the Legacy. By Black Texans, Inc. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/tmsg-buffalo-soldiers-honored-at-fort-worth-church_dallas-fort-worth/273084/

FORT WORTH, TEXAS — As Juneteenth approaches in North Texas, we are reminded that the holiday is not just about looking back — it’s about looking around at the living legacy still unfolding before our eyes (https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/fort-worth/article285978296.html)

The spirit of Juneteenth pulses in the descendants, educators, reenactors, and community leaders who carry forward the proud history of the Buffalo Soldiers — the Black men who fought, marched, and delivered the message of freedom to Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865 (https://northdallasgazette.com/2018/12/31/ft-worth-church-and-prairie-view-establish-4-h-club-named-in-honor-of-buffalo-soliders/).

While many know that Juneteenth marks the day the last enslaved people in Texas learned they were free, fewer know the full story: it was the presence of thousands of Black soldiers, the U.S. Colored Troops, who helped make emancipation real on Texas soil. These were men who had fought not only for a divided nation, but for their own families, futures, and dignity. Many of them were once enslaved themselves — now transformed into warriors for freedom.

Today in North Texas, the Buffalo Soldiers’ story is kept alive not just in books but through the hands-on work of living stewards: the Buffalo Soldiers in North Texas, local churches, educators, and elders who make sure new generations know the resilience, courage, and excellence of these freedom fighters. Their historic uniforms, horses, and tools aren’t just museum pieces — they are living lessons in pride, responsibility, and cultural inheritance.

This Juneteenth, New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church in the historic Morningside neighborhood is stepping up to host this legacy. Partnering with the Buffalo Soldiers in North Texas, the church will become a home base for a new program designed to teach children the history, values, and life skills of the Buffalo Soldiers.

The program, open to children ages 7 to 14, will run at New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church. Participants will explore everything from the soldiers’ history to outdoor survival skills like hunting, fishing, camping, and animal care. There will be field trips, educational sessions, community events, and — most importantly — space for children to connect with the deep, often overlooked contributions of Black Americans to the shaping of this nation.

“We believe this program can play a role in reducing youth gun violence by capturing the attention of young people and giving them a powerful sense of purpose and identity,” says Rev. Kyev Tatum, pastor of New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church. “This is a space where churches can help young people recover, heal, and rise — in ways that meet their real needs.”

The church is also dedicating a special Buffalo Soldiers Room, where uniforms, artifacts, and historical photographs will be displayed. Organizers are currently seeking donated mannequins, materials, and approximately $50,000 in community and city support to help cover transportation, food, equipment, and educational resources.

Army veteran Clinton Warren of Little Elm, a proud member of the Buffalo Soldiers since 2016, knows firsthand the power of this history. “Black people have been in every U.S. military conflict,” he says. “When young people learn about heroes like Henry Flipper — the first Black graduate of West Point — or civil rights leaders like Medgar Evers, who were veterans, it gives them pride. It shows them that building strong communities starts with knowing where you come from.”

RosieLeetta Reed, president of the Texas Buffalo Soldiers Association and CEO of Lakeside Riders Youth Outreach, specializes in teaching about trailblazing women like Cathay Williams, the only documented female Buffalo Soldier, and Stagecoach Mary Fields, a former enslaved woman who became the first Black woman to work for the U.S. Postal Service.

For over 25 years, longtime member Sam Allen has been teaching children in Dallas the overlooked parts of Black history — not just the triumphs, but the tragedies, from the contributions of Black Seminoles to the painful lessons of the 1923 Rosewood massacre and the 1917 Houston Riots, where 19 Black soldiers were executed. “We’ve got a whole generation with no clue about the contributions we as Black people have made to this country,” Allen says. “When kids learn these things, they stand a little taller. They see the value of taking care of their own communities because it’s where they live, and they realize it can be done.”

Juneteenth is often framed as a celebration, but it is also a challenge — a call to action. It reminds us that freedom was never just given; it had to be fought for, protected, and passed down.

This Juneteenth, as North Texas gathers in parades, programs, and community events, let us honor the Buffalo Soldiers — the true Fathers of Juneteenth — by not just remembering their sacrifice but by continuing their mission: to stand up for justice, to educate our youth, and to ensure that no part of our shared American story is forgotten.

To sign up to support the Buffalo Soldiers project at New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church, contact Rev. Kyev Tatum at (817) 966-7625 or email kptatum1@gmail.com. Zelle: newmtrosembc@gmail.com