UNMATCHED BRAVERY: Honoring the Harlem Hellfighters with the Congressional Gold Medal on September 3, 2025 in Washington, DC.
BLACK TEXANS, INC. COVER STORY
UNMATCHED BRAVERY: Honoring the 369th Harlem Hell Fighters with the Congressional Gold Medal on September 3, 2025 in Washington, DC.
“Men Lie, Women Lie, But the Numbers Don’t Lie.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. | SEPTEMBER 3, 2025 — History will finally correct a century-old omission. On September 3, 2025, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, will formally present the Congressional Gold Medal—one of the highest civilian honors—to the heroic 369th Infantry Regiment, also known as the Harlem Hellfighters.
Black Texans, Inc. joins this historic moment in sacred remembrance and civic pride. We are honored to help lead a Texas delegation of elected officials, military veterans, public school leaders, youth, and faith-based advocates from cities across our state—including Fort Worth, Tyler, San Antonio, and Luling—to stand in witness of a long-overdue recognition of Black military valor.
WHY TEXAS CARES: FOLLOW THE NUMBERS
Why should Texas care about a regiment from Harlem?
Because the numbers don’t lie: over 355 Black Texans left behind cotton fields, railroad yards, and factory shifts to travel north and enlist in one of America’s most decorated, yet neglected, fighting forces.
They were not just soldiers; they were symbols.
They didn’t just fight enemies; they fought erasure.
And while their unit bore the name “Harlem,” their blood runs deep through Texas soil.
Over 1,500 men of the 369th were killed or wounded in World War I—more than any other American regiment. They spent an unmatched 191 consecutive days on the front lines, never lost a trench, never permanently surrendered a man, and earned the awe of their French allies and the fear of their German adversaries.
Private Henry Johnson’s legendary stand on May 15, 1918—where he single-handedly repelled a German raiding party to save his comrade, Private Needham Roberts—helped seal the regiment’s reputation for unmatched bravery.
But behind the headlines and heroes are names we must never forget—names like Joseph Ulyses Lamkin.
A TEXAS GIANT: JOSEPH ULYSES LAMKIN OF LULING, TEXAS
“The Toughest Town… with One of the Toughest Buffalo Soldiers.”
From the humble town of Luling, Texas—once called the “toughest town in Texas”—rose a son who would carry the grit of his community into the trenches of France. Joseph Ulyses Lamkin, born and raised in Luling, served in the 369th Infantry Regiment with distinction and dignity. He was a Buffalo Soldier who fought like hell, bearing witness to both the brutality of war and the blindness of injustice.
When Lamkin marched, he carried not only his rifle but also the prayers of a town, the promise of a people, and the burden of a nation’s unfinished business.
This September, Private Lamkin becomes the first person from Luling, Texas, ever to receive the Congressional Gold Medal—an honor his descendants will accept in his memory in Emancipation Hall at the U.S. Capitol.
FROM SOLDIER TO SKY: THE LAMKIN FAMILY LEGACY
Joseph’s legacy didn’t end with the war—it took flight through his son, CW4 (Ret.) Ulyses “Lam” Lamkin, one of America’s most decorated Black military aviators. A Korean and Vietnam War hero, Lamkin Jr. amassed honors that include:
• Legion of Merit
• Distinguished Flying Cross (2 Oak Leaf Clusters)
• Purple Heart
• Bronze Star
• Air Medal (37 Oak Leaf Clusters)
• Induction into the Black Aviators Hall of Fame
Together, father and son embody a generational legacy of service, sacrifice, and Black excellence that cannot be overstated.
THE ROSENWALD ROOTS OF BLACK EXCELLENCE
Behind every Lamkin stood a village—and a school.
In 1925, Luling’s Black residents opened a Rosenwald School, part of Booker T. Washington and Julius Rosenwald’s visionary initiative to uplift Black education in the segregated South. This schoolhouse was more than a building—it was a birthing ground for hope, intellect, and leadership.
It taught children like Ulyses Lamkin that though segregation may limit your space, it could never limit your spirit.
FIVE LEGACIES, ONE STORY, BUILT TO LAST A LIFETIME
The 2025 Congressional Gold Medal ceremony is not just a tribute to a regiment—it is a national reckoning, a spiritual homecoming, and a Texas triumph.
It weaves together:
• The Lamkin Family Legacy — A line of warriors, pioneers, and faith-driven achievers
• The Luling Legacy — A town of resilience, pride, and possibility
• The Rosenwald School Legacy — Education as liberation in the Jim Crow South
• The 369th Infantry/Buffalo Soldiers Legacy — The epitome of Black military courage
• The Congressional Gold Medal Legacy — America’s formal acknowledgment of truth too long denied
THIS IS MORE THAN A CEREMONY—THIS IS OUR CALL TO REMEMBER
When the Lamkin family walks into Emancipation Hall this fall, they will not arrive alone.
They will carry the spirit of Luling’s dusty roads, the echoes of their Rosenwald classrooms, and the silent salute of every forgotten hero buried beneath segregated soil.
Because when we honor Joseph Ulyses Lamkin,
We honor every Texan who fought without fanfare.
We honor every Black school that taught without textbooks.
We honor every soldier who served while being segregated.
We honor the truth that will not die:
Black legacies are American legacies.
And this one—like the man himself—was built to last a lifetime.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rev. Kyev P. Tatum, Sr. is a pastor, civil rights advocate, and community historian based in Fort Worth, Texas. A graduate of the University of North Texas School of Community Service and President of the Ministers Justice Coalition of Texas, Rev. Tatum is a passionate steward of untold Black stories that shape the cultural, moral, and spiritual fabric of America.
Fort Worth, TX
817-966-7625
kptatum1@gmail.com
www.newmountrose.com
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