WHEN HONOR IS DUE: Buffalo Soldiers in Texas Honor Senator Royce West and Representative Harold Dutton for Establishing the Historic Texas Freedmen’s Cemetery Designation Program.




WHEN HONOR IS DUE: Buffalo Soldiers in Texas Honor Senator Royce West and Representative Harold Dutton for Establishing the Historic Texas Freedmen’s Cemetery Designation Program.

A Veterans Day Weekend Announcement from Pastor Kyev Tatum

Fort Worth, Texas — Pastor Kyev Tatum, of New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Worth and Chaplain of the Texas Buffalo Soldiers Association, is commending Senator Royce West and State Representative Harold Dutton of Houston for their visionary leadership in passing and establishing the Historic Texas Freedmen’s Cemetery Designation Program — a landmark initiative created through Senate Bill 217, effective September 1, 2025.


Administered by the Texas Historical Commission (THC), this groundbreaking program will formally recognize and protect cemeteries containing the graves of freed slaves throughout the State of Texas. These sacred grounds—many long forgotten, hidden, or unmarked—hold the remains of men and women who endured slavery, found freedom, and built the spiritual and social foundations of our state.

“This remarkable program will honor the lives and legacies of many Buffalo Soldiers—those who endured slavery and found freedom fighting for their country,” said Pastor Tatum. “These cemeteries, including Shiloh Cemetery in White Oak, Texas, and New Trinity Pioneer Cemetery in Haltom City, Texas, are sacred spaces in our shared story. Thanks to the courageous leadership of Senator Royce West in the Senate and Representative Harold Dutton in the House, our ancestors will finally receive the recognition and honor they have always deserved.”




Veterans Day Weekend Events

In celebration of Veterans Day 2025 and in recognition of this historic legislative victory, the Buffalo Soldiers and New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church will participate in two special cemetery commemorative events honoring the faith, freedom, and service of Texas’s forgotten heroes:
• Saturday, November 8, 2025 – 9:00 AM
Historic Shiloh Cemetery
White Oak, Texas
Honoring the legacy of Black veterans, freedom colonies, and the East Texas Freedmen’s story.
• Tuesday, November 11, 2025 – 3:00 PM
Historic New Trinity Pioneer Cemetery
Haltom City, Texas
Honoring Buffalo Soldiers, Tuskegee Airmen, Pioneer Infantry, 6888th, Freedmen families, and forgotten black veterans of Tarrant County.

Both events will include a ceremonial reading of the history, military salute, and community reflections highlighting the Historic Texas Freedmen’s Cemetery Designation Program as a vital new tool for preserving sacred history across the state.



Background and Purpose

Texas is home to at least 489 verified freedom colonies—communities founded by formerly enslaved people after emancipation. Nearly every one of these colonies included a Freedmen’s Cemetery, where formerly enslaved individuals and their descendants were buried with dignity.

Recognizing the urgent need to protect these historic sites, Senator Royce West authored and sponsored Senate Bill 217, with State Representative Harold Dutton championing the bill’s passage in the Texas House of Representatives. Together, their leadership directs the Texas Historical Commission to establish the Historic Texas Freedmen’s Cemetery Designation Program, ensuring that these sacred burial grounds are preserved, respected, and publicly recognized.



This effort will alert the public and notify landowners of the existence and importance of these cemeteries—ensuring their stories are never erased and their grounds never disturbed.


Program Details
• Purpose: To formally recognize and protect cemeteries containing the graves of freed slaves.
• Establishment: Created by Texas Senate Bill 217; THC will adopt official rules by June 1, 2026.
• Eligibility: Cemeteries must contain the grave of at least one freed slave and meet THC criteria.
• Designation: Eligible sites will receive an official Historic Texas Freedmen’s Cemetery Medallion.
• Application: Forms and procedures will be available on the THC website.
• Fees: Application fee not to exceed $25.
• Appeals: Denied applications may be appealed to the Texas Historical Commission.




Connection to the Historic Texas Cemetery (HTC) Program

The new Freedmen’s Cemetery Designation expands upon the THC’s long-standing Historic Texas Cemetery (HTC) Program, which recognizes cemeteries of general historic significance. This new designation specifically honors the sacred burial sites of freed slaves—ensuring their stories of struggle, survival, and spiritual strength remain part of the permanent record of Texas history.




A Legacy of Truth and Triumph

As part of this Veterans Day Weekend, Pastor Tatum and the Texas Buffalo Soldiers Association are calling upon churches, historians, descendants, and community leaders to join in identifying, preserving, and protecting these historic resting places across Texas.

“The souls resting in these cemeteries tell the story of Texas—of freedom born from faith and resilience born from hope,” Pastor Tatum said. “Through this program, we are keeping our ancestors’ dreams alive and ensuring their courage continues to guide us forward.”

The Historic Texas Freedmen’s Cemetery Designation Program stands as a monumental step toward truth, remembrance, and reconciliation, uplifting the enduring legacy of Texas’s freedmen and women whose faith and fortitude continue to shape the state’s moral and cultural heritage.




For More Information, Contact:
Texas Historical Commission
www.thc.texas.gov

Office of Senator Royce West
Texas State Capitol – Austin, TX

Office of Representative Harold Dutton
Texas House of Representatives – Houston, TX

Media Contact:
Pastor Kyev Tatum
New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church
2864 Mississippi Avenue, Fort Worth, Texas 76104
817-966-7625, kptatum1@gmail.com

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