THE PILGRIMAGE TO PATRIOTISM: Honoring Heroes at New Trinity Cemetery on May 16, 2026, in Preparation for Memorial Day. When Forgotten Grounds Becomes Sacred Sound Every Stone Has a Song. By Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr. Publisher, Black Texans, Inc.

 

THE PILGRIMAGE TO PATRIOTISM: Honoring Heroes at New Trinity Cemetery on May 16, 2026, in Preparation for Memorial Day. When Forgotten Grounds Becomes Sacred Sound Every Stone Has a Song. By Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr.

Publisher, Black Texans, Inc.

When the winds of change swept across Tarrant County on July 28, 2025 — National Buffalo Soldiers Day — something sacred awakened in Haltom City.

What stood before us at New Trinity Cemetery was not merely land overgrown with brush.

It was history buried.

Honor obscured.

Heroes forgotten beneath weeds and time.

That day, our mission was clear: discover, honor, and remember the life of Florence Marie Rawls, a member of the historic 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion — the only all-Black, all-female unit deployed overseas during World War II. The 6888th, which included Black and Afro-Mexican women, later received the Congressional Gold Medal for its groundbreaking and faithful service.

After searching through overgrowth and uncertainty, her gravestone was found.

And the work has not stopped since.

When One Stone Started a Movement

Finding Florence Rawls’ grave did more than mark a location.

It marked a turning point.

We knew what could be done.

We did not know who would answer the call.

And then they came.

From the north, south, east, and west — veterans, pastors, law enforcement officers, labor crews, historians, families, and volunteers. What began as concern became conviction. What began as cleanup became consecration.

Momentum has not stopped.

A Sacred Discovery: Over 500 Black Veterans

New Trinity Cemetery, located at Northeast 28th and Beach Streets in Haltom City, is recognized as one of the earliest Black cemeteries in Tarrant County. For generations, it quietly held the remains of more than 500 Black military veterans — soldiers who served in the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korea, and beyond.

Among them were Buffalo Soldiers.

Among them were women like Florence Rawls, who helped clear a 17-million-piece mail backlog in Europe during WWII, ensuring that soldiers on the front lines stayed connected to home.

Among them are fathers, sons, daughters, and patriots whose stories were nearly erased by neglect.

And among them is L.D. Livingston, known as Sergeant L.D. “Goo Goo” Livingston — Negro League baseball player, United States Army veteran, and later a member of the New York Police Department stationed in Harlem.

Livingston represents what we call the Trifecta of Triumph:

Excellence in Negro League baseball

Honorable military service

Law enforcement leadership in Harlem

A Fort Worth son who wore the uniform on the diamond, in the Army, and on the streets of New York — and now rests at New Trinity Cemetery.

What had been invisible became visible again.

This was not landscaping.

This was resurrection work.

Veterans Day 2025: A Rededication

On November 11, 2025, dozens gathered on a windy Veterans Day afternoon for a rededication ceremony that restored dignity to sacred ground.

The ceremony was organized in partnership with American Legion Post 655, local congregations, Buffalo Soldiers organizations, and the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office.

Commander Chad Page of Post 655 reflected:

“It just kind of snowballed and grew.”

Trumpets sounded Taps across the cemetery. Families wept. Volunteers stood proud.

Officer Kelley Jenkins shared how participants in the Tarrant County Labor Detail Unit became part of history:

“These guys could be sitting in jail, but they were out here with us. They’re part of history now.”

History reclaimed.

History respected.

History restored.

Why New Trinity Matters

New Trinity Cemetery is more than geography.

It is testimony.

These veterans served a nation that did not always serve them equally. They endured racism, segregation, discrimination, and sexism — and still defended American democracy.

Florence Rawls sorted mail so soldiers would not lose hope.

Buffalo Soldiers rode into hostile terrain to protect expanding frontiers.

L.D. Livingston fought for victory abroad and justice at home.

As Pastor Kyev P. Tatum declared during the rededication:

“They took the blows and the brunt of racism and discrimination because they wanted America to know that we, too, are Americans.”

As America approaches its 250th anniversary, New Trinity stands as living proof:

Freedom has always been defended by people whose freedom was denied.

A Movement, Not a Moment

Since July 28, 2025, the momentum has continued:

• Veterans Day Rededication (November 11, 2025)

• Wreaths Across America Ceremony (December 2025)

• Buffalo Soldiers MLK Day of Service (January 2026)

• Digging for Dignity Tours (February 2026)

• May 16, 2026 — Pilgrimage to Patriotism Gathering

• Memorial Day Commemoration (May 25, 2026)

On May 16, 2026, at 9:00 AM, a major gathering will unite:

• New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church of Fort Worth

• The Warriors Remembrance & Research Foundation

• The Travis Manion Foundation

• Friends of New Trinity Cemetery

• American Legion Post 655

• Ministers Justice Coalition

• Texas Buffalo Soldiers Association

The Travis Manion Foundation will mobilize volunteers at more than 60 cemeteries nationwide in 2026 — and New Trinity has been selected as one of the honored sites.

A once-overgrown cemetery is now a national site of remembrance.

The Larger National Crisis

Seventy-eight percent of veterans are buried in community cemeteries, not federally maintained national cemeteries.

Families must navigate:

• Complex VA paperwork

• Strict benefit deadlines

• Limited burial allowances

• Low public awareness

While federal law provides for government headstones for unmarked graves, eligibility limitations and bureaucratic barriers leave many veterans without visible recognition.

Millions who served before the digital era remain largely untracked.

New Trinity proves that when federal systems fall short, local communities must rise.

Every Stone Has a Song

Florence Rawls’ stone sings of perseverance.

L.D. Livingston’s stone sings of courage and excellence.

Buffalo Soldiers’ stones sing of loyalty under fire.

When we uncovered those markers, we did not just clear weeds.

We uncovered voices.

On July 28, 2025, the question was:

Who will answer the call?

The answer now echoes across Tarrant County:

We will.

The wind that once blew across forgotten ground now carries trumpet calls, American flags, wreaths, prayers, and children learning the names of heroes.

New Trinity Cemetery is no longer forgotten ground.

It is sacred ground.

And as Black Texans, Inc. declares:

Their stories will not be buried again.

Their service will not be silenced.

Their sacrifice will not be invisible.

Because honoring heroes is not seasonal.

It is sacred.

Black Texans, Inc.

Preserving History. Proclaiming Dignity. Protecting Legacy.