FROM THE BATTLEFIELD TO THE BALLFIELD: The Legacy of Blacks in the Military and the Negro Leagues in America. By Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church of Fort Worth, Texas.

FROM THE BATTLEFIELD TO THE BALLFIELD: The Legacy of Blacks in the Military and the Negro Leagues in America. By Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church of Fort Worth, Texas. 

As the United States approaches 250 years as a nation, we are reminded that America’s strength has always come from the courage of people from many backgrounds who believed deeply in the promise of freedom.

Black soldiers defended the nation on battlefields.

Black athletes demonstrated excellence on baseball diamonds.

Together they helped move America closer to its founding ideals.

Their story is not simply a Black story.

It is an American story.

Black Texan Soldiers and Black Texans in the Negro Leagues

A Historical Reflection on Texas Black Soldiers, Negro League Ballplayers, and the Living Legacy of New Trinity Cemetery

Memorial Day Weekend — May 16, 2026

By Kyev P. Tatum Sr.

Publisher, Black Texans Inc.

As America prepares to celebrate 250 years of independence, we are reminded that the story of our country is both inspiring and unfinished. The founding of the United States in 1776 declared liberty as a national ideal. Yet for millions of people—especially African Americans—that promise of freedom unfolded slowly across generations.

The American story therefore carries two journeys running side by side: the birth of a nation and the long struggle to make its ideals real for everyone.

For years, Black Texans have played a powerful role in that journey. Through military service, athletic excellence, faith leadership, education, and civic engagement, they helped shape the moral and cultural fabric of the United States.

Few stories capture that spirit more vividly than the shared legacy of Black Texan soldiers and Black Texans who played in the Negro Leagues.

From the battlefield to the ballfield, their journey tells a Texas story—one of resilience, pride, courage, and an unwavering belief in the possibility of a better America.

That legacy lives today in the sacred soil of New Trinity Cemetery in Fort Worth, Texas—one of the most historically significant African American burial grounds in North Texas and a resting place for soldiers, pioneers, educators, and community builders whose lives helped shape the state.

Black Texan Soldiers

A Legacy of Courage, Service, and Sacrifice

The history of Black Texan soldiers is woven deeply into the story of both Texas and the United States.

From the end of the Civil War to modern military service, African Americans from Texas have stood in defense of freedom—even while working to secure greater freedom at home.

Through discipline, bravery, and perseverance, Black Texans helped shape the military history of the nation and the identity of the Lone Star State.

Their story is one of faith, sacrifice, and the unbreakable Texas spirit.

The Birth of Black Texan Military Service

When the Civil War ended in 1865, thousands of formerly enslaved men stepped forward to serve in the United States Army.

Many became part of the legendary Buffalo Soldiers, serving in the:

• 9th Cavalry Regiment

• 10th Cavalry Regiment

• 24th Infantry Regiment

• 25th Infantry Regiment

Many of these soldiers were stationed across Texas at frontier forts such as:

• Fort Concho

• Fort Davis National Historic Site

• Fort Clark

They protected settlers, guarded mail routes, built roads, and enforced federal law across the western frontier.

They carried out these duties with professionalism and courage—even while living under the harsh realities of segregation.

Yet their service revealed a powerful truth:

Black patriotism and American patriotism were never separate ideas.

Black Texans in America’s Wars

The tradition of service continued through every major American conflict.

World War I

During World War I, African American soldiers served in segregated units such as the legendary 369th Infantry Regiment, one of the most decorated American units of the war.

These soldiers fought with extraordinary courage and earned respect from allies around the world. Their bravery challenged deeply rooted racial stereotypes and expanded the nation’s understanding of equality.

World War II

Black Texans again answered the call during World War II.

African American units included:

• 761st Tank Battalion

• Tuskegee Airmen

• 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion

These soldiers helped defeat tyranny abroad while inspiring new conversations about equality at home.

Among those connected to Fort Worth history is Florence Marie Cole Rawls, who now rests at New Trinity Cemetery.

The Ballplayer’s Perspective

Excellence Behind Segregated Fences

While Black soldiers proved their bravery on battlefields, Black athletes demonstrated excellence on another stage—the baseball diamond.

Because segregation barred them from Major League Baseball, African American players built their own professional leagues through the Negro Leagues.

These leagues produced extraordinary talent, including:

• Satchel Paige

• Josh Gibson

• Cool Papa Bell

• Oscar Charleston

The Negro Leagues were more than a sports institution.

They were a symbol of Black entrepreneurship, cultural pride, and athletic brilliance—proof that excellence can flourish even in the face of injustice.

Fort Worth’s Own

Soldiers and Negro League Ballplayers

Fort Worth holds a special place in this story.

Several men from this city served in the military and also played professional baseball in the Negro Leagues.

Among them were:

• Louis Santop, one of the most feared power hitters in early Black baseball and a World War I veteran.

• Eddie Douglas, who served his country while contributing to the proud tradition of Negro League baseball.

• L. D. Livingston, a Fort Worth native whose life bridged military service, professional baseball, and later honorable service as a New York Harlem police officer.

Today, L. D. Livingston rests at New Trinity Cemetery, connecting the legacy of Negro League baseball directly to the historic African American heritage of Fort Worth.

His burial reminds us that the heroes of Black baseball are not distant figures in history books.

Some are buried in the sacred soil of our own communities.

Kiss the Sacred Ground: New Trinity Cemetery

New Trinity Cemetery stands today as one of the most important historic African American burial grounds in Texas.

Within its grounds lie veterans, ministers, educators, civil rights advocates, and community leaders who helped shape Fort Worth and the broader story of Black Texans.

The cemetery reminds us that the legacy of Black military service is not distant history.

It lives in the soil beneath our feet.

Memorial Event

Honoring the Legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers

On May 16, 2026, during Memorial Day weekend, community leaders, veterans organizations, and historical preservation advocates will gather at New Trinity Cemetery for a remembrance ceremony honoring the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers and other African American military pioneers.

The event will be held in partnership with:

• American Legion Post 655

• Ministers Justice Coalition of Texas

• Travis Manion Foundation

• Warriors Remembrance Research and Family Foundation

The ceremony will also recognize the important work of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Buffalo Soldiers Program, which has preserved and interpreted the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers since 1995.

A Shared Declaration

If the voices of those soldiers and ballplayers could speak to us today, they might say:

We rode horses across deserts and ran bases across dusty diamonds.

We marched through battlefields and traveled highways in broken-down buses.

We fought enemies abroad and prejudice at home.

But we never stopped believing that our courage, discipline, and excellence could help shape a better nation.

And as America approaches 250 years, we can see clearly that their sacrifices, determination, and belief in freedom helped bend the arc of this country toward justice.

From the battlefields to the ballfields…

from Texas frontiers to American stadiums…

from soldiers’ boots to baseball cleats…

their legacy still marches forward.

And that is a story every American can stand up and cheer for.

About the Author

Kyev P. Tatum Sr. is a pastor, author, historian, and community advocate committed to preserving the history and legacy of Black Texans.

He serves as pastor of New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, and is the founder and publisher of Black Texans Inc., an initiative dedicated to documenting the contributions of African Americans to the history, culture, and development of Texas.

A graduate of the University of North Texas School of Community Service, Pastor Tatum is also the founder of the Ministers Justice Coalition of Texas, a network of faith leaders committed to justice, historical preservation, community development, and civic engagement across the state.

Through his work in ministry, education, historical preservation, and community leadership, Pastor Tatum continues to lift up the stories of soldiers, pioneers, and everyday citizens whose lives helped shape Texas and the American journey toward freedom.