DIGGING FOR DIGNITY: A Memorable Buffalo Soldiers Day Underneath the Togetherness Tree. How Haltom City Made History During America’s 250th Anniversary Written by Black Texans, Inc.
BLACK TEXANS, INC.
SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE EDITION
National 160th Anniversary of the Buffalo Soldiers
1866–2026
America’s 250th Anniversary
1776–2026
140th Anniversary of the Fretwell Cemetery Legacy
1886–2026
DIGGING FOR DIGNITY: A Memorable Buffalo Soldiers Day Underneath the Togetherness Tree. How Haltom City Made History During America’s 250th Anniversary. https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/fort-worth/article285978296.html
Written by Black Texans, Inc.
Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr.
Curator, Digging for Dignity Legacy Project | https://youtu.be/ilUnXZTwCww
HALTOM CITY, TEXAS — There are moments in history that are carefully planned.
Then there are moments that only God can orchestrate.
July 27–28, 2026, were two of those days.
What began as a historic celebration honoring the legendary Buffalo Soldiers became something far greater than anyone could have imagined. It became a living testimony that history is most powerful when it brings people together—not only to remember the past, but also to inspire the future.
For two unforgettable days, the Haltom City Council Chambers and People’s Memorial Legacy Park became gathering places where history was no longer confined to books, museums, or distant memories.
History came alive through people.
Historians stood beside Buffalo Soldier living-history interpreters.
Veterans stood beside children.
Elected officials stood beside descendants.
Clergy stood beside community volunteers.
Families whose loved ones rest in this sacred place welcomed visitors from across Texas.
For a brief but beautiful moment, generations met on common ground.
This was not merely another community event.
It was a defining moment in the history of Tarrant County.
During America’s 250th Anniversary, the City of Haltom City officially proclaimed July 28 as Buffalo Soldiers Day, making it the only city in Tarrant County to do so during this historic anniversary year (https://blacktexans.blogspot.com/2026/07/digging-for-dignity-one-year-later.html).
The proclamation carried even greater meaning because 2026 also marks the 160th Anniversary of the Buffalo Soldiers, whose story formally began in 1866 when Congress authorized six all-Black regiments following the Civil War.
Whether another city elsewhere has ever officially proclaimed July 28 as Buffalo Soldiers Day remains a matter for historical research. What is certain is that Haltom City’s action established a historic milestone for Tarrant County by publicly recognizing the courage, sacrifice, service, and enduring legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers during one of the most significant commemorations in our nation’s history.
Three powerful anniversaries converged on one sacred piece of ground:
America’s 250th Anniversary—1776–2026.
The Buffalo Soldiers’ 160th Anniversary—1866–2026.
The Fretwell Cemetery Legacy’s 140th Anniversary—1886–2026.
The result was more than a celebration.
It was a once-in-a-generation gathering of history, faith, dignity, sacrifice, and hope.
Buffalo Soldiers Rest on This Sacred Ground
One of the most memorable moments of the celebration came through an announcement by Haltom City Manager Rex Phelps.
Mr. Phelps shared that it had been confirmed that several Buffalo Soldiers are buried at People’s Memorial Legacy Park.
That announcement elevated the significance of the gathering even further.
The celebration was no longer simply honoring the Buffalo Soldiers in a symbolic way.
We were honoring Buffalo Soldiers who had found their final resting place on the very ground where we stood.
They were not distant figures from a history book.
They were present through their service.
Present through their sacrifice.
Present through their names.
Present through the sacred soil that now holds their earthly remains.
That confirmation makes People’s Memorial Legacy Park an even more important part of American history. It establishes the park not only as the resting place of more than 8,000 African American pioneers, but also as hallowed ground where the lives and service of Buffalo Soldiers continue speaking across generations.
Their presence reminds us that American history is not confined to distant battlefields, national monuments, or museums.
American history also lives in local communities.
It lives in neighborhood cemeteries.
It lives beneath weathered gravestones.
It lives in sacred places where seemingly ordinary citizens were laid to rest after lives of extraordinary service.
History deserves more than remembrance.
History deserves celebration.
History deserves preservation.
Most importantly, history deserves to be passed from one generation to the next.
That is exactly what happened.
Buffalo Soldier interpreters traveled from across Texas.
Veterans proudly wore hats of honor.
Children encountered living history rather than merely reading about it in textbooks.
Neighbors gathered not around controversy, but around remembrance.
Stories once hidden were spoken aloud.
Names nearly forgotten were remembered.
For two extraordinary days, history stepped out of the pages of books and walked among the people.
Generations of Courage
The storytelling stretched across generations of African American military service and achievement.
The audience reflected upon the Buffalo Soldiers while also remembering countless other men and women whose courage helped shape America.
Among them was L.D. “Goo Goo” Livingston—a Negro League baseball player, a World War II Army sergeant, a Harlem police officer, and ultimately a son of Fort Worth whose final resting place is People’s Memorial Legacy Park.
His remarkable life reminded everyone that courage is never limited to one battlefield, one profession, or one generation.
Courage can be displayed in military service.
Courage can be displayed on a baseball field.
Courage can be displayed while protecting a community.
Courage can be displayed by living with dignity in a nation that did not always treat its Black citizens with equal dignity.
L.D. Livingston’s story was one of many reminders that the people resting at People’s Memorial Legacy Park were not simply names carved into stone.
They were builders of America.
They served in wars.
They raised families.
They built churches.
They established communities.
They endured injustice.
They pursued freedom.
They left behind a legacy that still speaks.
The 140th Anniversary of Mother Frances Fretwell’s Promise
The celebration also commemorated the 140th Anniversary of Mother Frances Fretwell’s Promise, one of the most inspiring stories of faith, perseverance, determination, and community in North Texas.
Family history tells us that after the death of her husband, Rev. Greene Fretwell, an emancipated minister whose remarkable journey carried him from slavery to freedom, he was denied burial in the white cemetery because of the color of his skin.
Many people would have surrendered to despair.
Mother Frances Fretwell chose determination.
Instead of allowing injustice to have the final word, she traveled from family to family, encouraging formerly enslaved families to join together to purchase land.
She made a promise that still echoes nearly 140 years later:
“If they helped purchase the land, their families would always have a place to bury their loved ones.”
Those words established more than a cemetery.
They established dignity.
They established ownership.
They established hope.
They established belonging.
They established a legacy.
The Fretwell Cemetery legacy began in a time when African American families were denied many of the basic rights and dignities freely extended to others. Yet through collective faith, sacrifice, and determination, those families secured sacred ground where their loved ones could be laid to rest with honor.
More than 140 years later, that promise still lives.
Every gravestone represents a life.
Every name represents a family.
Every burial represents a promise kept.
And now we know that among those resting there are Buffalo Soldiers whose faithful service helped shape the story of America itself.
How fitting that this historic Buffalo Soldiers Day celebration unfolded upon the very land made possible by Mother Frances Fretwell’s faith.
The national story of the Buffalo Soldiers met the local legacy of the Fretwell family.
The history of American military service met the history of African American land ownership.
The struggle for freedom met the promise of dignity.
And it all came together at People’s Memorial Legacy Park.
From One Soul of Gold to More Than 8,000 Souls Made of Gold
There are anniversaries that remind us of the passing of time.
Then there are anniversaries that remind us of the providence of God.
July 28, 2026, was both.
Exactly one year earlier, on July 28, 2025, while walking these sacred grounds, the Digging for Dignity Legacy Project rediscovered the gravesite of Florence Marie Cole Rawls, a proud member of the historic 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion and a recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal.
It was more than the discovery of a headstone.
It was the rediscovery of a life.
It was the restoration of a legacy.
It was the recovery of an American hero whose service deserved to be remembered.
Florence Marie Cole Rawls belonged to the extraordinary group of African American women who served in the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion during World War II. Their mission was essential to the morale of millions of American service members whose mail had been delayed and undelivered.
Their motto was clear:
“No mail, low morale.”
They served their nation with discipline, courage, intelligence, and determination, even while confronting racism and discrimination at home and abroad.
Decades later, their service was formally recognized through the Congressional Gold Medal.
Yet the final resting place of Florence Marie Cole Rawls remained largely unknown until July 28, 2025.
That single discovery became the spark that ignited an extraordinary year of remembrance.
What began with one nearly forgotten veteran soon grew into a movement dedicated to reclaiming the names, stories, service, and dignity of thousands of African Americans buried in this sacred place.
During the twelve months that followed, the Digging for Dignity Legacy Project inspired Veterans Day commemorations, Wreaths Across America observances, Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service projects, Juneteenth Find-A-Grave initiatives, the Hunting for Heroes Treasure Hunt, Buffalo Soldiers Day, educational programs, historical research, and countless hours of preservation and community engagement.
One discovery became many.
One story became thousands.
One name became a movement.
How beautifully fitting that on the first anniversary of the rediscovery of Florence Marie Cole Rawls, the community gathered once again—not simply to celebrate one Congressional Gold Medal recipient, but to honor more than 8,000 souls resting throughout People’s Memorial Legacy Park.
America rightly recognizes extraordinary service with medals made of gold.
But God reminds us that every human life possesses a value that no medal can measure.
Every child.
Every mother.
Every father.
Every veteran.
Every pioneer.
Every teacher.
Every pastor.
Every laborer.
Every community builder.
Every dreamer.
Every person resting beneath this sacred ground bears the image of God and carries a story worthy of remembrance.
That may be the greatest lesson of Digging for Dignity.
We began by searching for one remarkable woman.
God led us to thousands.
One year ago, we celebrated one Congressional Gold Medal recipient.
One year later, we celebrated more than 8,000 souls made of gold.
Not because they wore medals.
Not because they held public office.
Not because history wrote books about them.
But because they lived.
They loved.
They sacrificed.
They raised families.
They built churches.
They created communities.
They served their country.
They helped build America.
For too long, many of their names rested quietly beneath weathered stones.
Today, their names are rising again.
Their stories are being told.
Their dignity is being restored.
Their descendants are finding them.
Their legacy is blessing a new generation.
Perhaps that is why this Buffalo Soldiers Day felt so deeply personal.
It was never only about a proclamation.
It was never only about Buffalo Soldiers.
It was never only about one cemetery.
It was about seeing what God has always seen:
The priceless worth of every human life.
The Togetherness Tree
Then came the Texas heat.
Temperatures climbed beyond one hundred degrees.
Yet something beautiful happened.
Without anyone giving directions, people naturally gathered beneath one magnificent tree.
Someone smiled and called it the Togetherness Tree.
The name was perfect.
From fellowship with city officials and police officers to Buffalo Soldier interpreters, veterans, historians, volunteers, clergy, children, and families whose loved ones rest in this sacred place, there was enough grace, enough space, and enough shade for everyone.
No one was a stranger.
No one was left out.
The Togetherness Tree welcomed us all.
What began as a search for relief from the Texas sun became a lesson about the Kingdom of God.
Under its branches, conversations flourished.
Friendships formed.
Children listened.
Veterans remembered.
Descendants reflected.
Neighbors laughed.
People who had never met before departed feeling like family.
There were no reserved seats.
No special sections.
No barriers.
Only fellowship.
Only hospitality.
Only history.
Only hope.
Perhaps that is what sacred ground is meant to do.
It reminds us that while history records our differences, God delights in bringing His children together.
The Psalmist declared:
That Scripture came alive underneath the Togetherness Tree.
People from different communities, cultures, professions, generations, and backgrounds found common purpose beneath its branches.
There was room for everyone.
There was shade for everyone.
There was fellowship for everyone.
There was grace for everyone.
The tree did not ask who was important.
It did not ask who held office.
It did not ask who had traveled the farthest.
It did not ask who had the greatest title.
It simply offered its shade.
That day, the Togetherness Tree became a living sermon.
Its roots reminded us of our ancestors.
Its trunk represented strength.
Its branches represented opportunity.
Its shade represented grace.
And the people gathered beneath it represented what is possible when history brings us together.
We Can. We Will. We Must.
Another defining moment came through the challenge issued by Dr. Coy Poitier, Coordinator of the Texas Buffalo Soldiers Program with Texas Parks and Wildlife.
His message was beautifully simple:
“We can. We will. We must.”
Those five words became the heartbeat of Buffalo Soldiers Day.
We can preserve our history.
We will honor those who came before us.
We must teach future generations the stories that shaped our nation.
His challenge reminded everyone that preserving history belongs to all of us.
It belongs to churches.
It belongs to schools.
It belongs to cities.
It belongs to historians.
It belongs to veterans.
It belongs to descendants.
It belongs to every person who understands that a nation that forgets its history risks losing part of its soul.
“We can” speaks to ability.
“We will” speaks to commitment.
“We must” speaks to responsibility.
Together, those words became more than a memorable phrase.
They became a mandate.
A Ministry of Remembrance
The Digging for Dignity Legacy Project has never simply been about recovering forgotten cemeteries.
It is about reclaiming forgotten names.
Restoring forgotten dignity.
Recovering forgotten stories.
Reconnecting families with their ancestors.
Connecting today’s generation with yesterday’s sacrifices so tomorrow’s generation will never forget.
New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church of Fort Worth has faithfully embraced this ministry of remembrance.
Through the Digging for Dignity Legacy Project, the church has become a place where faith and history meet, where archaeology and ministry walk hand in hand, and where forgotten names are raised in resilience.
We also express our deepest gratitude to the Texas Buffalo Soldiers Association for preserving and interpreting the extraordinary legacy of the brave men and women who faithfully served a nation that often failed to return their loyalty with equal justice.
Through education, living history, public programs, and faithful service, they continue inspiring Texans of every generation.
Their uniforms are more than costumes.
Their presentations are more than performances.
Their presence connects modern audiences with men and women who endured hardship, displayed courage, and served their country with distinction.
For Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr., Digging for Dignity did not begin with a shovel.
It began with a question:
Who are the people history almost forgot?
For decades, Pastor Tatum has researched, written, taught, and interpreted the stories of African American heroes whose lives helped shape both Texas and the United States.
Through Black Texans, Inc. and under the banner of the Digging for Dignity Legacy Project, he has chronicled the courage of the 24th Infantry Regiment, the pioneering women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the legendary 369th Harlem Hellfighters, Colonel Robert T. McDaniel, the historic 477th Bombardment Group of 1945, the Buffalo Soldiers, and countless other military veterans, pioneers, educators, ministers, athletes, and community builders whose stories deserve to be remembered.
Each article and public history project has pursued the same mission:
To restore dignity through truth.
To honor sacrifice through remembrance.
To inspire service through history.
Digging for Dignity is much more than an archaeological effort.
It is a movement.
It is a ministry.
It is an educational mission.
It is a promise to ensure that names nearly lost to history continue speaking to future generations.
History Became a Bridge
How fitting it was that during America’s 250th Anniversary, people of many races, cultures, regions, professions, and faith traditions stood together beneath the Togetherness Tree.
History was no longer about division.
It became reconciliation.
History was no longer about exclusion.
It became belonging.
History was no longer confined to yesterday.
It became a bridge toward tomorrow.
The familiar children’s song reminds us of a profound biblical truth:
“Red and yellow, black, brown, and white, they are all precious in His sight.”
Those words became more than a song.
They became a living picture of what unfolded beneath the Togetherness Tree.
The cool breeze refreshed more than weary bodies.
It refreshed hopeful spirits.
Long after the tents are folded, the uniforms are carefully stored, and the crowds have returned home, the Togetherness Tree will remain.
Its roots will continue reaching into the sacred soil where more than 8,000 pioneers—and now confirmed Buffalo Soldiers—rest.
Its branches will continue offering shade to future generations.
Perhaps one day another child will stand beneath those same branches and ask:
“Why do they call this the Togetherness Tree?”
May someone answer:
“Because this is where people discovered that history is strongest when it brings us together.”
Some milestones are measured by proclamations.
Others are measured by the people they unite.
On July 28, 2026, we were blessed to witness both.
We witnessed the 250th Anniversary of America.
We honored the 160th Anniversary of the Buffalo Soldiers.
We commemorated the 140th Anniversary of the Fretwell Cemetery legacy.
We celebrated the first anniversary of the rediscovery of Florence Marie Cole Rawls.
We honored Buffalo Soldiers buried on the very ground where we gathered.
And beneath the Togetherness Tree, we experienced the timeless power of unity.
As we rest, reflect, and rejoice, we give thanks to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for allowing us to experience this remarkable chapter in our community’s history.
There was enough grace.
There was enough space.
There was enough shade.
And beneath the Togetherness Tree, there was enough room for everyone.
Because history is not simply something we inherit.
It is something we choose to preserve.
They were buried in silence.
We will raise their names in resilience.
We can.
We will.
We must.
About the Author
Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr. is the Senior Pastor of New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas; President of the Ministers Justice Coalition of Texas; Curator of the Digging for Dignity Legacy Project; Chaplain of the North Texas Chapter of the Texas Buffalo Soldiers Association; and founder of Black Texans, Inc.
For Pastor Tatum, history is not simply something to study.
It is a calling to preserve.
A lifelong educator, minister, community advocate, writer, and public historian, he has dedicated his ministry to recovering forgotten stories, restoring forgotten dignity, and reconnecting families with their heritage.
Through the Digging for Dignity Legacy Project, Pastor Tatum has helped bring renewed attention to People’s Memorial Legacy Park and its significance as the final resting place of more than 8,000 African American pioneers, veterans, faith leaders, community builders, and families whose lives helped shape North Texas.
His research and writing have highlighted the remarkable contributions of the Buffalo Soldiers, the 24th Infantry Regiment, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the 369th Harlem Hellfighters, Colonel Robert T. McDaniel, the 477th Bombardment Group, the Tuskegee Airmen, the Negro Leagues, and countless other African American pioneers whose stories have too often remained untold.
On July 28, 2025, Pastor Tatum and the Digging for Dignity Legacy Project rediscovered the gravesite of Florence Marie Cole Rawls, a member of the historic 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion and a recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal.
That discovery became the catalyst for an extraordinary year of historical preservation and public engagement, inspiring Veterans Day commemorations, Wreaths Across America observances, Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service projects, Juneteenth Find-A-Grave initiatives, the Hunting for Heroes Treasure Hunt, educational programs, historical research, and the Buffalo Soldiers Day celebration at People’s Memorial Legacy Park.
Pastor Tatum believes that every cemetery is a classroom.
Every headstone is a history book.
Every forgotten name is an opportunity to restore dignity.
His life’s work is guided by a simple conviction:
“They were buried in silence. We will raise their names in resilience.”
Today, through preaching, teaching, writing, public history, community service, and strategic partnerships, Pastor Tatum continues inviting churches, schools, civic organizations, veterans’ groups, historians, descendants, and families to participate in preserving America’s shared story.
Because history is not simply something we inherit.
It is something we choose to preserve.
It is something we choose to teach.
It is something we choose to pass on.
And together—
We can.
We will.
We must.
A Black Texans, Inc. Special Commemorative Edition
Honoring Three Historic Anniversaries
America’s 250th Anniversary — 1776–2026
National 160th Anniversary of the Buffalo Soldiers — 1866–2026
140th Anniversary of the Fretwell Cemetery Legacy — 1886–2026
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