The US flag is seen at the African American Civil War Memorial in Washington, D.C., on May 29, 2022, where the Buffalo Soldiers, who are African American motorcyclists from across the country, who came to the memorial to honor of people of color who paid the ultimate price for freedom in this country. | Source: The Washington Post / Getty
UPDATED: 7:45 a.m. ET, May 30, 2022
As statues commemorating the Confederacy and its racist heroes continue to be razed and removed, there may be no better time than Memorial Day to salute the memorials and monuments erected across the nation to specifically pay tribute to the contributions of Black troops that served in the American military.
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That was especially true this weekend in the nation’s capital as the African American tradition of hundreds of Black motorcyclists descended on Washington, D.C., to participate in the annual honoring of Buffalo Soldiers — at the African American Civil War Memorial.
On Friday, a memorial to one of the most renowned Black troops in American history was put back on public display following a multi-million dollar renovation that was completed just in time for this year’s Memorial Day. The tradition had been put on hold for two years because of the pandemic. It finally returned on Sunday, according to the Washington Post.
The African American Civil War Memorial is far from the nation’s only monument saluting Black soldiers.
The 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment — which movie fans may remember was immortalized on the big screen in the Academy Award-nominated film, “Glory,” starring Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman — can also be appreciated in person with visits to the Boston Common public park in Boston. It was restored last year.
The monument serves as a memorial to the nation’s first Black military unit to fight in the Civil War as well as their leader, Col. Robert Gould Shaw. The 54th was praised for a doomed charge in South Carolina in 1863. Sergeant William Harvey Carney of the 54th was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Fort Wagner.
Boston is a fitting place for a memorial to Black people who fought for America, what with Crispus Attucks, a hero of the American Revolution, becoming the first person killed in the Boston Massacre. While Attucks, an escaped slave, was not a soldier enlisted in the armed forces, he has always been remembered as an American hero for sacrificing his life in rebellion against the British occupation.
Source: Historical / Getty
Other notable Black troops in the American military include the 369th Infantry (formerly the 15th Regiment New York Guard). Also known as the “Harlem Hellfighters,” the 369th was among the first regiments dispatched to France. The all-Black squad was also among the most highly decorated by France for its bravery.
Decades later, after President Joe Biden nominated a decorated war veteran to lead the Pentagon, Lloyd Austin has become the first Black Secretary of Defense, underscoring the importance of and achievements from Black servicemembers.
On this Memorial Day, take a moment to reflect on some of the other monuments erected in honor of their selfless sacrifice and service to the United States.