Buffalo Soldier

Buffalo Soldiers were African-Americans who served in the US Army beginning in 1866. In reality, freed black men served in the American military since colonial days. However, the term “buffalo soldiers” stuck since the 1860s when the United States Congress stationed all-black regiments in the Southwestern US and the Great Plains to serve in a variety of posts during the Indian wars. While they served with dignity, these hero warriors lived in segregated quarters and confronted racial prejudice until well into the mid-20th century. Although the African American in this portrait is in a civil war uniform, the term Buffalo Soldier transcends any specific historical period; rather, what I saw was a larger representation of all freedom-loving warriors who have courageously served our nation, no matter the indignities they faced or the pain they endured. Ultimately, it is they who prevailed.