BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Following the U.S. Civil War, one Black organization made it their mission to help rebuild the country. Known as the Buffalo Soldiers, that organization lives on today.
Congress passed legislation in 1866 allowing African Americans to enlist in the country's regular peacetime military, and the Buffalo Soldiers were created. Today, their work is still serving the community of Kern County.
Brigadier General Charles Everly of the Kern County Buffalo Soldiers says the history of the organization is woven into the history of America.
"They did everything from started national parks and stagecoaches, they protected the people that built the railroads. If there was a dispute about land or whatever, the Buffalo Soldiers settled that," said Everly. "You cannot talk about the history of the United States without talking about the history of Buffalo Soldiers."
From Sequoia National Park to Yosemite, the Buffalo Soldiers made it their duty not only to fight for our nation, but to protect and create spaces for everyone.
Lieutenant General Dee Slade first got involved with the Buffalo Soldiers of Kern County in 1994. She says that for her family, joining the military was one way to be free.
"Freedom from slavery. That is why you see even today, a lot of our African American men and women go into the service. They go into it with pride, representing a country that really didn't love their ancestors," said Slade.
After the Emancipation Proclamation, when newly-free families started to move, Everly says they relied on Buffalo Soldiers for help.
"They needed someone to protect them. They needed someone to build the railroads and do whatever needed to be done," said Everly. "Found national parks, whatever needed to be done. They needed law and they needed order, and they needed disciplined people to do that, and the Buffalo Soldiers were a part of the westward movement."
Slade adds that during that time, there wasn't much the Buffalo Soldiers didn't do to reassemble the nation.
"They were the postal service. Remember, the Civil War, everything was destroyed, so you had them creating the policing, the sheriff," said Slade. "They were the telegraph, the communication, they strung the line. They did railroad tracks. They did the mail, Pony Express, stagecoach. They did a lot in rebuilding the country."
Today, Everly says the Kern County Chapter is continuing the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers with education to ensure that their place in U.S. history is not forgotten.
"To give people hope and let people know that people just like them have accomplished great things, and for some people, that turns a light on: 'It's not just me,'" said Everly. "There's other people that came before you, and when you understand history and your place in it, it propels you to be successful in life."
Slade agrees, adding that it's important for people to understand what their ancestors did and use those lessons in their lives today.
"Buffalo Soldiers were change agents. We teach our adults, young adults, and our youth, 'You are the change agents. You're standing on the shoulders of those who came before you,'" said Slade.
The Kern County Chapter of Buffalo Soldiers has training and orientation coming up in March. Slade says their training is similar to military training in order to continue the legacy of those who came before them.
