“Be ambassadors. You are on the frontline of war and visibility of blackness in American culture.”
– Booker T. Washington, to a Buffalo Soldier from the 9th and 10th cavalries
In consort with LMU’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, the LMU Digital Veterans Legacy (LDVL) Project was developed by a multidisciplinary team of LMU scholars to bring into light the stories of the Buffalo Soldiers and Asian American Veterans interred at the L.A. National Cemetery in Westwood (LANC).
Why? The narrative about veterans often leaves out the diversity in the experience and backgrounds of soldiers who fought and sometimes died for the advancement of this country. Buffalo Soldiers are well-known, but rarely thought of as part of California history. Asian Americans go unrecognized for the contributions they have made as soldiers. This project works to fill this gap and expand our knowledge about our unique and diverse histories.
At LMU, we seek to expand our knowledge of Los Angeles and the contributions of various groups to the development of our communities. This project will work with LMU’s undergraduate and AFROTC programs, local high schools and community-based organizations to identify, explore, write and create digital media of the rich histories of underrepresented veterans.
The LANC has identified within its grounds the burial of more than 300 Buffalo Soldiers from the 9th and 10th cavalries and the 24th and 25th infantries. For Black History Month, we are excited to share information about the California Buffalo Soldiers who served in this state from 1899 to 1948, when the military was desegregated. These soldiers are known most for their participation in the westward expansion, including their controversial role in the Indian wars. They worked to ensure safe passage for settlers, workers, and livestock. Buffalo Soldiers helped to build the roads and facilities for the national parks located in California and also served as the first park rangers in Sequoia and Yosemite national parks. They even protected Theodore Roosevelt on tour in California in 1903.
For this project, we not only uplift the accomplishments and individual narratives of the soldiers, but we also ask students to think about critical questions related to social context and justice. We question what it must have been like for Black soldiers, who were in segregated units and recently liberated from enslavement to participate in battles against other oppressed peoples. We ask why they might make the decision to participate and how they might have felt about this work once they were engaged. We question what advantages they may have received for their service. And we ask these questions while considering the historical context of the options that were available for Black people during the timeframe of the Buffalo Soldiers.
What is unique about this project?
“We need people to know that we fought for this country too.”
– Peter Chow, President of the Organization of Asian American Veterans
We see this project as a way to enlighten the generations about the struggles and meaning of service among people of color as a way to combat racism and negative stereotypes. People of color want to be seen and remembered as individuals who love and fight for this country as we continue to build a more perfect Union.
To do this, we are:
- Engaging LMU students in the research and development of biographies of Buffalo Soldiers and Asian American Veterans;
- Engaging LMU’s AFROTC students to share their military knowledge and mentor high school students;
- Working with professors and local high school teachers to expand their teaching toolsets by developing and sharing curriculum about genealogy research as well as the veterans group we are researching.
Black History Month provides a perfect context to ensure the visibility and accessibility of these narratives; and we invite other students, faculty, and staff to engage with us in developing and sharing these stories. If you are interested, please email Julianne De La Cerda, LDVL’s Project Manager, at julianne.delacerda@lmu.edu.
