How Shelton Johnson became the Buffalo Soldiers’ champion

September 20, 2016 12:43 PM

The Park Service’s best-known ranger is determined not to let the African-American soldiers fall into obscurity.
posted by the man of twists and turns (6 comments total)

He's a national treasure! Thanks for posting this.
posted by pjsky at 12:57 PM on September 20, 2016

Many people don't realize that many cowboys and soldiers in the old west were black. They were both hard, lonely jobs that didn't pay much. Fort Davis in west Texas (on the road to Big Bend) is an amazingly well preserved Buffalo Soldiers fort. It doesn't feel all that different to Army posts where I grew up. There's something for everyone there, good displays of weapons (a mint Gatling gun) , barracks, horses, hospital, and officer's quarters full of period furniture and dishes. If you're ever in the area (best in not summer), stop in.
posted by Bee'sWing at 12:59 PM on September 20, 2016 [2 favorites]

Buffalo Soldiers, the all-black Army regiments who served as precursors to park rangers at the turn of the 20th century, represent a historic, spiritual and cultural link between African-Americans and national parks, where they are the system’s most underrepresented racial group.

While that description of the Buffalo Soldiers is accurate, it elides some of the less honorable aspects of the regiments, such as their participation in the Indian and Philippine-American War. It's always tricky to honor the service of individual Americans without erasing the racist and genocidal history of the U.S. military.
posted by layceepee at 1:03 PM on September 20, 2016

Can we not make this be a referendum on the American Military In General? I'd much prefer to hear more about the history of the Buffalo Soldiers specifically, if people have anything they want to share on the subject. If folks are going to pass judgment, let it at least be in context. All good people strive to behave honorably within the context of a system that is corrupt, broken, and the cause of untold suffering among our brethren and sistren. That is what it is to be alive.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 2:03 PM on September 20, 2016 [4 favorites]

Great article. Thanks for posting.
posted by BlueHorse at 7:34 PM on September 20, 2016

It Matters Who You See in Outdoor Media - Carolyn Finney

Though the outdoors shaped my own childhood, I rarely saw black and other non-white people in mainstream coverage of the topic. Mainstream media and environmental organizations have been slow to consider or represent a large chunk of those who love wild places—and in light of the celebrations around the national park system this year, it’s become even clearer that we still have a lot of work to do.

posted by the man of twists and turns at 11:30 PM on October 13, 2016