Buffalo Soldiers: Fighting on Two Fronts is a documentary film which premiered on US television (PBS) in June 2023.
The topic is the history of African American soldiers who are serving in the US army.
Here is some basic information about this film:
** Producer and director: Dru Holley
** Writers: Dru Holley and Barbara Multer-Wellin
** Narrator: Ayanna Berkshire
** Language: English
** Subtitles: English
** Run time: 59 minutes
Several persons are interviewed in the film. Here are the names of the participants (in alphabetical order):
** Ryan Booth – a PhD historian, Washington State University – Upper Skagit Tribe member
** Leonard Howes – vice-president, Buffalo Soldiers of Seattle
** Shelton Johnson – an author and a US Park Service Ranger
** Darrell Millner – emeritus professor, Black Studies, Portland State University
** Anthony Powell – an author and a curator – his grandfather was a buffalo soldier for 40 years
** Brian Shellum – author of several books about the buffalo soldiers
** Greg Shine – a historian and an author
** Quintard Taylor – a PhD historian, University of Washington
Who are the buffalo soldiers?
The term “Buffalo Soldiers” is a nickname that was used for African Americans who served in the US army.
When was it used?
It was used for five decades: from 1866 until the beginning of the 20th century. Apparently, it disappeared during World War One.
At first, it was used as a derogatory term. It was used by people who did not respect African American soldiers. But later, African American soldiers accepted the term and began to use it about themselves.
In this way they were able to turn it into a positive term which was used to show respect for the performance of African American soldiers.
Why were they fighting on two fronts?
# 1. They fought against the enemy designated by their commanding white officers.
# 2. They also had to fight against their commanding white officers and a society dominated by white people who did not think they were worthy of the uniform.
In this film, we learn about the history of the buffalo soldiers and their role in the US army over five decades: from 1866 to 1916.
Many names are mentioned briefly in order to present and illustrate this history, but the main focus is on two soldiers whose careers and performances are remarkable:
** Moses Williams (1845-1899)
** Charles Young (1864-1922)
In the past, the US army was racially segregated. African Americans served in all-black regiments which were usually commanded by white officers.
Most African Americans were regular soldiers. They were not officers. Only a few became officers. It was possible to be promoted, but only to the rank of sergeant. Only white persons could be promoted to higher ranks.
A significant part of the US army were buffalo soldiers. More than 10 percent of the army was African Americans. They performed well. But their good performances were not always recognized by the top brass.
They were not always given credit for their accomplishments. White soldiers and white officers would often take credit for positive results which had been achieved by buffalo soldiers.
The buffalo soldiers faced discrimination while they were serving in the US army.
Anthony Powell remembers a conversation he had many years ago with his grandfather who was a buffalo soldier for 40 years.
When Anthony was a child, there was something he could not understand. He asked his grandfather:
“Why did you serve so many years in the army, when the army was racist?”
His grandfather tried to explain why he did it. He said the army gave him the only part of the American Dream that the nation would let him share in.
When his grandfather was a young man, the US army offered perhaps the best life and perhaps the best chance an African American man could get.
A job. A steady salary. And a chance to be promoted (within limits).
If he was injured or sick, the army would take care of him. When he retired, the army would offer him a small pension. In other words: the buffalo soldier had a good chance to support himself and his family.
In this film, the history of the buffalo soldiers from 1866 to 1916 is covered in great detail.
The weak moment of this film comes towards the end when the history of the US army from 1916 until the present day is covered very fast and very briefly.
Perhaps they were no longer called buffalo soldiers, but they were still African Americans and they were still serving in the US army.
Only a few minutes are devoted to this period of more than 100 years. What about World War One and World War Two? What about the Korean War and the Vietnam War? Not much is said about these conflicts.
The US army was racially segregated during World War One and World War Two.
FDR was asked to abolish segregation of the army, but he refused to do this. He said he was afraid to lose the support of the white southern Democrats.
His wife Elanor Roosevelt told him to end segregation. But he refused to listen to her.
FDR abolished racial segregation of the defense industry in June 1941.
Private companies which wanted to have government contracts to support preparations for the coming war were told that racial segregation was no longer allowed.
But this is as far as he went. FDR did not change the basic conditions of the military.
Segregation continued until 1948 when President Harry
S. Truman signed an executive order which abolished segregation in the armed forces of the USA.
But according to this film, the order was not really implemented during the Korean War which was fought 1950-1953.
According to this film, the first war in which American forces were truly integrated was the war in French Indochina (which was never an official war).
It is a shame the time from 1916 to 2022 is covered in such a superficial way. Fortunately, the coverage of the time from 1866 to 1916 is quite good.
If you are interested in American history – particularly the development of civil rights – this film is definitely something for you.
It is highly recommended.
REFERENCES
Buffalo Soldiers
By Robert O’Connor
1993
The Buffalo Soldiers:
A Narrative of the Black Cavalry in the West
By William H. Leckie with Shirley A. Leckie
Revised edition (first published 1967)
Hardcover 2003
Paperback 2007
Black Cadet in a White Bastion:
Charles Young at West Point
By Brian Shellum
2006
Buffalo Soldiers in the West:
A Black Soldiers Anthology
Edited by Bruce A. Glasrud and Michael N. Searles
2007
Voices of the Buffalo Soldier:
Records, Reports and Recollections of
Military life and Service in the West
Edited by Frank N. Schubert
2009
Buffalo Soldiers:
The Colored Regulars in the United States Army
By T. G. Steward
2014
Buffalo Soldiers in Alaska:
Company L Twenty-Fourth Infantry
By Brian Shellum
2021
*****
Buffalo Soldiers:
Fighting on Two Fronts
A documentary film which premiered
on US television (PBS)
in June 2023
*****
ON THIS BLOG
My review of
Fighting on Both Fronts:
The Story of the 370th
(2017)
My review of
Red Chicago
(2020)
*****
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