Park University's Great War Institute Set to Unveil Initial Program Showcasing Namesake of Buffalo Soldiers National Monument
In November 2021, The Great War Institute at Park University's George S. Robb Centre is set to host its inaugural lecture series, focusing on the life and legacy of Colonel Charles Young, an African American military officer who made history in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Born on March 12, 1864, in Mays Lick, Kentucky, to formerly enslaved parents, Young's family moved to Ohio after the Civil War. At the age of 20, he was appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point, overcoming considerable racial adversity to graduate in 1889. He was the ninth African American to enter the U.S. Military Academy and the third to graduate.
Young served with the famed Buffalo Soldiers, particularly with the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments. He was the highest-ranking Black officer in the regular U.S. Army until his death in 1922 and was the first African American to reach the rank of colonel in the U.S. Army. During the Spanish-American War, he commanded the 10th Cavalry at the charge up San Juan Hill.
In 1903, Young was appointed superintendent of Sequoia and General Grant National Parks in California, becoming the first African American to hold the National Park Superintendent position. He also served as a military attaché to Liberia, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.
Despite medical challenges, Young participated in the Pancho Villa Expedition in 1916 and returned to active duty during World War I, where he was promoted to colonel.
Posthumously, Charles Young was promoted to Brigadier General—100 years after his death in 1922—and awarded the Spingarn Medal, recognizing his outstanding achievements as an African American.
The lecture, to be presented by author and historian Brian Shellum, will delve into Young's life, his military career, and his contributions to civil rights and breaking racial barriers in positions traditionally denied to Black Americans. Shellum has authored four books, with his latest, "Buffalo Soldiers in Alaska, Company L, Twenty-Fourth Infantry," to be published by the University of Nebraska Press this month.
The lecture series on "The Legacy of Col. Charles Young" is presented in conjunction with several institutions, including The National World War I Museum and Memorial, the World War I Historical Association, the Black Archives of Mid-America, the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Admission to the event is free, and reservations are requested at [my.theworldwar.org/charlesyoung](http://my.theworldwar.org/charlesyoung). Young's legacy continues to inspire, as his contributions extend beyond military service to civil rights and breaking racial barriers, earning him an enduring legacy as a trailblazer and inspirational leader.
In the context of the lecture series on Col. Charles Young, learning about his lifelong achievements in education, self-development, and lifelong learning can be a valuable means of understanding his contributions to civil rights and his role as a trailblazer. Moreover, his inspiring journey of overcoming racial adversity and breaking traditional boundaries in the fields of military service and National Park Superintendency serves as a testament to the importance of lifelong learning and personal growth.
