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Buffalo Soldiers in Utah finally getting their due
Buffalo Soldiers in Utah finally getting their due

Yahoo

time30-06-2025

  • General
  • Yahoo

Buffalo Soldiers in Utah finally getting their due

'There's a mountain of history about these guys that had never been really tapped into, and we realized it was much broader than we thought — kind of like an iceberg.' That's Ian Wright talking. Ian's the manager of Utah Cultural Site Stewardship, a state program tasked with 'protecting and safeguarding Utah's archaeological and cultural heritage.' In simpler terms, they're in charge of preserving Utah's history. The office has been operational for a little over four years, during which time Ian and his second-in-command, Lexi Little, have discovered an interesting pattern that repeats itself: When they start researching one bit of history, they often discover another bit that's even more interesting. Such is the case with the Buffalo Soldiers — two U.S. Army all-African American regiments that were stationed in Utah between 1878 and 1901. Thanks to Utah Cultural Site Stewardship, these men who played an important role in Utah history are getting a chance to take a bow more than a century later. For our interview with Ian and Lexi, we're sitting in the Fort Douglas Military Museum on the University of Utah campus. Today, the museum's buildings house an impressive array of military artifacts and information dating from the current day all the way back to 1862, when Fort Douglas was first created as a federal military garrison. But back in the late 1800s, these were the barracks where the Buffalo Soldiers lived. The story of the Buffalo Soldiers — so nicknamed by Native Americans because their coarse hair reminded them of a buffalo's — is one of those cringe-worthy parts of American history, hearkening back to a time when even the Union triumph in the Civil War failed to put the brakes on racial bigotry. In 1866, a year after the end of the war, the federal government decreed that the U.S. Army would be segregated (and would remain so for nearly 100 years), designating that four regiments (out of 60) were to be composed of all-Black troops. Two of these regiments, the 9th Cavalry and the 24th Infantry, would be posted to Utah between 1878 and 1901, sent to keep the peace, guard the mail, protect the telegraph lines and keep the Native Americans in check. The 9th Cavalry helped establish Fort Duchesne in Uintah County, while the 24th Infantry was billeted, as mentioned above, in the barracks at Fort Douglas on the east side of Salt Lake City. The ironies and incongruities of this arrangement were not a few: Black troops, already marginalized, sent to help protect and live in peace in a place populated primarily by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — a people who A) had their own issues about being marginalized after being forced out of their homes in Illinois without much federal support and being invaded by the U.S. Army not long after they fled to Utah, and B) whose church restricted some of its membership rights from Black people. Not to mention the fact that Fort Douglas, home of the 24th, was named after Stephen A. Douglas, Abraham Lincoln's debate rival who had been a slave owner himself. But here's the part that brings a light to the eyes of Ian Wright and Lexi Little as they talk about the Buffalo Soldiers era in Utah history: The interaction seems to have worked out just fine. There were no race riots, no protests of any historical consequence. The role the Buffalo Soldiers played was, by all accounts, a positive one. The 9th Cavalry not only helped calm tensions with the Ute Tribe in northeastern Utah, but also (although this hasn't been entirely substantiated) helped guard the train depot in Price from a rumored heist by Butch Cassidy and the Robbers Roost gang. The 24th Infantry gained fame by answering the government's call to briefly leave Fort Douglas and fight in the Spanish-American War in Cuba in 1898 — charging up San Juan Hill with Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders. When the troops returned to Salt Lake City, they marched up Main Street in a parade in their honor. 'Not a lot of people know the Buffalo Soldiers were here,' says Ian, 'but they were everywhere. Every time we did research, they popped up.' Adds Lexi, 'It is a vital story that needs to be told.' The Utah Cultural Site Stewardship program has established a Heritage Trail that maps all the areas in Utah where the Buffalo Soldiers made their mark (it's 475 miles in length), and a website — — that details the history in great depth. There is also an audiobook available at narrated by former KSL Radio talk show host Doug Wright (Ian's dad). In short, if any of those Buffalo Soldiers were still around, they would no doubt be gobsmacked by all the attention. 'Our job is to safeguard all 13,000 years of Utah history,' says Ian. 'This was a gap, and we filled it.'

Lohore snubs Kubanza ahead of BRAVE CF 94
Lohore snubs Kubanza ahead of BRAVE CF 94

Daily Tribune

time17-05-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Daily Tribune

Lohore snubs Kubanza ahead of BRAVE CF 94

The heat in BRAVE Combat Federation's super welterweight division just got turned up a notch. On Thursday, 15 March, a fiery video dropped on the official BRAVE CF Instagram page featuring none other than Alex 'Da Killa King' Lohoré and, while fans eagerly waited for him to address top contender Eliezer 'King Kong' Kubanza by name, Lohoré made it crystal clear that won't be happening any time soon. 'Does he have followers? Do people know him around the world? What does this fight do for me?' Lohoré scoffed in the video. 'I don't have a lot of years left in my career, so I only want big fights. That fight is not a big fight. The guy doesn't have no following. The guy doesn't have no one. No one knows the guy. Which is why I'm not going to mention his name. I'm going to let you guys mention his name.' It's the latest chapter in a simmering rivalry that's quietly been brewing between two of Africa's top super welterweights. Proudly representing Ivory Coast and boasting a 25- 11 record, Lohoré has made a statement since joining BRAVE CF, winning both of his promotional bouts via first-round stoppages. He now heads into his third appearance at BRAVE CF 94 in Switzerland this Saturday, 17 May against the dangerous Mansur Abdurzakov. But while Lohoré is dialed in on Abdurzakov, the shadow of Eliezer Kubanza looms large. The undefeated Congolese prospect has been campaigning for a fight with Lohoré since 'Da Killa King' arrived in BRAVE CF, believing a clash between the two African standouts would be massive for the continent and the promotion as a whole. Kubanza, sitting at 7-0 with six knockout victories, remains one of BRAVE CF's fastest-rising stars. Following a gutsy unanimous decision win at BRAVE CF 91, 'King Kong' claimed the No. 1 contender spot in the division. The title is currently held by Luiz Cado, but both Kubanza and Lohoré have it in their sights. Lohoré, however, remains defiant when it comes to Kubanza. 'Eagles don't fly with pigeons,' he quipped when previously asked about Kubanza. Furthermore, the highly-experienced Lohoré insisted that there was only one scenario where he would ever share a cage with Kubanza - if championship gold is on the line. Adding to the intrigue of it all, rumours have begun swirling that Kubanza might be in attendance this weekend in Switzerland for BRAVE CF 94. A potential face-off between the two would only escalate tensions in a division already rich with explosive talent. Should Lohoré pick up a third straight finish at BRAVE CF 94, the promotion will be faced with a mouthwatering dilemma: does 'Da Killa King' leapfrog Kubanza for the next title shot, or does BRAVE CF finally pull the trigger on what could be one of the biggest all-African showdowns in promotional history? After the unforgettable Nkosi Ndebele vs. Nicholas Hwende clash at BRAVE CF 91, the idea of another continental collision — this time Ivory Coast vs. Democratic Republic of Congo — is one that fight fans across Africa and beyond would rally behind. For now, Lohoré won't say Kubanza's name. But, with BRAVE CF 94 just hours away and a rumoured appearance from 'King Kong' looming, the fight world may soon be calling for this matchup louder than ever.

World War II pilot Harry Stewart Jr., a Tuskegee Airman, has died
World War II pilot Harry Stewart Jr., a Tuskegee Airman, has died

Yahoo

time04-02-2025

  • General
  • Yahoo

World War II pilot Harry Stewart Jr., a Tuskegee Airman, has died

(CBS DETROIT) - The Tuskegee Airman National Museum in Detroit has confirmed the death of Lt. Col. Harry T. Stewart Jr., one of the last surviving fighter pilots of that era. Stewart, who lived in Bloomfield Hills, turned 100 years old on July 4, 2024. A birthday party in his honor was held at the museum that day. The Tuskegee Airmen was the name for the first all-African American fighter pilot squadron, a situation that happened during the 1940s when the U.S. military segregated units by race. There were nearly 1,000 serving as pilots, and others in support roles. The museum shares the history and artifacts of that era, while encouraging interest in aviation and aerospace engineering. Stewart enlisted at age 18 in what was then known as the Army Air Corps to qualify as a pilot. He completed 43 combat missions, and earned three aerial victories in a single day. The Tuskegee Airmen who still survived in 2007 were presented with a Congressional Gold Medal "in recognition of their unique military record, which inspired revolutionary reform in the Armed Forces." The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs featured Stewart in its "America 250" vignette series in 2022. Trump's former trade chief on how tariffs affect the economy, why he says the U.S. needs them USAID to merge into State Department with major budget cuts Details on Chinese retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products set to take effect next week

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