“I’ll learn,” he said, standing beside his 7-year-old sister, Krista, and his grandmother, Helen Hassell, as they watched the riders pull up to the African American Civil War Memorial in Northwest Washington.
After two years of a pandemic pause, hundreds of Black motorcyclists returned to Washington for the annual Memorial Day tribute to the post-Civil War, all-Black regiments of the Army, known as Buffalo Soldiers, as well as all people of color who gave their lives for American freedom.
The threat of covid-19 shut down the parade in 2020 and 2021, disrupting the event’s nearly two-decade history. But the ride was back Sunday in a big way, and Hugh Valentine, one of the five founding members of the motorcycle club’s Maryland chapter, was at the forefront, proudly wearing his Buffalo Soldiers gear.
Valentine, 91, an Army veteran and retired D.C. police officer, was thrilled with the return of the ride, which he said is much more about community than motorcycling. After two years of protests for racial justice and a pandemic that has highlighted racial health disparities, Valentine said he hoped the parade would bring attention to the contributions that troops of color have made both at war and in their communities.
Today’s racial divisions come well over a century after the Buffalo Soldiers faced discrimination within the military and deadly violence at the hand of civilians. Both then and now, Valentine said, the problems stem from people’s lack of exposure to diversity.
“It’s up to us to change this,” Valentine said. “So that our community values the life of each individual, Black and White.”
Chiefly members of the Black 9th and 10th U.S. Cavalry regiments, the Buffalo Soldiers were known for battling Native Americans in the American West in the late 1800s. They protected settlers and built roads and infrastructure, while facing extreme racial prejudice within the Army. Historians say American Indians gave the nickname to the troops because of their curly hair — and as a sign of respect.
“These people served the country, and as Black men, they had so many struggles,” said Bobbie Coles, of Silver Spring, Md. “They were the last ones that got benefits and recognition.”
At Sunday’s ride, organizers emphasized the Buffalo Soldiers’ spirit of service.
“We ride motorcycles a lot,” Jeff “Shorty Airborne” Freeland, the Maryland chapter’s president said. “But community service is what we do.”
The Buffalo Thunder event is the group’s biggest fundraiser, and its cancellation the past two years meant the Maryland branch had to scale back its charitable work in the region. They weren’t able to offer as many low-income families scholarships, Thanksgiving meals and Christmas gifts. This year, the group hopes to give more than $40,000 in college scholarships to local students and help as many as 150 families with holiday turkeys.
Mason Monroe, chairman of the Buffalo Soldiers of Maryland Foundation, said they didn’t expect as many participants this year because of covid-19, which meant the event was likely to yield less than half the $20,000 it did during a normal pre-pandemic ride. The foundation relies on individual and corporate donations year-round, and members participate in other functions to raise funds to help majority Black communities in D.C. and Prince George’s County.
That community engagement was the mission of the club from its creation nearly three decades ago, Valentine said. It was, he said, meant to re-create the spirit…
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