July 19, 2024 - On July 27-28, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks will celebrate Buffalo Soldiers Day with special programs and a tree renaming ceremony commemorating the posthumous promotion and legacy of Brigadier General Charles Young. Sunday, July 28, Buffalo Soldiers Day, has been designated as a fee-free day for visitors.
“This is an important celebration for these parks and a history that we are committed to preserving and sharing with the public,” Superintendent Clay Jordan said. “These programs recognize the significant contributions made by the Buffalo Soldiers and then-Captain Charles Young to early park protection and administration.”
Special event programs, including interactive activities and demonstrations about Buffalo Soldier history and their connection to the parks, will take place in various locations throughout Sequoia and Kings Canyon over the weekend.
A special presentation by author and historian Brian Shellum begins at 8:30 p.m. on July 27 at the Lodgepole Campground Amphitheater. On July 28, the Brigadier General Charles Young tree renaming ceremony begins at 10 a.m. at the Auto Log, followed by the sign unveiling at the Brigadier General Charles Young Tree. Throughout the day, interpretive talks, guided walks, drop-in programs, site interpretation, interactive booths, and evening programs will be available in the Foothills, Giant Forest, Lodgepole, and Grant Grove areas. All special event programs are free to the public.
More information about the celebration weekend can be found at www.nps.gov/seki/learn/historyculture/2024-buffalo-soldiers-day.htm. Specific program times and locations can be found on the parks’ website calendar at www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/calendar.htm.
Visitors can get to the Auto Log by riding the free Sequoia Shuttle, departing from the Giant Forest Museum. Shuttle schedules are posted in the park and can also be found at www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/parktransit.htm.
Event Details
Who: Open to the public
What: Buffalo Soldier Day Celebration
When: Saturday, July 27, 8:30 p.m. and Sunday, July 28, All day
Where: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
About Brigadier General Charles Young
When the new military superintendent for the summer of 1903 arrived in Sequoia National Park, he had already faced many challenges. Born in Kentucky during the Civil War, Charles Young had early set himself a course that took him to places where a black man was not often welcome. He was the first black to graduate from the white high school in Ripley, Ohio, and through competitive examination he won an appointment to the US Military Academy at West Point in 1884. He went on to graduate with his commission, only the third black man to do so. His military career progressed in the cavalry. In 1903, he was serving as a Captain in the Cavalry commanding a segregated black company at the Presidio of San Francisco when he received orders to take his troops to Sequoia National Park for the summer.
Read more at www.nps.gov/seki/learn/historyculture/young.htm. 
Charles Young, the first African American to serve as a National Park Service superintendent, in full dress uniform.
Photo from: National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center, Wilberforce, Ohio
Source: NPS
