OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The Buffalo Soldiers were an all-Black army regiment created after the Civil War.
Much of their history is lost, especially details about their time in Nebraska.
Nevertheless, a local woman is looking to preserve what we know about their history in the cornhusker state for future generations.
Lavon Stennis–Williams has a museum called Mama's Attic, located in the Center Mall in Omaha.
"It's a tribute to my mother who actually instilled my love of Black history. And way before, long before the critical race theory argument, it was her belief that Black history should be taught without making anybody feel angry or inferior," said Stennis–Williams.
Her goal is to keep the Buffalo Soldier's legacy and their service protected.
"As far back as the founding of this country with the Revolutionary War, you had Black patriots fighting for our country when they themselves did not have freedom," said Stennis-Williams.
Nebraska has plenty of Black history, and the Buffalo Soldiers are part of that.
"if you look at the evolution of the black in uniform from the Revolutionary War to modern day, you'll see that there is always a tie-in to for some reason, to Nebraska," Stennis-Williams adds.
These soldiers served the same nation as their white counterparts but were not given the same respect.
Stennis-Williams says the soldiers had their share of controversies.
One of which became a blemish after they became involved in the Battle of Wounded Knee.
That battle was when Native American Chief Sitting Bull was killed.
According to the Mama's Attic founder, the troops also had some accomplishments, which included infrastructure building and supporting then-President Theodore Roosevelt in the Battle of San Juan.
However, there is a lot of history unaccounted for, Stennis-Harris expressed.
"We would have more history if it was not for the high illiteracy rate among our Black patriots. They cannot write and preserve their story," she said.
With Mama's Attic, Stennis-Harris can help to teach history to the masses and help to preserve it.
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