SAN ANGELO, Texas — The San Angelo chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People held a press conference Wednesday to discuss the development of a Buffalo Soldier Memorial near Fort Concho National Historic Landmark.
Chapter president Sherley Spears said the people of San Angelo should be able to learn about the men who paved the way to the City’s history.
Since 1866, Black men in the military have held a special place in the development of western territories of the United States. Buffalo Soldiers were some of the first soldiers assigned to Fort Concho to carry out specific duties to settle the western territories.
“The name of this memorial will be the San Angelo NAACP Buffalo Soldier Memorial in the City of San Angelo. Our vision would not be realized without the support of the San Angelo City Council, who voted unanimously to set aside the use of El Plaza de Santa Angela as a space where the memorial will stand,” Spears said.
With the help of local architects, city leaders and the community, these soldiers will receive their long overdue recognition, she said.
“We were immediately quick to say yes, we will be a part of that at Discover San Angelo and the San Angelo Destination Marketing Organization. As the number one True Western town in the U.S. this year, this adds to our story to make us the number one True Western time in 2023 as well,” Discover San Angelo Vice President of Destination Marketing, Diann Bayes, said.
The memorial will be a walking trail for visitors to explore the history of Buffalo Soldiers by scanning QR codes to read and listen to verified facts about their history.
It will take $300,000 to begin building the memorial. The San Angelo NAACP is accepting donations through the San Angelo Area Foundation, as well as through the San Angelo Gives fundraiser.