Celebrating Black History Month: Charles Young, first African American colonel in US Army

Charles Young, born March 12, 1864 in Mays Lick, Kentucky, was the first African American to achieve the rank of colonel in the US Army. His parents were slaves, but his father escaped slavery by fleeing to Ohio and enlisted in the 5th United States Colored Heavy Artillery Regiment near the end of the Civil War.

Charles entered West Point Academy in 1884 and roomed with the only other black cadet, John Hanks Alexander.  As usual, Young experienced brutal hazing incidents and racism throughout his term.  However, he perservered and graduated in 1889, with the rank of second lieutenant,  becoming the third black man to do so.  Alexander had graduated in 1887. Young served mostly with the Buffalo Soldiers,  first assigned to the Tenth US Cavalry Regiment and then the Ninth US Cavalry Regiment in Nebraska.  

During the Spanish-American War, he was temporarily promoted to major of volunteers in May 1898. He was mustered out of the volunteers in January 1899 and reverted to his rank of first lieutenant.  He was promoted to Captain in the 9th Cavalry Regiment in February 1901. 

By the time of the 1916 Punitive Expedition by the US into Mexico, Young had been promoted to major.  Because of his exceptional leadership of the 10th Cavalry in Mexico he was promoted to lieutenant colonel in July 1916.  In 1917, he was promoted to colonel, the first African American to achieve this rank.

Just before the beginning fo WWI, a white lieutenant did not want to be outranked by a black man and complained to the Secretary of War Newton Baker, who refused to transfer him.  President Woodrow Wilson overturned Baker's decision and transferred the lieutenant. Baker realized that if Young was allowed to fight in Europe, he would be eligible for promotion to brigadier general. That meant he would be commanding white officers, so the War Department placed him on the inactive list due to "high blood pressure".  

In November 1918, Young traveled from Wilberforce, Ohio to Washington DC on horseback to prove his physical fitness and was reinstated to active duty as a colonel.  In 1919, he was assigned as military attache to Liberia.

During a reconnaissance mission in Nigeria in late 1921, Young was taken ill and died of a kidney infection in January 8, 1922.  He was the fourth soldier to receive a funeral in Arlington Memorial Ampitheater.

In February 2020, Young was posthumously promoted to honorary brigadier general in Kentucky by then Governor Andy Beshear. 

Brief history of Col. Charles Young

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: James Young Deer, first Native American actor, director, writer, and producer

James Young Deer, born April 1, 1876 in Washington, DC as part of the Nanticoke tribe of Delaware, is the first Native American filmmaker/producer in Hollywood.  He joined the US Navy in 1898 and fought during the Spanish-American War, but was subject to racism.  

He began acting in 1909 in New York in short films such as The Falling Arrow and Young Deer's Bravery. In 1910 he was hired to direct for a French-based studio in Jersey city, whose movies were criticized that their movies were not realistic portrayals of the Old West.  Young Deer went to LA to make "Indian-themed" films.  It has been noted that his films portrayed the Native Americans in a favorable light, opposed to the "cliches of hostile Indian warriors or wagon train attacks".

Over his career, he acted in, wrote, or directed about 150 silent movies at Pathe's West Coast Studio. 

After about a year in England, he returned to the US, but westerns were less popular at that time.  He passed away in New York City in April 1946, and is buried as a veteran of the Spanish-American War.  

In 2008, the Library of Congress added White Fawn's Devotion, a film Young Deer wrote and directed, to the National Film Registry.