By Carole Copeland Thomas, MBA, CDMP, CITM You are cordially invited to attend the March 3, 2016 Black History Breakfast that will honor African Americans in the Military Past and Present. This is our most ambitious Breakfast since its creation in the year 2000, and it will indeed become our best yet. This is our 23rd Breakfast and we are partnering again with the Boston Colonnade Hotel to host a meaningful tribute to our men and women who have protected and defended the United States through the years. Particular emphasis will highlight those African Americans who have served from World War II to our present day forces. However, we will salute the African American presence in the Armed Forces since the American Revolution.
This event is expected to SELL OUT quickly. We encourage you to buy your tickets and tables in December and reserve your space! Register Online Here Click Here For Complete Breakfast Details Our guest keynote speaker will be Ernest Washington, Jr. He is a well respected Vietnam Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, Entrepreneur and Co-Founder of Concerned Black Men of Massachusetts. Ernest has been actively involved in veteran affairs for many years and will deliver a compelling message designed to inspire us all. Confirmed Honorees include the following: Mr. Willie Shellman -Past President New England Chapter Tuskegee Airmen Inc. The Boston Area Tuskegee Airmen 1st Sargeant Michael C. Wiltz - Iraq Veteran Patricia Odom - First Black Female Military Recruiter In Massachusetts Revs. Sandra & Ken Whitley - Career Air Force Veterans and AME Ministers Mary Tuitt - Military Veteran and Chief of Staff To Massachusetts Representative Gloria Fox Rev. Dr. Carlita Cotton - Retired Military, AME Minister and College Professor Ernest Washington, Jr. -Vietnam Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient & Entrepreneur And Other African Americans In The Military From World War II To The Present And A Special Family Tribute To: The Late 2nd Lieutenant Wilson A. Copeland - Tuskegee Airmen & US Diplomat The Late Dr. James Fitzgerald - Korean War Physician - Purple Heart Recipient -MASH Unit It’s the Black History Breakfast you won’t want to miss! Come and celebrate all of our African Americans in the military during this exciting upcoming event. This event is expected to SELL OUT quickly. We encourage you to buy your tickets and tables in December and reserve your space! Click Here For Complete Details.
0 Comments
Perhaps you saw the award winning movie, “Glory” when it debuted in 1989 or later on DVD or On Demand. Starring Denzel Washington, Matthew Broderick and Morgan Freeman, the film celebrates the heroic efforts of one of the first all Black regiments during the Civil War. The Massachusetts 54th Regiment victories came at a heavy price, including the death of their White commander, Colonel Robert Gould Shaw who died during the 1863 attack of Fort Wagner, South Carolina. The men who fought and died helped to ultimately win the Civil War, and their struggles, setbacks and amazing levels of courage should never be forgotten.
I often pass the monument that was erected on Beacon Street in Boston across from the Massachusetts State House. It pays tribute to the men of the 54th who fought, lived and died so that ultimately all men and women could be free in America. As we close out our tribute to Memorial Day, we pay tribute those who sacrificed their lives in all wars fought by Americans. We pay a special tribute to the Civil War era men of the Massachusetts 54th Regiment. Read More About Them Below… -Carole Copeland Thomas ======================= The Massachusetts 54th Regiment The Robert Gould Shaw and Massachusetts 54th Regiment Memorial, located across Beacon Street from the State House, serves as a reminder of the heavy cost paid by individuals and families during the Civil War. In particular, it serves as a memorial to the group of men who were among the first African Americans to fight in that war. Although African Americans served in both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, northern racist sentiments kept African Americans from taking up arms for the United States in the early years of the Civil War. However, a clause in Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation made possible the organization of African American volunteer regiments. The first documented African American regiment formed in the north was the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry, instituted under Governor John Andrew in 1863. African American men came to enlist from every region of the north, and from as far away as the Caribbean. Robert Gould Shaw was the man Andrew chose to lead this regiment. Robert G. Shaw was the only son of Francis George and Sarah Blake (née Sturgis) Shaw. The Shaws were a wealthy and well connected New York and Boston family. They were also radical abolitionists and Unitarians. Robert did not blindly follow his parents ideological and religious beliefs, but all recognized the importance and responsibility involved in leading the Massachusetts 54th Regiment. The Massachusetts 54th Regiment became famous and solidified their place in history following the attack on Fort Wagner, South Carolina on July 18, 1863. At least 74 enlisted men and 3 officers were killed in that battle, and scores more were wounded. Colonel Shaw was one of those killed. Sergeant William H. Carney, who was severely injured in the battle, saved the regiment’s flag from being captured. He was the first African American to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. The 54th Regiment also fought in an engagement on James Island, the Battle of Olustee, and at Honey Hill, South Carolina before their return to Boston in September 1865. Only 598 of the original 1,007 men who enlisted were there to take part in the final ceremonies on the Boston Common. In the last two years of the war, it is estimated that over 180,000 African Americans served in the Union forces and were instrumental to the Union’s victory. Augustus Saint-Gaudens took nearly fourteen years to complete this high-relief bronze monument, which celebrates the valor and sacrifices of the Massachusetts 54th. Saint-Gaudens was one of the premier artists of his day. He grew up in New York and Boston, but received formal training at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts Paris. In New York, forty men were hired to serve as models for the soldiers’ faces. Colonel Shaw is shown on horseback and three rows of infantry men march behind. This scene depicts the 54th Regiment marching down Beacon Street on May 28, 1863 as they left Boston to head south. The monument was paid for by private donations and was unveiled in a ceremony on May 31, 1897. Sources: National Park Service Wikipedia |
* * * * * * * *Archives
August 2023
|
©2024 All Rights Reserved Carole Copeland Thomas • (508) 947-5755 • Carole@mssconnect.com