Fort Concho Event Recognizes Buffalo Soldiers Executed After 1917 Houston Riot

SAN ANGELO, TX - As part of Black History Month, Fort Concho National Historic Landmark and the NAACP Buffalo Soldier Memorial will host a free program on Sunday, Feb. 23, from 2 to 3 p.m. in the fort’s Commissary Building located at 702 Burgess St.

Sherley Spears, past president of the Fort Concho Museum Board and founder of the NAACP Buffalo Soldier Memorial, will talk about the 2024 ceremony that corrected the unjust military trial and execution of 17 members of the all-Black 3rd Battalion of the 24th Infantry Regiment in 1917.

A military panel reviewed the trials of these men who were among the 110 soldiers court-martialed and dismissed from the U.S. Army after a riot took place in Houston, known as the Houston Riot of 1917. At the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, where these men were buried, new gravestones were unveiled that properly reflected the soldiers’ service dates, ranks, and home states. Spears attended the ceremony in February 2024.

In addition, there will be an update on the Buffalo Soldier Memorial project, an opportunity to view the Buffalo Soldier display at the Barracks 1 Visitor Center, and updates on future reservation projects relating to Buffalo Soldiers in San Angelo.

Light refreshments will be available.

For more information, contact Fort Concho at 325-481-2646 or Sherley Spears at 817-655- 3670.