A PROCLAMATION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF POMONA, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, STATE OF CALIFORNIA, DECLARING JULY 28, 2023 AS BUFFALO SOLDIERS DAY IN THE CITY OF POMONA WHEREAS, African-Americans have fought with distinction in all of this country’s military engagements; and WHEREAS, on July 28, 1866, Congress established a peacetime army founding six new African-American units, the 9th and 10th Cavalry, and the 38th, 39th, 40th and 41st Infantry. Later, the 38th and 41st reorganized as the 25th Infantry, and the 39th and 40th reorganized as the 24th; and WHEREAS, the soldiers were nicknamed Buffalo Soldiers by the Native Americans because of their reputation for fighting ferociously to the end in a battle; and WHEREAS, Buffalo Soldiers were responsible for escorting settlers, cattle, and railroad crews, exploring and mapping vast areas of the Southwest, and stringing miles of telegraph lines, building roads, serving as national park rangers and helping in the expansion of the West; and WHEREAS, throughout the era of the Indian Wars and beyond, Buffalo Soldiers were posted from Montana, to Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, making up approximately 20 percent of the United States Cavalry troopers; and WHEREAS, these segregated soldiers served valiantly under oppressive conditions and discrimination; and WHEREAS, it is important to preserve the history of the Buffalo Soldiers and commemorate the sacrifices they have made to the United States; and WHEREAS, in 1992, Congress passed a law designating July 28th as National Buffalo Soldiers Day.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF POMONA does hereby proclaim July 28, 2023 as “Buffalo Soldiers Day in the City of Pomona”
Pomona urges the citizens to celebrate this day to honor and reflect on the significant roles that African-Americans have played in the history of the United States and how African-Americans have enriched society through their steadfast commitment to promoting freedom, brotherhood and equality.