Filling Gaps in Our Education
And "inspired by actual events..."
Earlier this month, Paula and I spent several days in Houston, Texas – seeing friends, visiting museums. Neither of us had spent much time in the city. The opportunity to explore a new destination AND escape Midwestern winter provided ample motivation. We savored every moment.
We hadn’t envisioned a theatre performance on this trip, but when friends suggested we join them for “Camp Logan,” based on events that happened a century-plus ago, we said sure. Here’s how Ensemble Theatre summarized their play: “Inspired by actual events, Camp Logan is an award-winning World War I military drama about the devastating explosion of racial tensions that resulted in the 1917 Houston riot, involving an all-Black Army regiment stationed in Houston, Texas.”
Defense Secretary Hegseth recently banned “identity months” for those under his authority, meaning no more Black History Month for those in military service. Fortunately, Hegseth’s ban doesn’t extend to the Ensemble Theatre, whose mission is “preserving African American artistic expression and enlightening, entertaining, and enriching a diverse community.” Nor does it extend to me. Suffice to say, I found Ensemble’s performance enlightening, entertaining, and enriching.
Neither Paula nor I (history majors at a fine liberal arts college) were familiar with 1917 events at Camp Logan. This is NOT to criticize our education; we both credit our Decorah years for an enduring desire to learn. For me, this included reading The Houston Chronicle while in Texas. Several points made by Chris Tomlinson, veteran and Chronicle Business columnist, February 7. “Secretary Hegseth and every other unqualified white man flailing in positions of power are why we need diversity, equity, and inclusion. … Black History Month was never about putting African Americans ahead of whites; it’s about filling gaps in our education. … (Military service) diversity granted us a strategic advantage; together, we had broader experiences and a greater brain trust from which to draw insights.”
I agree, but I digress. A Camp Logan synopsis appearing in one rave review: “From the minute soldiers set up camp, the all-Black 24th Infantry Regiment experienced racist hostility, tension, and threats of violence from white Houstonians. … It all boiled over on August 23, 1917, when learning a white mob was coming for them, Black soldiers took up arms, clashing with police and civilians, many of whom perished at the soldiers’ hands. In the aftermath, the U.S. Army convicted 110 soldiers of murder, mutiny, and other crimes. Nineteen soldiers were executed, the largest mass execution of American soldiers by the Army.”
Two Midwest references during the performance captured my attention. First, of the five Black soldiers (the play’s primary focus) one was from Minnesota. So, I checked. In 1917, about one-third of one percent of Minnesota’s 2.3 million population was Black (7,000), or as one reviewer noted, “a curiosity, (from) one of only two Black families in Minnesota.”Ah, a deft touch of sarcasm.
Second reference, to a Black officer training camp… in Iowa! More checking. According to the State Historical Society of Iowa, Fort Des Moines opened in 1903 on 640 acres south of Des Moines “when the all-Black 25th Infantry prisoner guard arrived. The 11th Cavalry arrived in 1904, the 2nd Cavalry in 1907, and the 6th Cavalry in 1910. In 1916, the cavalry left for duty along the Mexican border, making the facility available for the Army’s first Black officer training camp – the 17th Provisional Training Regiment.” New news to this Iowa native… more learning.
Post script: Press Release, U.S. Army Public Affairs, November 13, 2023. “Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth approved the recommendation of the Army Board for Correction of Military Records to set aside the courts-martial convictions of the 110 Black Soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment. The records of these Soldiers will be corrected to characterize their military service as honorable. ‘The Board found these Soldiers were wrongly treated because of their race and were not given fair trials,’ said Wormuth. ‘By setting aside their convictions and granting honorable discharges, the Army is acknowledging past mistakes and setting the record straight.’”
Many topics cited above require more attention. For me, heightened awareness is a start. Maybe for you, too?
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I’m pleased to be part of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative. These are my colleagues: