Seattle Medium: Strickland Reintroduce Bill To Honor Buffalo Soldiers With Congressional Gold Medal
By: Aaron Allen
Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) recently introduced the Buffalo Soldiers Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2025. The bill, co-sponsored by Herb Conaway Jr., M.D. (NJ-03), seeks to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Buffalo Soldier regiments in recognition of their dedicated and vital service to the nation. The legislation acknowledges the 40,000 African American soldiers who served in the U.S. Army after the Civil War, playing a crucial role in shaping the country despite facing discrimination and adversity.
“The fierceness and tenacity of the Buffalo Soldiers underscored their essential role as patriots who influenced our nation,” said Congresswoman Strickland. “Approximately 40,000 Buffalo Soldiers fought to protect American freedoms and ideals.”
“The Buffalo Soldiers embodied resilience, courage, and an unwavering commitment to service in the face of injustice,” added Congressman Conaway. “Their sacrifices helped shape our nation’s history, and I am proud to represent the 24th Infantry Regimental Combat Team.”
The Buffalo Soldiers were African American regiments established by Congress in 1866, primarily tasked with protecting settlers, building roads, and engaging in military campaigns during the Indian Wars. Their nickname is believed to have originated from Native Americans, who respected their fighting spirit and compared their dark, curly hair to a buffalo’s mane.
According to the bill, “American Indians called the Black cavalry troops ‘Buffalo Soldiers’ because of their dark, curly hair, which resembled a buffalo’s coat. The African-American troops accepted the name with pride and honor, as they were aware of the buffalo’s fierce bravery and fighting spirit.”
While their contributions have been recognized in music, film, military reenactments, and historical preservation efforts, the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers is complex, raising important discussions about their relationship with the U.S. government and the Native American communities they fought against.
Beyond their military contributions, Buffalo Soldiers were known for wearing buffalo robes, an overcoat made from buffalo skin and fur that became an iconic piece of their uniform. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) notes that these robes were highly valued by Native Americans, white settlers, and explorers alike.
“The buffalo robe, a type of fur overcoat, is an iconic object linking African American soldiers with Native Americans and white explorers in the nineteenth century, in both fact and myth,” according to the NMAAHC archives. “Native Americans made buffalo robes from the skin and hair of buffaloes, and some wrapped their dead in the robes before placing them on scaffolds. White explorers on the Lewis and Clark Trail coveted the robes for their warmth, and African American soldiers were known for wearing them on the western frontier.”
Strickland and Conaway stress that recognizing Black historical figures and their contributions is long overdue, and bipartisan support for such legislation is essential.
“For the men and women who made up the Buffalo Soldier regiments, it is long past time that we recognize their valor with a Congressional Gold Medal,” said Conaway. “This legislation ensures that their legacy is honored and remembered for generations to come, and I urge all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this bill.”
Strickland says that reintroducing this bill is not only about honoring history but also about addressing the uncertainty of the current political climate.
“I introduced this bill with Congressman Andy Kim in the last Congress, and I thought it was important to reintroduce it,” she said. “You want to obviously honor and highlight the significance of the Buffalo Soldiers to this country. They did a lot to build this country and to keep it safe.”
The political landscape has shifted in recent years, with some federal policies rolling back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Strickland expressed concern that the contributions of historically marginalized communities are being disregarded in today’s policy decisions.
“Especially now, given what is happening right now in the United States under this administration, he has appointed and the Senate confirmed a Secretary of Defense who is clearly unqualified, especially when you compare him to General Lloyd Austin, who has served honorably for a long time,” says Strickland. “There just seems to be this anti-diversity, equity and inclusion, which they said out loud, by the way, happening.”
Strickland also highlighted how these policy shifts could undermine the diversity of the U.S. military.
“And I would say especially honoring those who served in the military because as you know, 40% of the people who are enlisted in the military are not white, and it looks like they’re just basically attacking people,” Strickland continued. “People who are Black, who are Brown, who are women, who are LGBTQ and just really undercutting the whole idea of an all-volunteer military, where anyone who’s qualified to serve should be able to serve.”
By reintroducing the Buffalo Soldiers Congressional Gold Medal Act, Strickland and Conaway aim to ensure that the sacrifices and contributions of these soldiers are formally recognized, leaving a lasting impact on future generations.
“Even as they faced discrimination as Black Americans who served our nation, it is well past time to honor and thank them posthumously with a much-deserved Congressional Gold Medal,” Strickland said.