February is Black History Month.

To mark the occasion, The Collective, a 55+ Active Community in Manteca, held the African American Organization Second Annual Event last Saturday.

According to Rev. Lucius Davis, the event was sold out.

Honored, he said, were the “heroes and she-roes” of the proud past.

Davis is a proud descendant of the Buffalo Soldiers and Cherokee Nation. “They were eight units of soldiers,” he said, noting that the Buffalo Soldiers were actually part of Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders.

Davis, Trooper John Price, and Trooper OC Brock are also active members of the Northern California Buffalo Soldiers, doing reenactments dressed in full uniform at various events throughout the year, including at The Collective.

“It was an honor to re-enact and present their presence,” Davis said.

He added: “Black History Matters 365 days a year – given us a month lessen the effort to continue understanding who we are in American history.”

The Black History Month program acknowledged the following:

Buffalo Soldiers

This was the U.S. Army regiments composed exclusively of African American soldiers that served in American frontier during the latter part of the 19th Century. They were made up the 10th Cavalry Regiment formed in Ft. Leavenworth, KS, taking their nickname from the American Indian tribes who fought against them during the American Indian Wars. The term eventually became synonymous with all African American regiments (Ninth Cavalry, 10th Cavalry, 10th Cavalry, 24th Infantry, 25th Infantry, and 38th Infantry). 

Six Triple Eight

The all-black, all-female battalion in WWI was based on Kevin M. Hymel’s article, “Fighting A Two-Front War.” Six Triple Eight is a 2024 war drama by Tyler Perry. 

Port Chicago 50

Port Chicago 50 occurred 80 years ago where 320 people died in a massive explosion at a Navy munitions depot in Port Chicago, CA. About two-thirds were black sailors who loaded bombs and ammunition onto ships, with 50 of those survivors refusing to resume handling the explosives and, because of that, were convicted on mutiny.

Mary McCloud Bethune

She was an educator, philanthropist, humanitarian, and civil rights activist. Bethune founded the National Council of Negro Women in 1935, and helped start a private college for African American students which later became Bethune-Cookman University in Dayton Beach, Fla.