Toledo Buffalo Soldiers Celebrate Anniversary and Award Scholarships

The Toledo Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club and friends
The family of Irin Anderson which the Wealth Management Award scholarship

By Dawn Scotland
The Truth Reporter

The Toledo Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club held their 11th Year Anniversary Party Saturday, October 5, at the Premier. The celebration featured dinner, music from Zion Lion Reggae Band and scholarships awards to two deserving recent high school graduates.

“This is our 11th Anniversary and every year we give two scholarships,” said Earl Mack, president Post Commander of the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club.  “This year we’re honoring Irin Anderson, the young boy that was killed that went to Maritime Academy. We’re giving a scholarship to a specific graduate of Maritime Academy in his name.”

The Buffalo Soldiers conduct a large amount of community service throughout the year focusing on youth. “We’ve adopted several schools, including Ella P. Stewart [Academy for Girls], Martin Luther King Academy [for Boys], and Pickett Academy,” he stated. “We have our Angel Tree where last year we gave over 500 students gifts. We also provide meals for veterans, among other initiatives in the community. Tonight, we’re celebrating what we do all year long.”

2024 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS:

Scholarship recipient Sandraya Turner with Serykia Layton

LANTZ DENTAL PROSTHETICS AWARD ($5000.00) – Courtney Jones

Courtney Jones is a 2024 graduate of Roy C Start High School who excelled academically with a 3.5 GPA while in Dual Enrollment courses at the University of Toledo and Owens Community College School of Business earning 26 college credits. Courtney is attending Kent State University majoring in Fashion Merchandising and a minor in marketing.

WHETRO -WEALTH MANAGEMENT- AWARD ($2,500)  – Sandraya Turner

The scholarship is in loving memory of Irin Anderson, a dedicated and accomplished honor student at the Maritime Academy. Earlier this year, Irin’s life was tragically cut short due to a fatal gunshot incident, leaving a profound impact on all who knew and cherished him.

Sandraya Turner is a 2024 graduate of The Maritime Academy of Toledo with a 3.7 GPA having preserved and mastering the challenges of coming from a Canadian School System to the Toledo Public Schools system, which doubled her curriculum requirements and required retaking some classes. Sandraya is attending Lourdes University, majoring in Psychology.

Scholarship recipient Courtney Jones with Clarence Jones

History of the Buffalo Soldiers

Shortly after the Civil War ended in 1865, the United States underwent a reconstruction period, which included the reorganization of the military. On July 28, 1866, the United States 39th Congress approved legislation titled “An Act to increase and fix the Military Peace Establishment of the United States.” The act established 60 military regiments. Out of the 60 regiments, six all African American peacetime regiments were formed, which included the 9th & 10th U.S. Army Cavalry, and four Infantry. The mission of these African-American Soldiers was to protect travel routes; provide protection from Mexican revolutionaries and outlaws; escort settlers, cattle herds, railroad crews, the mail, stage coaches; mapping roads and watering holes; protect Indian reservations and controlling their movement; providing martial law to those cities that were lawless; etc. The 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments also conducted campaigns against Native American tribes on the western frontier who were engaged in raids, that wreak havoc throughout the southwest, extending from Montana in the northwest to Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona in the southwest. The nickname Buffalo Soldier was given to the Soldiers by the Native Indians, due to their bravery and fierce fighting skills like the buffalo and because of the Buffalo Soldiers’ dark curly hair and beards, which resemble that of the buffalo’s coat.

Toledo Buffalo Soldiers Post Formation

On October 1, 2013, six people from Toledo came together and formed the Toledo Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club. The group was later granted a corporation charter by the Ohio Secretary of State as a not-for-profit corporation. Later, the IRS approved a determination as a 501(c-3) federal tax exempt charitable organization. The mission of The Toledo Buffalo Soldiers is to represent and educate people about the heritage and rich past of the U.S. Army’s Cavalry and Infantry Buffalo Sol-diers, through participating in community service events; assisting in enhancing the quality of life in the community they represent, with emphasis on young people; providing educational opportunities through their scholarship program; partnering with agencies with the same or similar mission and promoting safe and enjoyable motorcycling.

To learn more about the Toledo Buffalo Soldiers or to join visit toledobuffalosoldiers.org.

Tim Whetro, Sandraya Turner, and Saundra Holmes
Zion Lion Reggae Band Performs