Honor African American Military Service

We honor and respect the sacrifices African Americans have made to national defense. We strive to educate future generations by providing historical facts about the many African Americans who have selflessly defended America’s ideals of freedom, democracy, and the pursuit of happiness. We strive to restore meaning and understanding of the indispensable military service of African Americans, which has been omitted from U.S. mainstream narratives and has consequently fallen into obscurity. The African American Veterans Monument, located at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park, is the first of its kind to recognize the contributions of African Americans who have served and are currently serving in all six branches of the military, during war and in peace times. African Americans have fought in all 12 of the United States’ military conflicts since the country’s first war, whether they enlisted voluntarily, or were drafted.