160th Anniversary Year of the Buffalo Soldiers From Congo Square to Union Square

(San Francisco) From the rhythmic heartbeat of Congo Square in New Orleans to the civic pulse of Union Square in San Francisco, in 1866 the journey of Buffalo Soldiers began where the New Orleans Funk Festival showcases the birth: a deep chocolate roux across two coasts tells a story of endurance, creativity, and cultural transformation.

In the 19th century, Congo Square was the spiritual and musical center of the Pan African diaspora in America. It is one of only places where enslaved and free people gathered on Sundays to dance, drum, and preserve ancestral traditions. Those rhythms became the foundation of jazz, blues, and the Creole culinary arts that define Louisiana’s “perfect blend” identity.

By the early 20th century, that same spirit traveled westward with soldiers, cooks, and craftsmen who carried their culture into California’s growing cities. Among them were the Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th Cavalry, stationed at the Presidio of San Francisco in October 1902. Under Captain Charles Young, they embodied discipline and dignity, serving as the first Black cavalry regiment in a major West Coast garrison.

May 1903, the 9th Cavalry served as Honor Guard for President Theodore Roosevelt traveling through the streets of San Francisco to dedicate Dewey Statue in Union Square. The mission continues; traveling 325 miles on horseback to serve a US Park Rangers building roads, trails while preserving Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks.

Summer 2027, we seek to recreate the California Buffalo Soldiers Heritage Trail by researching, documenting, preserving and showcasing our Buffalo Soldiers who merged military service, civic pride, stewardship of the land and cultural representation from the heart of San Francisco to the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Today, 2026 National Gumbo Week we celebrate that living connection. Ngumbo is the word for okra, Gumbo is born of African, Indigenous, and European influences that symbolize the blending of histories that unite Congo Square and Union Square with the world. Each bowl tells a story of migration, resilience, and shared flavor across generations.

From the syncopated ragtime brass bands of New Orleans to the jazz clubs of the Bay Area, from the Presidio’s parade grounds to the culinary festivals of San Francisco, the legacy continues. It is a journey of taste and triumph, a reminder that the Buffalo Soldiers experience was not confined to one place, but flows like a river between coasts, nourishing the nation’s cultural soul.