Colonel Charles Young (1864-1922) was a pioneer for African-Americans in the United States Army, becoming the first African-American to rise to the rank of colonel.
He was the third African-American to graduate from West Point. During his distinguished career, Young was in the Buffalo Soldiers, serving in Nebraska, Utah and Arizona. Young was the
first African-American to serve as superintendent of a national park (Seqouia National Park in California) and the first African-American military attache serving in Haiti.
Between 1894 and 1898, Young taught military sciience at Wilberforce College, a historically black college, working alongside W.E.B. DuBois.
Colonel Young was awarded the Springarn Medal, the highest honor of the NAACP, for his military achievements, in 1916.
On July 13, 350 members of the House of Representatives, including 125 Republicans, voted to study adding Colonel Young's home in Xenia, Ohio as a historic site in the National Parks System.
26 Republicans, including Congressman Paul Ryan, voted against even considering honoring Colonel Young's contributions to American history.
