The Overlooked Black History Of Memorial Day

Photo: Getty Images When the last Monday of May comes around, Americans fire up the grill, welcome the upcoming summer season, and most importantly, honor U.S. soldiers who gave their lives to defend the country. Initially called Decoration Day, the observance was held in remembrance of Union troops who perished during the Civil War. Over the next century, more states and government agencies started observing the holiday for all U.S. soldiers who died in wars. It didn’t become a national holiday until 1971. While many American towns claim to have held the earliest celebrations of the holiday, U.S. officials declared Waterloo, New York the “birthplace” of Memorial Day. Historians say residents closed businesses, flew flags at half-staff, and held a ceremony to remember local Civil War soldiers on May 5, 1866 — three years after the bloody conflict ended. It wasn’t until a resourceful historian stumbled upon forgotten evidence of one of the earliest recorded Memorial Day celebrations that we learned about the Black community’s role in establishing the well-known holiday. A Massive Tribute In Charleston Photo: Moment RF Award-winning historian David W. Blight discovered the information while going through Howard University’s archive in 1996. According to a New York...