Buffalo Soldier, dreadlock Rasta
There was a Buffalo Soldier
In the heart of America
Stolen from Africa, brought to America
Fighting on arrival, fighting for survival

Most people know the phrase Buffalo Soldier from Bob Marley’s famous reggae song—but what’s the real history behind it?

On this episode of American History Hotline, host Bob Crawford talks with Cale E. Carter II to uncover the true story of the Buffalo Soldiers.

Discover who these Black regiments were, how they earned their name, and the crucial role they played on the Western frontier, in the Spanish-American War, and beyond. We explore their battles, their struggles with racism during the Jim Crow era, and the lasting legacy they passed on through World War I, World War II, and even into American culture today.

Along the way, we connect the history to Bob Marley’s lyrics, ask what the song got right, and learn how music and memory continue to shape the story of the Buffalo Soldiers.

GUEST: Cale E. Carter II, Director of Exhibitions and Military Historian at the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum in Houston, Texas. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.