As Americans are set to celebrate Veterans Day on Nov. 11 nationwide, Dr. Frank Smith, founder and executive director of the African American Civil War Museum in Northwest, D.C. said he will be particularly uplifting the accomplishments and contributions of Black people who served.
“It was Black people in the military, many of whom were enslaved persons, who freed this nation because of the Civil War,” Smith told The Informer. “It is because of Black soldiers that we have the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution.”
Donovan K. Bilbro explained he, too, will be uplifting the accomplishments and contributions of all people who served, but particularly African Americans who enlisted in the Armed Forces.
“Americans have the freedoms that they have because of people who served in the military,” said Bilbro, a former Seat Pleasant, Maryland, city council member who enlisted and served in the U.S. Army from October 2013 to January 2018 in a special operations unit. “There should be more recognition of Black veterans and the impact that they have had on this country and in the military.”
While Veterans Day commemorations are set to happen throughout the District this weekend, leading to the official holiday Tuesday, Bilbro and others note that people who have served in the military are now navigating major challenges.
Veterans of all races are facing budget cuts proffered by the Trump administration and supported by the Republican U.S. Congress, which many believe has altered the effectiveness of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) and politicized the leadership of the Pentagon.
Although military members are more likely than civilians to be paid for their work during the federal government shutdown, the social services needed by those enlisted, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) , educational and housing aid, have been put on hold to their detriment.
Jacque Patterson, an at-large D.C.. State Board of Education member who resides in Ward 8 and is a candidate for the District’s delegate to the U.S. Congress position, noted Black veterans are feeling the sting of the administration’s policies and actions in a major way.
“This is the worst time to be a Black veteran,” said Patterson, who served in the U.S. Air Force from February 1988 to August 2001, briefly re-enrolled in September 2001, and became a reservist from Sept. 30, 2001-2017. “We have the worst commander-in-chief in my lifetime. He treats us poorly. The Veterans Administration has endured layoffs and when you need service, instead of talking to a person, you are talking to a machine. A machine cannot measure what you need, we need to talk to individuals.”
With the holiday approaching, in Bilbro’s view, veterans need a “little more love.”
“Veterans Day is an interesting day for me,” he told The Informer. “I think it should be closer in celebration to the Fourth of July, given what we have sacrificed for the country. When we patronize a business, veterans should receive more than just a 5% discount for a product or a service. What is the point? We have gone through some rough stuff for this country and we should be treated better.”
A Brief History of Veterans Day
Veterans Day began as Armistice Day in 1919 to commemorate the end of World War I on Nov. 11, 1918, with the support of President Woodrow Wilson.
Cemented by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s signature, Armistice Day became a national holiday in 1938, with the intent of honoring World War I veterans and giving federal employees the day off.
In 1954, the holiday was renamed Veterans Day to include all people who served in the military, with the approval of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Throughout the years, Veterans Day has been marked with parades, commemorations, and activities such as wreath-layings and patriotic-themed rallies.
President Barack Obama praised the veterans for their unselfishness in serving the country on Veterans Day in 2016.
“We come together to express our profound gratitude for the sacrifices and contributions you and your family made on the battlefield, at home, and at outposts around the world,” Obama said at the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. “But America’s gratitude to our veterans is something always grounded in something greater than what you did on duty. It’s also an appreciation of the example that you continue to set after your service has ended–your example as citizens.”
As the Trump administration works to eradicate African American narratives, Smith told The Informer uplifting Black veterans is critical during the annual celebration.
“By joining the military, Black people are making the country better,” he said. “While some people are worried about the present political climate, I am not. I am convinced that we as a country have moved past slavery and Jim Crow.”
Upcoming Celebrations, African American Civil War Museum Programming
In the District, this year’s celebrations will include a Grand Marshall Dinner on Nov. 7 at Ronald Reagan International Trade Center, a National Field Show for Bands on the Mall on Saturday, Nov. 8, and the National Veterans Parade on Nov. 9 beginning at the National Archives on 7th and Constitution Avenues NW.
On Nov. 11, Arlington Cemetery will host its annual Veterans Day wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
In addition, Smith looks forward to hosting events recognizing the contributions of African Americans in the Civil War.
“We were scheduled to hold a ribbon cutting on Nov. 10, but we have more work to do on the museum so the reopening will take place on a later date,” Smith told The Informer. “On the 10th, we will have a book sale from authors who have written about civil rights. Later that day, the descendants of the Civil War veterans we memorialize will hold a reception for the public.”
Smith said there will also be programming on the actual Veteran’s Day holiday, featuring a choir, military leader and acknowledging the names of Civil War veterans.
“That program will go until 4 p.m.,” he said, “and we have 400 people reading the names on 10 microphones.”
Ward 8C advisory neighborhood commission chairman Salim Adofo said he plans on attending the African American Civil War Memorial and Museum festivities.
“I will be going number one because I am a veteran, two, I am an elected official in the city and I am a Black man,” said Adofo. “I am concerned about the direction of this country and the fact that there are some trying to erase Black history.”
Black Veterans Quest for Respect and Recognition
With President Donald Trump in office, Patterson, 60, said morale in the military is so slow presently that it will take a long time to recover.
“This administration has weakened us,” Patterson said. “It will take a couple of administrations to get us back to where we should be.”
Bilbro said he feels institutional forces are undermining Black veterans.
“It is very difficult to get anything done from the VA because trying to work with them is like riding a scooter on I-695,” he said. “The VA does not have an ample amount of funding and the appropriate staffing to serve veterans.”
A number of Black veterans have been served by the Access Housing Inc. Southeast Veterans Services Center located in Ward 8. The nonprofit, led by Executive Director Greg Crawford, aids primarily Black veterans in dealing with life issues such as housing.
Billy Blackwell, who utilizes the services of Access Housing Inc., said he has had a different experience than Patterson and Bibro as a veteran.
“I really haven’t had any problems,” Blackwell, 65, said. “A lot of things I hear are hearsay. I have gotten the services I need from the VA. They are great people and provide a great service.”
Clifton Lewis serves as the chief operating officer of Access Housing. While he is not a veteran, his life was positively influenced by one.
“My grandfather (David Sewell) was a World War II veteran,” said Lewis, 53. “He was a Black veteran and he meant the world to me. He was proud of being in the military and it was the highlight of his life. He was a kind, giving gentleman.”
Walter Elmore, who works at Access Housing and is a veteran, said “most of the negative experiences from the Department of Veteran Affairs come from the community.”
“I have not had a problem with the VA,” Elmore, 73, said. “It can be better. They have a problem with funding and staffing. That is the key. The negativity comes from the community.”