Black History

Henry Ossian Flipper: A Trailblazer’s Journey from Injustice to Honor

The name Henry O. Flipper shines as a symbol of resilience and triumph over adversity. Born to enslaved parents, Isabella and Festus Flipper, on March 21, 1856, in Thomasville, his early life was marked by the dark shadows of slavery. However, Flipper’s indomitable spirit and thirst for knowledge led him on a path that would make him a trailblazer in breaking racial barriers

Published

3 years ago

November 3, 2023

Oakland Post

Henry O. Flipper was a West Point graduate, engineer, surveyor and translator and policy adviser to a U.S. Senator on Mexican politics and a prolific writer who chronicled various aspects of his careers. Wikipedia image

By Tamara Shiloh

After the Civil War, Flipper’s education was supported by the American Missionary Association. He later attended Atlanta University, becoming the fifth African American to receive an appointment to the prestigious U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1873. His enrollment came at a time when white cadets held prejudiced attitudes, making the environment hostile for African Americans. Despite the challenges, Flipper endured, graduating in 1877, thus becoming the first African American to achieve this monumental feat.

His experiences at West Point, both the triumphs and tribulations, were documented in his 1878 book, “The Colored Cadet at West Point,” shedding light on the discrimination he faced and the determination that carried him through.

Following graduation, Flipper was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army and served with the 10th Cavalry, an African American unit known as the Buffalo Soldiers.

However, his promising career was unjustly derailed in 1881 when he was framed by white officers on charges of embezzlement while stationed at Fort Davis, Texas. Though found not guilty of the major charge, he was still dishonorably discharged, casting a shadow over his reputation. Undeterred, Flipper devoted the rest of his life to fighting for the restoration of his good name.

As a civilian, Flipper’s talents extended far beyond the military realm. He excelled as an engineer, surveyor, and translator, showcasing his proficiency in Spanish by translating critical texts on Mexican tax, mining, and land laws. His work took him to Mexico, where he served as a mining engineer for over a decade.

When he returned to the U.S., he worked for Senator Herbert Fall, advising him on Mexican politics. When Fall became Secretary of the Interior in 1921, Flipper worked with him in Washington, D.C.

Two years later, Flipper traveled to Venezuela where he worked as an engineer in the oil industry, retiring eight years later in Atlanta.

He wrote his memoirs in 1916, offering a candid account of his life, which would later be published posthumously in 1963 as “Negro Frontiersman: The Western Memoirs of Henry O. Flipper.”

The efforts of his descendants were rewarded in 1976 when the Department of the Army finally granted him an honorable discharge, posthumously restoring his good name. In the same year, a bust of Flipper was unveiled at West Point, immortalizing his legacy. President Bill Clinton granted him a full pardon in 1999, a testament to his enduring impact on American history.

He died in 1940, and was initially buried in a cemetery near Atlanta, but his remains were exhumed and again laid to rest in his native Thomasville in 1978, where the post office was named in his honor.

Today, West Point awards a commendation in his name to the graduating senior who demonstrates exemplary leadership, self-discipline, and perseverance in the face of adversity.

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of May 6 – 12, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of may 6 – 12, 2026

Published

3 days ago

May 10, 2026

Oakland Post

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Activism

On the Frontlines of Hate: NAACP Links Victims to Critical Support

The NAACP CA/HI has a long and well-established record of supporting victims of discrimination and hate crimes — providing critical referrals and, when necessary, direct assistance through legal advocacy and other forms of support. Beyond responding to incidents, the organization continues to advocate on broader civil rights issues, including voting rights and legal protections. It has also worked to counter efforts at the state and federal levels that could weaken the voting power of communities of color.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 1, 2026

Oakland Post

NAACP members at a recent advocacy day in Sacramento urging lawmakers to protect voting rights. Photo courtesy of California Black Media.

By Joe Kocurek
California Black Media

The California/Hawaii State Conference of the NAACP (CA/HI NAACP) has expanded its efforts to respond to rising hate incidents and civil rights complaints across California, supported in part by funding from California’s Stop the Hate Program

Through that grant, NAACP CA/HI has strengthened its ability to connect individuals experiencing hate or discrimination with critical resources. This includes referring those who file complaints to the CA vs Hate hotline, a statewide, non-emergency hate crime and incident reporting hotline and online portal created to help counter a more than 50% increase in reported hate crimes in California between 2020 and 2024. The system helps ensure incidents are documented, and victims are guided toward appropriate support.

LaJuana Bivens says the work of NAACP is as urgent as ever. Photo by Regina Wilson, California Black Media.

LaJuana Bivens, who has served in a number of roles within the NAACP, said California has seen an increase in civil rights violations and hate-related incidents.

“We have 52 branches, and they are constantly receiving complaints,” she said. “So, without the Stop the Hate, we would not be able to refer those cases up to attorneys at the state level. A lot of the people would not have had an opportunity to be heard.”

Carmen-Nicole Cox helps survivors of hate with their legal options. Photo courtesy of Carmen-Nicole Cox.

Carmen-Nicole Cox, an attorney who works with NAACP CA/HI – as a part of California’s Stop the Hate Program – provides legal consultation to victims of hate incidents and discrimination through her legal practice, the Cox Firm for Law and Policy.

She said the complaints she receives span a wide range of issues.

“People are having home builders and landlords refusing to provide repairs, a student was denied promotion in an academic program, and targeted scrutiny at work,” she said. “It’s typically employment; it’s housing; it’s education.

“We’ll meet and they’ll share their experiences,” she said. “And then I make assessments about possible legal claims.”

According to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), nearly 1,200 reports of hate against minority groups were submitted in 2024 through the CA vs Hate hotline and online portal for non-emergency incidents.

While the California/Hawaii State Conference of the NAACP, which has tens of thousands of members, does not directly investigate hate incidents or crimes, it plays a key role in connecting victims to the state’s reporting systems and support services.

Beyond responding to incidents, the organization continues to advocate on broader civil rights issues, including voting rights and legal protections. It has also worked to counter efforts at the state and federal levels that could weaken the voting power of communities of color.

Bivens recently traveled to Sacramento to speak with state lawmakers about voting rights during an advocacy day event hosted by the organization.

“It’s just so hard for communities of color to be up to date because of all of the confusing information coming from the federal level,” she said. “I love our great state of California because here it is possible to vote by mail and to vote early.

“And I’m seeing that trying to be eroded. So, I’m here to urge continued support for vote by mail and early voting.”

When Texas moved to redraw congressional districts in ways critics said would dilute minority voting strength, NAACP CA/HI supported the passage of Proposition 50 in California. The organization also intervened in United States v. Shirley Weber, where federal officials sought access to unredacted California voter records, including Social Security numbers, raising concerns about misuse and voter intimidation.

Cultivating the advocacy and leaderships of young people is central to NAACP’s mission to fight racism and dismantle inequality. Photo courtesy of California Black Media.

A federal district court dismissed that case in January 2026.

The organization’s current work builds on a long history of civil rights advocacy. Today, Bivens says, the organization’s mission remains as urgent as ever.

“We are the oldest, boldest, most feared Civil Rights organization,” Bivens said. “What we do every day is fight for better housing, education, economic development and political inclusion. We take it on because there are just so many people who need that support.

“You would be amazed that our phones ring every single day.”

Get Support After Hate:

California vs Hate is a non-emergency, multilingual hotline and online portal offering confidential support for hate crimes and incidents. Victims and witnesses can get help anonymously by calling 833-8-NO-HATE (833-866-4283), Monday to Friday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. PT, or online at any time. Anonymous. Confidential. No Police. No ICE.

This story was produced in partnership with CA vs Hate. Join them for the first-ever CA Civil Rights Summit on May 11. More information at www.cavshate.org/summit.

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