AGS Monthly Meeting and Program: Utah’s Buffalo Soldier Heritage Trail: Expanding the Story of Post Civil War Soldiers Over the Four Corners

Join us for a short business meeting, followed by a presentation by Robert Burch.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Sema Hadithi African American Heritage and Culture in partnership with the Utah State Historic Preservation Office and the Utah Cultural Site Stewardship Program led a statewide effort over two years to discover and document the story of Black Soldiers post Civil War in Utah. Sema Hadithi would like to expand that work to include New Mexico, Colorado, and Arizona in partnership with other historical societies, museums, and researchers. This presentation will discuss the work in Utah and invite partners to join us in future efforts.

Speaker Bio: Robert Burch is Executive Director of Sema Hadithi African American Heritage and Culture Foundation, a non-profit researching African American history in Utah and the Mountain West. He is the Principal of Tell the Story, LLC. Robert was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He attended Talladega College, where he became a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. He married Alice Mae Faulkner in the Salt Lake City Temple. He and Alice reside in West Valley City, Utah. Robert began his career in the United States Navy. He served in the Caribbean, South America, the North Atlantic, and the Mediterranean. He received the Navy Expeditionary Cross for his service as part of the U.S. Peacekeeping force in the Mediterranean. His professional life was primarily in sales and customer service, including four years in food safety and corporate compliance. His volunteerism is as a Member of the Utah Board of State History, Vice President and Charter Member of the Sons and Daughters of the United States Middle Passage, and former Utah Chapter President and Board Member of the Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society. He is versed in genealogical and historical research focused on the stories of African descent in the Americas and Caribbean. He has done
presentations on genealogy basics, the importance of transforming family history into United States history, connectivity through lineage societies, and historical topics like Buffalo Soldiers of the West. He has spoken on Utah college campuses about using history for inclusion and healing, transmitting heritage and culture, and understanding race and religion. He has formed project working groups to research, preserve, and share the history of Black people in Utah. By creating relationships through a network of universities, museums, community centers, and non-profits, he has helped to share the stories of historically ignored communities in our cumulative memories. Those critical connections are with influential organizations like the Utah State Historic Preservation Office, the Utah Division of State History, the University of Utah, Salt Lake Community College, Brigham Young University, Utah Museum Association, Brigham City Museum, Hyrum City Museums, the Uintah History Library and Museum, the American West Center, Kirk Huffaker Preservation Strategies, The Utah Cultural Celebration Center, and others. He believes the unity we, as Americans, desire will be achieved through honesty and respect by sharing our shared history’s truth..

This event is currently scheduled as a HYBRID EVENT. Come join us in person at the Albuquerque Main Library, Genealogy Center on the 2nd floor (see LOCATION information on the right), or online (see link below to register).

After filling out the registration form, you will receive an email confirming your registration.