Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    • Home
    • About Us
    • Digital Subscription
    • Advertisement
    • Contact Us
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    The Tennessee TribuneThe Tennessee Tribune
    Advertise With Us
    • Home
      • COVID-19 Resource Center
        • Dr. Henry Louis Gates’ PSA Radio
      • Featured
    • News
      • State
      • Local
      • National/International News
      • Global
      • Business
        • Commentary
        • Finance
        • Local Business
      • Investigative Stories
        • Affordable Housing
        • DCS Investigation
        • Gentrification
    • Editorial
      • National Politics
      • Local News
      • Local Editorial
      • Political Editorial
      • Editorial Cartoons
      • Cycle of Shame
    • Community
      • History
      • Tennessee
        • Chattanooga
        • Clarksville
        • Knoxville
        • Memphis
      • Public Notices
      • Women
        • Let’s Talk with Ms. June
    • Education
      • College
        • American Baptist College
        • Belmont University
        • Fisk
        • HBCU
        • Meharry
        • MTSU
        • University of Tennessee
        • TSU
        • Vanderbilt
      • Elementary
      • High School
    • Lifestyle
      • Art
      • Auto
      • Tribune Travel
      • Entertainment
        • 5 Questions With
        • Books
        • Events
        • Film Review
        • Local Entertainment
      • Family
      • Food
        • Drinks
      • Health & Wellness
      • Home & Garden
      • Featured Books
    • Religion
      • National Religion
      • Local Religion
      • Obituaries
        • National Obituaries
        • Local Obituaries
      • Faith Commentary
    • Sports
      • MLB
        • Sounds
      • NBA
      • NCAA
      • NFL
        • Predators
        • Titans
      • NHL
      • Other Sports
      • Golf
      • Professional Sports
      • Sports Commentary
      • Metro Sports
    • Media
      • Video
      • Photo Galleries
      • Take 10
      • Trending With The Tribune
    • Classified
    • Obituaries
      • Local Obituaries
      • National Obituaries
    The Tennessee TribuneThe Tennessee Tribune
    Education

    On Austin Peay’s Campus, Black Americans’ Contributions Finally Recognized 

    Toni BeamerBy Toni BeamerMay 25, 2023Updated:May 25, 2023No Comments3 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Telegram Pinterest Tumblr Reddit Email
    United States Colored Troops stand at the ready. Photo provided by Tracy Jepson
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email
    Advertisement

    By Toni Beamer 

    NASHVILLE, TN —  The United States Colored Troops headquarters, located on Austin Peay’s campus, was finally memorialized with an historical marker in February of 2023.  

    Established at the behest of President Abraham Lincoln on May 22, 1863, the United States Colored Troops were an important part of the Union’s efforts against the Confederate Army. Over 1,700 Black Americans were stationed in the 101st regiment in Clarksville Tennessee. They joined the union to fight for their freedom.  

    A poster calling for Black Americans to join the Union. Photo courtesy of Tracy Jepson

    Tracy Jepson, a researcher with the Tennessee African American Historical Group, has done extensive research into the lives of the soldiers and their families, preserving their stories for generations to come.  

    “I think it’s time for the perspective of the troops to be told in the South,” Jepson said.  

    For example, Jepson relayed the story of Cyrus Cook, a member of Company D in the 101st Regiment of the USCT in 1865 who was in love and married to a white woman during the time of miscegenation laws, which are laws meant to ban people from engaging in interracial marriages. 

    Even today, laws banning marriages like Cook’s are still on the books in Tennessee. On March 9, 2023, The Tennessee House of Representatives passed HB0878 which allows clerks to refuse solemnizing a marriage “based on the person’s conscience or religious beliefs.” 

    Another is Joseph Farley, who was a slave in 1856, and who saw 100 Klan members on Franklin Street on their way to hang a man, but 600 members of the USCT stopped them and the Klansmen never bothered them again.  

    There are many stories—from those of soldiers to enslaved people—but only about 100 of them can be found, archived at Fisk University in Nashville. These soldiers fought not only for their individual freedoms, but for the freedom of a people. “They originally probably didn’t see a future and hope for their lives. They had not been able to self-actualize, to choose the direction of their lives, and now they have an opportunity to join the Union,” Jepson said. 

    It’s been a long road in getting the troops their due; a marker honoring their contributions was meant to be officially installed along with other markers detailing the history of Black Americans in Clarksville in August of 2022 on “Freedom Day,” the day enslaved people in Clarksville were emancipated. The timing of the unveilings was intentional. 

    But that didn’t happen— Errors on the marker prevented it from being unveiled on time. However, those errors have been corrected and the new marker for the USCT has joined the others on Austin Peay’s campus and around the city of Clarksville.  

    Frederick Murphy, a documentarian and Clarksville native, helped get traction for the establishment of the markers and was present at their unveiling last summer. The story is part of his extensive portfolio of documenting the histories of Black Americans throughout the South with his project, History Before Us.  

    To find more information on the USCT and the contributions of Black Americans in Clarksville, visit the Tennessee African American Historical Group’s website (tnafricanamericanhistoricalgroup.com) or you can visit historybeforeus.com. 

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Toni Beamer

    Related Posts

    Fisk University Welcomes Antonio Barrino to Lead Band Program and Expand Music Education

    July 7, 2025

    Austin Peay’s MPH program receives $27K for childhood literacy initiative. Community LIFT Project to be implemented at Head Start centers this fall

    June 30, 2025

    TSU, State, reach agreement to reallocate $96M to school

    June 26, 2025

    TSU student lands prestigious internship at Harvard Medical School

    June 25, 2025

    FAMU stakeholders file lawsuit to prevent Marva Johnson’s confirmation as the university’s 13th President

    June 21, 2025

    TSU approves 6% tuition hike as part of long-term budget recovery plan

    June 19, 2025

    Comments are closed.

    Business

    Charlotte Knight Griffin Takes Office as TBA President-Elect

    June 30, 2025

    EXCLUSIVE OP-ED: President Joe Biden Commemorating Juneteenth

    June 19, 2025

    FUNdraising Good Times Report from Neighborhoods USA Conference in Jacksonville

    June 4, 2025
    1 2 3 … 384 Next
    Education
    Featured

    Fisk University Welcomes Antonio Barrino to Lead Band Program and Expand Music Education

    By adminJuly 7, 2025

    NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Fisk University proudly announces the appointment of Antonio Barrino to the Department of…

    Austin Peay’s MPH program receives $27K for childhood literacy initiative. Community LIFT Project to be implemented at Head Start centers this fall

    June 30, 2025

    TSU, State, reach agreement to reallocate $96M to school

    June 26, 2025

    TSU student lands prestigious internship at Harvard Medical School

    June 25, 2025
    The Tennessee Tribune
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    • About Us
    • Digital Subscription
    • Store
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact
    © 2025 The Tennessee Tribune - Site Designed by No Regret Media.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Our Spring Sale Has Started

    You can see how this popup was set up in our step-by-step guide: https://wppopupmaker.com/guides/auto-opening-announcement-popups/