THE NATIONAL VETERANS COALITION
COLONEL CHARLES YOUNG PROMOTION CAMPAIGN
National Executive Committee:
Coalition Chairman, Mr. Charles Blatcher, III, Former US Navy-Oakland, CA Lt. General Arthur J. Gregg, US Army, Ret. –Washington, DC BGeneral Robert Cocroft, US Army, Ret. – Milwaukee, WS Major Howard D. Jackson, US Marine Corps, Ret. – Oakland, CA Chief Historian, Former LT Cmder. Michael J. Clark, Ph.D., US Navy – Hayward, CA Treasurer, Cmd. Sgt. Holbert Maxey, US Air Force, Ret.
Contact: Charles Blatcher, III
(510) 467-9242
cnmmmf@aol.com
Oakland, CA – [December 12, 2012] – The National Coalition of Black Veteran Organizations has joined forces with Alaska-based BlaqueIce (pronounced: black ice) Productions to engage in a major fundraising effort to support the building of a monument in Washington, DC, to honor Colonel Charles Young, the legendary soldier/diplomat who led America’s renown Buffalo Soldiers.
The Trilogy CD collection marries four historic speeches by President and Commander-in-chief Barack H. Obama with original scores composed by BlaqueIce producers. This amalgamation of remarkable oratory – which defines America’s political maturation – and innovative compositions that exemplify this country’s creative essence will be a must have for generations to come.
“Our hope is to demonstrate progress in achieving the historical ideals of African American service men and women by melding the oration of President Obama, with the history of our participation in the defense of the nation. The merits of our services are the cornerstone of civil rights and made possible this historic moment in American History,” said Charles Blatcher, III, chairman of the Veterans Coalition.
The three-disc set features the speech President Obama delivered upon his acceptance of the Democratic nomination on August 28, 2008, at Invesco Field in Denver, Colorado; his historic victory speech delivered at Chicago’s Grant Park following his election on November 4, 2008; his swearing-in speech delivered on January 20, 2009; and, a bonus track of President Obama’s speech on race relations that without question framed our national outlook on race and politics.
Leonard A. Lawson, Jr., BlaqueIce founder/owner said, “We at BlaqueIce believe the service of our many African American Military personnel, marks a journey of unparalleled sacrifice and triumph as we have traveled throughout time from slavery to the White House! For this we are eternally grateful! I cannot express enough gratitude in being asked to participate in establishing a monument honoring the legendary Colonel Charles Young in our nation capitol! We are honored to contribute a portion of the proceeds derived from the sale of the collection to support the monument project.”
The marketing for the Trilogy collection will be implemented by Precise Plans, Inc. located in Saint Louis, Missouri. Christal Rogers, president of Precise Plans said,” We were not aware of the history of Colonel Charles Young before our recent introduction. After we heard about him, we agreed that this is a long overdue and worthwhile undertaking. It is not every day an opportunity presents itself to honor the past and contemporary history as it does with this project. We appreciate the opportunity to contribute toward the success of this endeavor. The Trilogy collection is slated for release in 2013.
The service of the renowned artist Antonio Tobias Mendez has been engaged to create the larger-than-life sized monument of Colonel Young. The bronze statue will be the first in the nation to feature a Black military officer on horseback. An excellent equestrian, Col. Young was the highest ranking African American in all the United States military at the time of his death in 1922. The coalition’s goal is to unveil the monument in 2015, inviting Black Veterans from across the nation to join us in Washington, DC for the occasion.
The Veterans Coalition joined by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. has requested the posthumous promotion of Colonel Charles Young to the rank of Brigadier General in the United States Army. Click on www.colyoung.org. or follow @colyoungproject on Twitter for more information.
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