By: Charles Blatcher, III- Chairman, National Coalition of Black Veteran Organizations
The National Coalition of Black Veteran Organizations, joined by the NAACP California–Hawaii State Conference, has called upon Governor Gavin Newsom to grant Colonel Allen Allensworth an honorary posthumous promotion to brigadier general in the California National Guard. The promotion was requested to coincide with the October 10, 2026, 50th Re-dedication Ceremony of Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park. This occasion offers California an opportunity to honor a pioneering military officer whose service continued through his courageous effort to establish a town where African Americans could live with dignity, independence and control over their future.
Born enslaved in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1842, Allensworth pursued education despite laws that prohibited him from learning. He escaped bondage, served in the United States Navy during the Civil War and later became an Army chaplain with the Buffalo Soldiers’ 24th Infantry. He retired in 1906 as a lieutenant colonel, having overcome extraordinary barriers to military leadership. His life demonstrated perseverance, discipline and faith in the promise of American citizenship.
Allensworth carried those qualities into California. In 1908, he joined fellow pioneers in establishing a town founded, financed and governed by African Americans. Their vision embraced education, enterprise and democratic self-government. At a time when racial discrimination restricted opportunity, they undertook the demanding work of building a community where Black families could pursue a better life.
The valor of that undertaking deserves recognition. Allensworth placed his reputation, leadership and remaining years behind a belief that formerly enslaved people and their descendants could build institutions of their own. His courage was expressed in accepting responsibility for a community’s future. The hardships the town encountered do not diminish that achievement. They underscore the determination required to pursue it.
Governor Newsom has demonstrated a willingness to speak for people whose needs and rights have too often received inadequate attention from government. His progressive record includes support for LGBTQ+ Californians and an executive order directing state agencies to address inequities affecting historically underserved and marginalized communities. These actions reflect a conviction that government should protect dignity and confront exclusion.
The Coalition and our NAACP partners respectfully ask Governor Newsom to give this request his personal consideration and move it forward. Honoring Allensworth would give that conviction a lasting expression. An honorary promotion would recognize the connection between his military service and his leadership in advancing freedom and opportunity in California. It would affirm that Black military pioneers deserve a prominent place in the state’s public memory and give added meaning to the park’s 50th Re-dedication Ceremony.
The National Coalition of Veteran Organizations are calling on the public to contact the Governor’s Office at 916-445-2841 in support of the request for Colonel Allensworth’s honorary posthumous promotion. California already preserves the town bearing his name. The state should now extend its recognition to the extraordinary veteran whose vision helped bring that community into existence.
Governor Newsom, this is an opportunity to demonstrate the moral leadership associated with your commitment to those least represented by government. Honor Colonel Allen Allensworth. Recognize his service, his courage and his enduring contribution to California with an honorary posthumous promotion to brigadier general.
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