WEBVTT 00:00.040 --> 00:03.580 In 1866 , the United States 00:03.580 --> 00:05.830 Congress passed legislation creating 00:05.830 --> 00:08.350 for all African American Army units , 00:08.820 --> 00:12.200 The 9th and 10th Cavalry And the 24th 00:12.210 --> 00:15.820 and 25th Infantry Regiments . These 00:15.830 --> 00:17.608 segregated troops served in the 00:17.608 --> 00:19.850 american west and would go on to play 00:19.850 --> 00:22.770 major roles in the spanish american war , 00:22.780 --> 00:26.100 both world wars and the korean war . 00:26.140 --> 00:28.230 These are the stories of the army's 00:28.240 --> 00:30.910 first black regulars , stories built on 00:30.910 --> 00:34.360 the legacy of the buffalo soldiers . 00:36.520 --> 00:39.570 An artist , scholar and soldier , Anna 00:39.570 --> 00:41.940 Russell jones elevated all the fields 00:41.950 --> 00:44.900 in which she worked while studying 00:44.900 --> 00:46.900 textile design at the philadelphia 00:46.900 --> 00:49.080 School of Design for women . On a four 00:49.080 --> 00:51.620 year scholarship , jones recalls being 00:51.620 --> 00:54.040 the only african american student in 00:54.040 --> 00:57.600 her program . When visitors 00:57.600 --> 01:00.860 came to see us working , 01:01.940 --> 01:04.600 they peeked in the door , he said , 01:04.610 --> 01:08.120 who's that over there ? And 01:08.130 --> 01:10.870 whoever was escorting the person said , 01:10.880 --> 01:13.840 oh , she's just a full , oh , she was 01:13.840 --> 01:17.020 just a japanese or chinese and they 01:17.020 --> 01:20.280 laughed . They knew the what it was . I 01:20.280 --> 01:23.610 was the only one that grow around An 01:23.620 --> 01:26.190 artist of recognizable talent . Jones 01:26.190 --> 01:28.770 graduates with several awards and goes 01:28.770 --> 01:30.770 on to work as a carpet designer for 01:30.770 --> 01:34.140 four years , realizing her need to work 01:34.140 --> 01:36.820 independently . She establishes her own 01:36.820 --> 01:39.190 design business selling carpet and 01:39.190 --> 01:42.200 wallpaper across North America . A rare 01:42.200 --> 01:44.390 accomplishment for an African American 01:44.390 --> 01:47.840 woman in the 1930s . Mhm . 01:48.540 --> 01:52.230 In december 1942 jones Volunteers for 01:52.230 --> 01:54.260 the Women's Army Auxiliary corps , 01:54.320 --> 01:56.730 making her an original member and one 01:56.730 --> 01:58.910 of the first african american women to 01:58.910 --> 02:01.020 join . She is stationed at Fort 02:01.030 --> 02:03.920 huachuca Arizona as part of the 32nd 02:03.930 --> 02:07.530 auxiliary unit . So I was assigned to 02:07.530 --> 02:11.430 the Captain nelson and I 02:11.430 --> 02:15.180 was designed in art I said 02:15.180 --> 02:18.800 because you can't please everybody and 02:18.800 --> 02:21.770 if I please you then the other person 02:21.780 --> 02:23.724 have to be pleased because you are 02:23.724 --> 02:26.060 pleased jones stays busy in the post 02:26.060 --> 02:28.580 printing shop creating maps , posters , 02:28.590 --> 02:31.100 and graphics for military publications . 02:31.530 --> 02:33.960 The workload becomes too much to handle 02:33.960 --> 02:36.420 on her own and she takes initiative to 02:36.420 --> 02:39.040 train the shop staff in graphic arts in 02:39.040 --> 02:41.690 order to increase their output . Her 02:41.690 --> 02:43.680 service is not limited to the post 02:43.680 --> 02:46.220 print shop jones memorializes the 02:46.220 --> 02:48.520 buffalo soldiers who served at Fort 02:48.520 --> 02:50.950 Huachuca by doing a series of vast 02:50.950 --> 02:53.061 relief paintings for each of the four 02:53.061 --> 02:56.190 regiments . Her ready and forward 10th 02:56.200 --> 02:59.060 Cavalry Regiment Crest is on display at 02:59.060 --> 03:03.010 the Fort Huachuca Museum . Today . In 03:03.010 --> 03:05.000 her three years of service , jones 03:05.010 --> 03:07.170 earns the rank of sergeant and is 03:07.170 --> 03:09.114 awarded the Women's Army Auxiliary 03:09.114 --> 03:11.810 Corps Service Medal , American Campaign 03:11.810 --> 03:14.520 Medal , World War two , Victory Medal 03:14.710 --> 03:16.654 and the good conduct medal for her 03:16.654 --> 03:20.240 military service . Returning to 03:20.240 --> 03:22.480 civilian life with no plans of slowing 03:22.480 --> 03:24.880 down jones uses her G . I . Bill 03:24.880 --> 03:27.250 benefits to complete her post graduate 03:27.250 --> 03:29.810 work in textiles at the Now moore 03:29.810 --> 03:31.460 College of Art and Design 03:33.740 --> 03:36.520 afterwards , she studies medical 03:36.520 --> 03:38.870 illustrations at Howard University 03:38.880 --> 03:41.830 College of Medicine in Washington D . C . 03:41.840 --> 03:44.060 Never willing to stop learning . 03:47.340 --> 03:50.690 In 1986 jones receives the honor of 03:50.700 --> 03:53.210 Excellence award from the Now african 03:53.210 --> 03:55.800 american museum in philadelphia and a 03:55.800 --> 03:58.300 year later she has awarded an honorary 03:58.300 --> 04:00.690 doctor of Fine Arts degree from Moore 04:00.690 --> 04:04.290 College of Art and Design anything you 04:04.290 --> 04:07.960 want it's in your possession 04:08.540 --> 04:12.400 to get , we have to pay a 04:12.400 --> 04:16.210 price for it and you 04:16.210 --> 04:18.370 know , within your heart , the price 04:18.370 --> 04:22.130 you have to pay . Anna . 04:22.130 --> 04:24.400 Russell jones was an african american 04:24.400 --> 04:27.060 woman of many first who challenged 04:27.070 --> 04:29.920 society's racial and gender norms . Her 04:29.920 --> 04:33.090 dedication to art , service , education , 04:33.130 --> 04:35.770 african american history and civil 04:35.770 --> 04:38.130 rights continues to be admired and 04:38.130 --> 04:41.220 celebrated , making her life itself a 04:41.230 --> 04:42.360 true work of art .