by Windy Goodloe, Secretary, Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery Association
On Wednesday, September 18, veteran journalist Joseph Hill headlined the Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery Association’s (SISCA) monthly Zoom presentation. While he primarily discussed his award-winning documentary Black Border Warriors: The Seminole Negro Indian Scouts, he also discussed how he became interested in bringing the history of the Black Seminoles to the screen.
Mr. Hill shared a rather serendipitous story with the audience about how he first learned about the Black Seminoles. After learning our history, he set on a path to bring our story to a wider audience. Mr. Hill wrote, researched, and produced his documentary. He traveled to Brackettville and the surrounding areas several times in order to interview Seminole Negro Indian Scouts descendants and in order to explore where they once lived. The end result is a documentary that is thought-provoking, educational, and deeply poignant.
During his Zoom session, Mr. Hill encouraged the attendees to continue reading and researching. He also pointed out the mentor/mentee relationship that he proudly shares with Mr. Bennie McRae, who is a renowned and revered historian of African American military history. Mr. Hill is currently working on a documentary about the United States Colored Troops, and Mr. McRae is proving to be a fountain of knowledge.
This Zoom served as a preliminary event for our upcoming Seminole Days celebration. As I write this, I am full of anticipation for our first event, which is our annual hike at Seminole Canyon. This first event, in my humble opinion, sets the tone for the rest of the weekend. While we have many modern-day conveniences that make the hike quite easy, it is still deeply moving to be able walk the same area that many of my forefathers walked while traversing this beautifully desolate and bare terrain.
The rest of Seminole Days will be filled with great presentations, food, and family and friends. Every year, I know that it will feel like time is flying by, so I plan on being present and soaking up each moment. This annual gathering is a study in resilience. Against seemingly unbelievable odds, we, the Black Seminoles, are still here. And we are proud of who we are; therefore, we celebrate.
