The 25th Infantry Regiment, one of four regiments of Black soldiers established after the Civil War, had an exemplary service record. However, to many, the soldiers were Black men first and United States soldiers second, and the regiment endured being sent to the least desirable postings, being issued equipment already rejected by white regiments, and the racist attitudes of civilians in the towns they served. In 1906, in Brownsville, Texas, a shooting attributed to the soldiers of the 25th Infantry culminated in one of the most egregious examples of racism against Black soldiers in United States Army history.
