Charles Young, born in 1864 to enslaved parents in Kentucky, became the third Black American to graduate from West Point Military Academy in 1889. Throughout his military career, he faced discrimination but persevered, eventually becoming the highest-ranking Black American officer in the United States Army at the time.
In 1903 while serving as a Captain of an all-Black regiment of the 9th U.S. Cavalry at the Presidio in San Francisco, Young was appointed to oversee the management of Sequoia and King’s Canyon National Parks as superintendent. Following this deployment, he practiced his skills as a diplomat, linguist, and scholar, fluent in multiple languages including French, German, and Spanish. His assignments took him around the world, including serving as a military attaché in Haiti and Liberia. Through the Mexican American War in 1916, Young Served in active combat in the battle to defeat the rebel leader Poncho Villa. While serving as an attaché to Nigeria, he died suddenly of kidney disease in 1922 at the age of 58. In honor of his distinguished career, on November 1, 2021, Charles Young was promoted posthumously to the rank of Brigadier General.
The Joy Trip Project celebrates the enduring legacy of Black American History. The Unhidden Minute is part of the Unhidden Podcast Project supported through a National Geographic Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society, with the cooperation of the National Park Service. This series elevates the untold stories of Black American historical figures, events and cultural contributions.
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General Charles Young