Buffalo Soldier Graphic Novel Project

Project Details

Sema Hadithi Foundation researches preserves and presents the stories of Blacks in Utah. These stories date as far back as 1822. It features the outstanding work of the Buffalo Soldier Working Group. Much of the heavy lifting of Sema Hadithi is performed by working groups. They do the research, the correlation of data and documents, and even the presentation of findings. These women and men meet as independent teams to plan and implement their visions. This freedom allows them the chance to think out of the box and to reach far and wide in their efforts to discover, analyze, and correlate the documents, artifacts, images, and stories they find. They have produced amazing work.

The work of Fiona Robinson-Hill and Reilly Jensen uncovered the stories of the exemplary Buffalo Soldiers in Utah. They are the stories of soldiers serving in the Uintah Basin, Vernal. and in the building of Fort Duchesne. A. Jerome Christophe contributes the story of Colonel Charles Young, the third Black graduate of West Point. Colonel Young served at Fort Douglas in Salt Lake City.

Arguably, the most ambitious project Sema Hadithi has taken up is the Buffalo Soldier Graphics Novel Project. Fiona Robinson-Hill is the primary writer. Reilly Jensen is the pen and inker. The aesthetics are bold and colorful, lending a proud and dignified look at the stories of brave and loyal soldiers often overlooked in Utah history. Other members of the project include Dwayne Madry and Jarrett Burch. They are part of the effort to create an ongoing graphics production department.

These pioneer-era soldiers served with pride, valor, and honor in the face of conflict, both military and social. They protected settlers, herds, and railroad crews. They constructed Fort Duchesne and the road into the fort. They served at Fort Douglas in Salt Lake, providing force protection for settlers in the region. The service of Buffalo Soldiers in Utah was long and gallant. It is time we remember and honors these true American heroes in service.

The story team is creating vital and beautiful artwork. The work remembers the brave soldiers that served and protected early pioneers in Utah. The project will create life-size panels, advertisement and event posters, activity books for children, and the graphic novel (comic book) itself.

Ultimately, the project will become an ongoing graphics production department. It will fill the needs of other research projects by creating graphic representation where we have no photographs or paintings.