Black Cadet in a White Bastion: Charles Young at West Point

by Brian G. Shellum, Vincent K. Brooks (Foreword)

Born in slavery, Charles Young (1864–1922) was the third black graduate of West Point, the first black U.S. military attaché, and the highest-ranking black officer in the Regular Army until his death. Unlike the two black graduates before him, Young went on to a long military career, eventually achieving the rank of colonel. After Young, racial intolerance closed the door to blacks at the academy, and forty-seven years passed before another African American graduated from West Point. Brian G. Shellum’s biography of Young’s years at West Point chronicles the enormous challenges that Young faced and provides a valuable window into life at West Point in the 1880s. Academic difficulties, hazing, and social ostracism dogged him throughout his academy years. He succeeded through a combination of focused intellect, hard work, and a sense of humor. By graduation, he had made white friends, and his motivation and determination had won him the grudging respect of many of his classmates and professors. Until now, scholars of African American and military history have neglected this important U.S. Army trailblazer. Young’s experiences at the U.S. Military Academy, his triumph over adversity, and his commitment to success forged the mold for his future achievements as an Army officer, even as the United States slipped further into the degradation and waste of racial intolerance.

230 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Brian Shellum is a full time writing historian with a focus on the Buffalo Soldiers, military attachés, and military intelligence history. He retired from government service in 2015 after serving eight years as a senior intelligence officer with with the Department of Defense in the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization. Prior to that he served as a government historian at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) for 12 years. He retired from the U.S. Army in 1994 after service as an armor officer and West European foreign area specialist. His career highlights include various troop assignments with tank units, a tour as an army attaché in Bonn, Germany, Gulf War service with the 2nd Brigade, First Armored Division, and work as a senior political-military analyst at DIA. He lived and studied for ten years in Germany and speaks fluent German. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, holds a graduate degree from Campbell University, and studied at the University of Bonn. His military decorations include of the Bronze Star Medal and the Order of St. George.

Reviews

[Stephen Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

In most respects, this is a history of the life of a generic West Point cadet in the 1880's, with occasional remarks on Young and speculation about how a black cadet would take things. Granted, the sources available say little about Young directly, but this is a weaker book than the volume on his post-graduation Army career.