Review: The Colored Cadet at West Point

The Colored Cadet at West Point by Henry Ossian Flipper
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Memoir of the struggles and achievement of being the first African American graduate of the United States Military Academy. Flipper was the fifth person of color to attend the Academy. He gives details of the academic rigor and social challenges. A nice addition is the inclusion of newspaper stories during his time at West Point. He does not avoid the issues of racism and the book concludes with the racism experienced by the 4th student who made it to the final year before being dismissed. A great time capsule of the 1870s and West Point

View all my reviews