(AURN News) — On June 14, 1877, Henry Ossian Flipper became the first African American to graduate from West Point.
Born enslaved in Georgia in 1856, Flipper endured years of isolation and racism at the United States Military Academy. Although he was not the first Black cadet admitted — James Webster Smith entered in 1870 but did not graduate — Flipper completed the rigorous program and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the all-Black 10th Cavalry.
During his four years at West Point, Flipper later wrote that white cadets refused to speak to him. Still, he persevered and made history.
His achievement came during an era when Black Americans faced violent racism, segregation and discrimination in nearly every institution. Henry Ossian Flipper’s graduation remains a powerful reminder of endurance, excellence and breaking barriers.
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