National Park Service Golden Gate National Recreation Area U.S. Department of the Interior Fort Mason, Building 201 San Francisco, CA 94123 Golden Gate National Recreation Area News Release For Immediate Release: June 3, 2014 Event Date: Saturday, June 7, 2014 Contacts: Kelli English,
[email protected] , (925) 683-3343 Teresa Baker,
[email protected], (510) 410-0810 Alexandra Picavet,
[email protected], (415) 786-8021 Presidio to Yosemite Trip Honors Buffalo Soldiers’ Legacy San Francisco, CA (June 3, 2014) On Saturday, June 7th, in honor of the 2nd annual African American National Parks weekend, a number of Bay-Area residents will pay homage to the famed Buffalo Soldiers by retracing their historic journey from the Presidio of San Francisco to Yosemite National Park. The event is a joint effort led by Outdoor Afro and the National Park Service (Golden Gate National Recreation Area) with support from the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, chapters of the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club, the city of Los Banos, the Presidio Trust, the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) and the Yosemite Conservancy. The group will honor the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers who served our country nationally and internationally. In particular, the 24th Infantry and the 9th Cavalry protected both Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks in 1899, 1903 and 1904. “It’s amazing how little of this history is known,” says Teresa Baker, Outdoor Afro trip leader and co-organizer of the event. “I think it is important for us to recognize the role that our forbearers played in protecting some of our country’s most iconic national parks.” Baker’s innate love for nature and the outdoors spurred her to create the first African American National Parks Weekend last year.