During the Feb. 22 Downtown Meridian Historic Walk event, Terrence “Rasta” Roberts stood with his fellow club members – Pink Panther (Pamela Barber), Sea Salt (Steven Jackson) and Pacemaker (Vernon Eichelberger). They were all dressed for the cold weather in distinctive yellow and black garments, from thick black boots to handy gloves to vests with a multitude of patches that complemented their warm black shirts or sweaters underneath.

 

In other words, they stood out – for a lot of reasons. First, their colors really popped in the cold February gloom. Second, standing at attention behind them was a line of beautiful – and very large – motorcycles. And last, these club members were telling stories about the adventures of a young man from Meridian who traveled the world in service to his country.

 

The four happened to be members of the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club Meridian. This worldwide club has more than 120 chapters from all over, including chapters in Hawaii and South Korea.

 

Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club Meridian – like all of its chapters — stems from the original Buffalo Soldiers, a group of African American regiments in the U.S. Army formed in the 19th century. Those soldiers first served on the American frontier, escorting settlers, cattle herds and railroad crews before serving in America’s battles. But not many know about the Buffalo Soldiers’ history.

The club members were at the historic walk to represent those who may have been forgotten by time, but not by them. In fact, in the summers, the Meridian club lays flowers in memory of Buffalo Soldier Pvt. Earnest Brock, a native of Meridian who served in the 9th Calvary from 1917 to 1919. His story was related to the audiences Saturday so that everyone who heard it might remember it.

 

When a group stopped to gather around the soldiers’ station, you not only heard the powerful lecture, but a lot of laughter – from both the audience and the speakers. There seemed to be no invisible wall distinguishing the two groups – one told while one listened, and afterward, they all shook hands, took photos and even hugged.

 

In this particular audience, everyone was white, while the speaker was black. Luckily, in 2025, no one cared about that. These club members had a story to tell and an audience eager to listen to true tales of men and women whose names might not be etched in a national memorial.

 

The original Buffalo Soldiers came about in the 1800s. The Meridian Star related in 2024 as follows:

 

“Following the Civil War, the United States Congress in 1866 created six regiments of all-black soldiers, including the 9th and 10th Calvary Regiments and the 38th, 39th, 40th and 41st Infantry Regiments, according to a news release from the U.S. Army recognizing National Buffalo Soldiers Day. The four infantry regiments combined to make two regiments, the 24th and 25th, three years later. … [These soldiers] were pivotal in westward expansion, taking on tasks such as building roads, laying telegraph lines, providing postal service, protecting settlers and livestock and more. The soldiers were also involved in more than 170 conflicts with Native Americans, who gave the troops the name of Buffalo Soldiers for their tenacity, the U.S. Army states. … Throughout their existence, the Buffalo Soldier regiments fought in an array of conflicts including the Spanish-American War, Philippine Insurrection, Mexican Expedition, World War I, World War II and the Korean War, the U.S. Army states. Eighteen Medals of Honor were awarded to soldiers in the all-black regiments.”

 

Notable Buffalo Soldiers include Henry O. Flipper, the first black graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point; Sgt. Emanuel Stance, the first black recipient of the Medal of Honor; Ruben Rivers, who served in the 761st Tank Battalion, also known as the Black Panthers, and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor; Benjamin O. Davis Sr., who became the first African American promoted to general in the U.S. Army in 1940; and the most famous of them all: Charles Young, who overcame racism and inequality to become a respected military leader and national park superintendent, according to the National Park Service’s website.

 

But let’s not forget Buffalo Soldier Pvt. Earnest Brock, one of Meridian’s finest. He is buried in the Oddfellow Cemetery on 10th Avenue in Meridian and is honored every year by the Buffalo Soldiers bike club.

 

Terrance Roberts told Brock’s story with a presence most cannot ignore. Though Roberts, 60, is a big, booming man, his tempered voice eased his listeners into a tale of yesteryear, the audience enthralled in the story, the man and his message. Not only are his stories distinctly interesting, but they are also enthralling and, at times, sad.

 

Roberts did not engage by being loud or aggressive; instead, his cadence remained steady, purposeful and sincere. And he’s honest about the people of color who may have been ignored or forgotten in the days of Jim Crow and before. He and other club members want those stories told because they are as much a part of history as anything else.

“I tell historical stories; stories you may have never heard of,” Roberts said. “In America, the history of people of African descent always seems to start in slavery. But Africa is where we originated, and it had kingdoms, universities and other [significant things].

 

“We storytellers are the so-called ‘keepers of the culture.’ Storytellers have advised kings. They know the stories and histories of the culture. And people of color were not just enslaved; they brought culture.

 

“It’s really important to me that those stories are told, especially when some people try to hide history.”

 

Roberts said that in African tradition, a story could take five to six days to complete. The storytellers could weave the past with the present to show how the future could work out.

 

Roberts started his journey as a storyteller quite by accident: He simply read to his kids. From there, he told stories at his children’s schools, and even after his children moved to another grade, Roberts still got calls to come right back to the classrooms to tell the next student generation.

 

“I like to tell people the past so it can lead them to their futures,” he explained.

 

Others heard Roberts’ storytelling skill. Tim Tingle, an Oklahoma Cherokee storyteller, suggested Roberts add an instrument to his story times that can help the listeners feel in the moment. Roberts now plays a few drums because the drum was the first thing taken away from slaves so that no drumbeats could communicate with other plantation slaves.

 

Roberts became the “story weaver” who introduced people to “the door” that could give insight on a future path. “I want to give a glimpse of the beauty of the storytelling tradition,” he said. “I wanted to expose kids to something they don’t know.”

 

He felt a passion for the West African vibe, which is why when on his usual storytelling ventures, he dresses in West African garb that complements his locs and drums.

 

Roberts’s storytelling career shot off after being noticed by others who suggested he branch out. Roberts did so and switched from being a storyteller behind the lens of a WTOK camera to a man who lives out his mission – whether it’s him in West African patterns or Buffalo Soldier leather. Either way, he is proud to be a part of the statistical truth that most children who better understand their past through the use of the arts tend to stay in school and become better students.

 

“I’m fortunate to have a gift that I’ve been able to use on videography and news stories to, now, into the art of storytelling,” he said. “There is so much you can teach through storytelling. It might just come back to you later as a lesson.”