“Camp Logan🏕️”

Camp Logan was a military training camp in Houston, Texas, built in 1917 during World War I. It is most famously associated with the Houston Riot of 1917, also known as the Camp Logan Mutiny, involving the all-Black 3rd Battalion of the 24th Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Army.

Background on Camp Logan and Black Soldiers

• Purpose: Camp Logan was established as a National Guard training center during WWI. Black soldiers of the 24th Infantry Regiment were assigned there for garrison duty.
• Segregation and Racism: Despite their service, Black soldiers faced severe racial discrimination, especially from Houston’s white police officers and civilians. Jim Crow laws were strictly enforced, limiting Black soldiers' freedoms and subjecting them to racial abuse.

The Houston Riot of 1917

• Triggering Event: The riot was sparked by an incident on August 23, 1917, when a Black soldier intervened in the arrest of a Black woman by white police officers. This led to an altercation, and tensions escalated when rumors spread that a fellow soldier had been killed.
• The Riot: About 100 Black soldiers, frustrated by ongoing racism and fearing for their safety, armed themselves and marched into Houston. A violent confrontation ensued, resulting in the deaths of 16 white civilians and police officers, as well as four Black soldiers.
• Aftermath: The military arrested and court-martialed 118 Black soldiers. Nineteen were executed, and 63 received life sentences. It was the largest murder trial in U.S. military history.

Legacy

• The Camp Logan riot remains a significant event in Black military history, highlighting systemic racial injustice in the U.S. Army.
• The soldiers' harsh punishment underscored the racial inequalities faced by Black servicemen.
• Today, the site of Camp Logan is Memorial Park in Houston, where efforts have been made to acknowledge the historical significance of the 1917 riot.