Plant City has spawned a breed of multi-ethnic country-western line dancers.
Plant City has spawned a breed of multi-ethnic country-western line dancers.
These 10 women, “The Buffalo Sistahs,” meet in line dance classes three times a week. Agreeing to dance with a purpose, the group bonded to perform at military and community events, export good faith and share information about little-known U.S. military history.
“We promote inclusion of all races,” organizer Jeraldine Williams said. “Our country excluded minority populations from the mainstream of the United States military. Today, we salute contributions of those minorities as part of a unified military.”
African-American military personnel, who served in the segregated Army 9th and 10th Calvary Regiments and in four black infantry regiments, eventually consolidated into the 24th and 25th Infantries of the Buffalo Soldiers and in the all-Black Tuskegee Airmen. In another category of the racial divide, there was the 65th Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Army, in which Puerto Ricans were segregated and nicknamed “The Borinqueneers.”
The Sistahs’ initial performance was in early December at the Christmas celebration of the Woods and Wanton Chapter of the Buffalo Soldiers, 9th and 10th Calvary Regiments, in Tampa.
The dancing group is excited about promoting the history of the first woman to enlist in the United States military, Cathay Williams. In 1866, she enlisted as William Cathay, a male soldier. She was “discovered” as a woman during a routine medical examination. Before being honorably discharged, Pvt. Williams served until 1868. The group’s next scheduled event is at Tampa’s Gasparilla Parade.
Kimmi Courcelle and Kim Horwedel are the group’s dance instructors.
