Black History Month: James E. Spencer
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BOLIVAR, Tenn — “You’re black you will never get first Sergeant.” These are the words retired Command Sergeant Major James E. Spencer, said he heard throughout his career in the Army National Guard, until he proved the naysayers wrong. “It took me 33 years to get there,” Spencer said. Spencer is the first African-American Command Sergeant Major in Hardeman County. He was also the first black Sergeant at the National Guard Unit in Bolivar. His military career began in the 70s when he and three other men became the first blacks to join the Bolivar unit. “During this time it was extremely bad for blacks,” Spencer recalled. He said there were a lot of blacks who wanted to enlist in the military but were denied because of the color of their skin. He said he knew it wouldn’t be easy but he comes from a bloodline of fighters. “My grandfather never went to the military but he was one of the first to vote in Fayette County. Spencer said it was hard work. He served in a staff position for 12 years, watching most of his white counterparts get promoted in half the time. “I had a praying grandmother and she would tell me stay focused,” he said. Spencer said times have changed and he’s seen growth in equal rights in the military. He said the Bolivar unit of the National Guard now consists of several minorities. Spencer, now retired, still visits and mentors younger soldiers in Hardeman County. He said all the hard work and adversity were worth his time serving in the military.
