Legacy, Service and Strength: Lincoln University Alumnus Robert Roosevelt Sams Jr. ’76 Honored in Historic Juneteenth Honor Flight

Lincoln University of Missouri alumnus and U.S. Army veteran Robert Roosevelt Sams Jr. was honored during the inaugural Juneteenth Honor Flight.

This Juneteenth, Lincoln University of Missouri proudly shines a spotlight on one of its distinguished alumni, Robert Roosevelt Sams Jr. ’76. Last year, he was honored in the inaugural Juneteenth Honor Flight, a historic event recognizing Black veterans.

In June 2024, Sams was featured in a CNN segment that highlighted the Honor Flight. Watch the CNN segment here.

For Sams, a U.S. Army veteran who served in the 108th Airborne and was wounded by a landmine in combat, the flight represented more than ceremonial gratitude. It was a national acknowledgment of his dignity, sacrifice and decades-long perseverance.

Robert Sams Jr. at his Lincoln University graduation. 

Sams earned his degree in criminal justice from Lincoln University of Missouri on May 15, 1976. 

“I always wanted to attend a Historically Black College or University (HBCU), and I wanted to attend one in my home state of Missouri,” said Robert R. Sams Jr. “Choosing Lincoln University allowed me to carry a deep sense of pride, honoring my mother, Ada Arnetta Sams Whitt’s legacy as a graduate of the HBCU Harris Teachers College (now Harris-Stowe State University) in Missouri, representing my Missouri roots and pursuing a degree in the field that I love, criminal justice.”

At the same time he was accepted into Lincoln, his wife, Valeria Gadsden Sams, was also hired there as a secretary, marking the start of their shared chapter at the institution.

Robert Sams Jr. and his wife, Valeria Gadsden Sams, at his 1976 graduation. 

“For him, attending Lincoln wasn’t just about education, it was about legacy, love and purpose all aligning in one place,” his daughter Shambulia-Kuishi said.

Robert Sams Jr.'s parents, Ada Arnetta Sams Whitt and Sgt. Robert R. Sams Sr., on their wedding day.

Before pursuing higher education, Sams served over four years in the Army, earning a Purple Heart after an injury that left him blind in his left eye. Despite his sacrifice, he, like many African American veterans, faced persistent barriers to receiving full disability benefits.

For his daughters, the Juneteenth Honor Flight was both emotional and affirming.

“To have our father honored in the inaugural Juneteenth Honor Flight was both emotional and incredible,” said his daughter Shingirai-Kina Gadsden Sams. “The Vietnam War was not supported by much of the public, and returning soldiers were often met with indifference or hostility. For African American soldiers, the experience was even more isolating; many received no welcome or recognition at all.”

Robert Sams Jr. with his daughters, Shambulia-Kuishi Gadsden Sams and Shingirai-Kina Gadsden Sams, Georgia State Senator Tonya Anderson, John "Jake" Alvarez, correspondence and publishing manager, Office of U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff.  

Despite years of being denied the benefits he had earned, Sams and his family never stopped advocating.

Robert Sams Jr. and his daughters, Shambulia-Kuishi Gadsden Sams and Shingirai-Kina Gadsden Sams.

“Yes, it was painful for him to become disabled in the service,” said his daughter Shikilia-Thabiti Gadsden Sams. “It was painful for him to come home and be denied his full VA disability benefits ... It was painful for him to be among the many Black veterans whom the Department of Veterans Affairs admitted to systematically denying benefits.”

Yet, his story is one not just of hardship, but of legacy, pride and triumph.

Robert Sams Jr. and his siblings: George Sams, Arnold Sams, Anna Collier-Moore, Alvin Sams (Navy) and Darryl Sams (Air Force). 

“The G.I. Bill allowed him to become a Lincoln University Blue Tiger, a disabled veteran in a safe space that still feels like home,” she said.

Sams hopes his story, and the CNN spotlight on the Juneteenth Honor Flight, remind Americans that the fight for civil and human rights is ongoing, and that Black veterans have long stood on the frontlines, both abroad and at home.

Robert Sams Jr.'s aunt Rosalie Beard (née Sams), who served in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps. 

“He hopes people understand that he is proud to have served his country, a country built by enslaved Black people, and to carry forward the legacy of his father, Sgt. Robert R. Sams Sr., who served in World War II and the Korean War, and his aunt, Rosalie Beard (née Sams), who served in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps,” Shambulia-Kuishi said. “As a Black veteran, he was fighting two wars: one overseas and one at home, to be seen, respected and treated equitably.” 

Throughout this journey, Lincoln University has remained a cornerstone in Sams’ life, a place of restoration, growth and affirmation.

Robert Sams Jr.

“To our father, Lincoln University represents more than just a college; it’s where he received a quality education from dedicated teachers who truly cared,” his daughters shared. “Lincoln was a place where he could simply be, a student, a scholar, a man, without the burden of discrimination or the constant triggers of war. It offered him a space to heal, to excel and to build a legacy, not just for himself, but for generations to come.”

That legacy lives on. His daughters continued the HBCU tradition, graduating from Shaw University and Benedict College.

Robert Sams Jr. with his daughter Shikilia-Thabiti Gadsden Sams, granddaughter Zahia Gadsden Sams-Sparks and grandson Zelani Gadsden Sams-Sparks.

“Lincoln University is the living answer to the collective prayers of enslaved ancestors who believed that one day, Black people would have the right to learn, to lead and to thrive,” Sams said.