In 'Half American,' historian Matthew Delmont tells the story of World War II from the Black perspective.
"I wrote this book because I think this is the history more Americans need to understand. I'm a historian. I'm a professional historian, and I teach history at Dartmouth College. And I've taught about this history for more than a decade. But as I was going through archival sources, going through Black newspapers, I kept coming across stories of average Black Americans who were drafted, volunteered to serve in the Army, the Navy and Marines. And these were not famous people.
"They're drawing parallels between the segregation of Jews on train cars, the theft of Jewish property, the violence against Jewish communities in Europe, and how closely that resembles the kind of treatment Black Americans are receiving in the Jim Crow South. And so, these editorials are powerful evidence that Black Americans understood what a dire threat Nazism and fascism posed to the world, and they were ready to take up arms to fight against it.
"That Black Americans in the South can't vote. Black Americans across the country are facing racial discrimination in terms of housing, in terms of employment, in terms of schools. And they're asking pointedly, should we even fight for this country? More broadly, they're worried about how the United States and its allies in Great Britain are trying to use the war to perpetuate colonial policies.
"And there's almost a feeling of helplessness at the hands of these white townspeople and the white officers there on the bases, because these troops have been sent to the Army bases, they wanted to do what they could to defend the country. But the sort of daily threats that they experienced were horrific. And I appreciate playing a clip from Tuskegee.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Black Americans Less Likely to Receive Lifesaving CPR: StudyA new study suggests that when someone collapses in front of witnesses, the chances of receiving potentially lifesaving CPR may partly depend on the color of their skin.
Read more »
Inflation driving Hispanic, Black voters to GOP as Americans postpone vacations, eat out less: pollInflation is pushing significant portions of minority demographics rightward as the November midterm election draws closer, according to polling data.
Read more »
Why Black Americans are more likely to be saddled with medical debtBlack communities in the U.S. suffer disproportionately from health care debt. The reasons go back to segregation and a history of racist policies that have limited Black wealth.
Read more »
LA Opera's 'Omar' Is A Powerful Story About Black Enslavement, From Black ArtistsMichael Abels has scored Jordan Peele's horror movies Get Out, Us and Nope. For his new work, the opera Omar, Abels collaborated with singer-songwriter Rhiannon Giddens about a real terror: slavery.
Read more »
How 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' star Letitia Wright honored Chadwick Boseman at the premiereLetitia Wright gave a salute to Chadwick Boseman's 2018 Oscars appearance with a dazzling look of her own. r
Read more »
Wakanda Forever clip hints that there could be multiple Black PanthersMarvel’s newest Wakanda Forever promo teases an incredible surprise about the new Black Panther - what you need to know.
Read more »