Lt. James Reece 369th Regiment, 1917-1918, National Archives
|
When America entered WWI, the US military was still segregated and many black American who did try to enlist were either turned away or relegated to menial jobs. The 369th Infantry Regiment, also known as the Harlem Hellfighters, were the military unit to be comprised entirely of Black serviceman and to have Black officers. Although they received a hero’s homecoming after the war, the US military would not be desegregated until 1946, and the Harlem Hellfighters and other black American servicemen continued to face racial discrimination and violence.
|
Sources to Get Started |