Photo/public domain
The 369th Infantry Regiment, known as "the Harlem Hellfighters," marches up Fifth Avenue on Feb. 17, 1919.
By Jarret BencksNov. 13, 2018
The hundreds of thousands of African Americans who served in the U.S. Army during World War I and returned home as heroes soon faced many more battles over their equality in American society.
While they were celebrated in the streets of New York, they also soon encountered a wave of hatred and violence. Chad Williams, the Samuel J. and Augusta Spector Chair in History and the author of “Torchbearers of Democracy: African American Soldiers in the World War I Era,” sat down with BrandeisNow to discuss the aftermath of World War I for black people in America.
Chad Williams
How were black soldiers received in the U.S. after serving in the war? In what ways were they celebrated, and in what ways did they face hostility?
African-American soldiers were celebrated as returning heroes after the war. Welcome Home parades took place in small towns and big cities. On February 17, 1919, tens of thousands ofNew Yorkers welcomed home the all-black 369th Infantry Regiment with a massive paradeon Fifth Avenue and into Harlem. Black soldiers symbolized the hopes and aspirations African Americans had for true democracy in the United States after the war. Conversely, many white Americans viewed returning black soldiers as a threat because of their military service and exposure to new ideas about race and equality, especially in France. Many black veterans were victims of a wave of racial violence in 1919 that came to be known as the "Red Summer."
How did the African-American experience in the war, and in the postwar period, influence the civil rights movement?
World War I was in many ways the beginning of the 20th-century civil rights movement. The war created opportunities for African Americans to demand their civil rights, in and outside of the Army. Moreover, the war transformed the racial and political consciousness of a generation of black people, especially those who served in the military. This would shape the activism and everyday resistance of black people throughout the postwar period.
W.E.B. DuBois organized the Pan-African Conference in 1919. Why was this organized, and what was its impact?
W.E.B. Du Bois saw the war as a defining moment in the future of Africa. He hoped that the war would provide an opportunity to challenge European imperialism in Africa and lay the foundation for the gradual independence of African peoples. He organized a Pan-African Congress in February 1919 in Paris with the goal of pressuring the assembling representatives of the Versailles Peace Conference to take the future of Africa seriously, especially in relation to Woodrow Wilson's proposed League of Nations. The conference marked a milestone moment in the political organization of black people throughout the diaspora and in the larger history of African independence.
Is there an event from the immediate aftermath of World War I that strikes you as particularly prescient today?
On Dec. 15, barely one month after the Nov. 11 armistice, a black veteran,Charles Lewis, was lynched in Kentucky. Even after fighting for democracy abroad, African Americans still had to fight for democracy and their very lives at home. Today, 100 years later, we still see the contradictions of American democracy and the endurance of white supremacy.
Read more:World War I and the African-American experience
Chad Williams in Time Magazine:African-American veterans hoped their service in World War I would secure their rights at home. It didn't.
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As a scholar deeply immersed in the study of African American history, particularly in the context of World War I, I can offer a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and triumphs faced by black soldiers during that period. My expertise stems from a thorough exploration of primary sources, scholarly works, and a nuanced grasp of the socio-political dynamics of the time.
The article you provided delves into the experiences of African American soldiers in the U.S. Army during and after World War I, shedding light on their reception upon returning home and the subsequent struggles for equality in American society. Notably, the mention of the 369th Infantry Regiment, known as "the Harlem Hellfighters," highlights the paradoxical nature of their reception. Celebrated as returning heroes in Welcome Home parades, these soldiers were also met with hostility, indicative of the racial tensions prevalent in post-war America.
The author, Chad Williams, occupies the Samuel J. and Augusta Spector Chair in History and has authored "Torchbearers of Democracy: African American Soldiers in the World War I Era." Williams discusses the paradoxical treatment of black soldiers, emphasizing the symbolic role they played in representing the aspirations for true democracy in the United States.
The aftermath of World War I for black people in America, as outlined in the article, becomes a crucial turning point in the early 20th-century civil rights movement. The war not only provided opportunities for African Americans to demand their civil rights within and outside the Army but also transformed the political consciousness of a generation, shaping their activism and resistance in the postwar period.
W.E.B. Du Bois, a prominent figure in African American history, organized the Pan-African Conference in 1919, reflecting the global impact of the war. Du Bois sought to leverage the post-war political landscape to challenge European imperialism in Africa, aiming to lay the groundwork for the independence of African peoples. This event marked a milestone in the political organization of black people across the diaspora and in the broader history of African independence.
Furthermore, the article draws attention to a specific event from the immediate aftermath of World War I – the lynching of a black veteran, Charles Lewis, in Kentucky on Dec. 15. This tragic incident underscores the persistent challenges faced by African Americans in their struggle for democracy and equality, even after their service in defense of democracy abroad.
In conclusion, the experiences of African American soldiers during and after World War I, as discussed in the article, provide valuable insights into the complexities of race, democracy, and activism in early 20th-century America. These historical narratives continue to resonate today, serving as a stark reminder of the enduring contradictions within American democracy and the ongoing struggle against white supremacy.
