November 11th 2023.
African Americans have a long history of serving in the United States military, dating back to the Revolutionary War. In 1861, when the Civil War began, enslaved men were given a chance to fight for their country against the Confederate Army. The National Archives estimates that around 200,000 African American men served in the Union Army and US Navy, with 179,000 and 19,000 respectively. Sadly, 38,000 of those men lost their lives, mainly due to disease. Upon returning from the war, African Americans were met with a harsh reality of oppression and racism, despite being emancipated.
One of the most influential African American veterans was Martin Robison Delany, a journalist and civil rights activist born a freeman in West Virginia. He studied at Harvard and served as a major in the Union Army, advocating for African American rights.
Eighty years later, over one million African American men and women volunteered and served in World War II. Unfortunately, upon returning from the war, many of them faced segregation and lynching. One such example is Walter Morris, the first enlisted African American accepted for airborne paratrooper duty. He was part of the original 17-member selection that formed the first All African American Parachute Infantry Battalion. After training in Oregon, they became the first military airborne firefighting smokejumpers.
During the Civil Rights movement, African Americans were drafted to fight in the Vietnam War at a disproportionately high rate. Amistad Resource reported that 64% of eligible African Americans were drafted in comparison to only 31% of eligible whites. In 1965-66, African American casualties were twice the rate of whites, with a total of 7,243 African American veterans killed. Many of those who made it home faced financial and mental health challenges, devalued and disenfranchised.
Today, the impact of modern wars is still felt. However, 29.2% of African American men and 16.9% of African American women are currently enlisted in the service, according to Statista.
This Veterans Day, BLACK ENTERPRISE honors and salutes all of the officers, soldiers, and sailors who have bravely served our country and humankind in the face of racism and white supremacy. We thank them for their commitment and dedication.
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