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I study African Americans and World War I. Over 100 years later racist ideas of black officers and their leadership capabilities still continue to exist. A reminder that the military has always been an institution deeply rooted in white male supremacy. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/25/us/politics/military-minorities-leadership.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
This article cites a 1925 Army War College study on "The Use of Negro Manpower in War." It is a stunning document that can only be understood in the context of black participation in WWI. https://www.fdrlibrary.org/documents/356632/390886/tusk_doc_a.pdf/4693156a-8844-4361-ae17-03407e7a3dee
During WWI, African Americans demanded black officers. They insisted on the right to lead, prove their manhood, and uplift the race. After much pressure, the War Department established a segregated training camp in Des Moines, Iowa. https://www.loc.gov/exhibitions/world-war-i-american-experiences/about-this-exhibition/over-here/raising-an-army/african-american-officers-training-camp/?loclr=blogloc
Most black officers, none ranked higher than captain, served in the segregated 92nd Division. It was commanded by white officers who believed that black officers did not possess the mental and physical abilities to lead.
Black officers were targeted by efficiency boards, labeled as incompetent and branded as potential rapists. Almost half of the black officers in the 92nd Division were unjustly transferred out to service units.
During the September 1918 Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the 368th Infantry Regiment of the 92nd Division struggled in combat. The military placed blame solely on the black officers. 5 black officers were court martialed, 4 receiving death sentences and 1 life in prison.
After the war, white officers from the 92nd Division, like Allen Greer, continued to disparage black officers. The army, they asserted, had to be led by white men. Their reports and testimonies informed the 1925 War College study. https://credo.library.umass.edu/view/pageturn/mums312-b011-i313/#page/2/mode/1up
