Black Americans and Military Service

Black Americans have been part of military service in the United States since it became a country. Some served while enslaved, while others fought as free people. Many served when military units were racially segregated, a situation that was not officially changed until the armed forces were desegregated in 1948—and even then, the last all-Black unit was not disbanded until the early 1950s. Despite the challenges, many Black Americans received meritorious awards for their service. For many Black people, service in the military has been and continues to be an opportunity to better their education and financial status. While White people made up a larger percentage of the overall military in the 2020s, the percentage of Black men and women serving in active duty was higher than the percentage of Black people in the country’s overall population.

Background

In March 1770, a small group of American colonists was protesting oppressive policies of the British crown when they were fired on by British soldiers. In what became known as the Boston Massacre, Crispus Attucks (1723–1770), a Black and Native American sailor, and several others died. Attucks is generally considered the first casualty of the American Revolution.

Many other Black Americans, both free and enslaved, fought in the American Revolution. Tens of thousands participated, and at least some were in most major battles of the seven-year war, on both sides. Most were in integrated units. However, some all-Black units existed, most notably the 1st Rhode Island Regiment that played a key role in several battles, including the decisive 1781 Battle of Yorktown. About 20 percent of Black service members who fought in the Revolutionary War were freed from slavery in recognition of their service.

Black Americans also played a significant role in the War of 1812. Before the war ended in 1815, many fought in both fully integrated and all-Black units. Many others served in support units that provided food and munitions as well as war-related infrastructure. Enslaved and free Black men also helped construct the fortifications that protected New Orleans in the pivotal battle of the War of 1812. Several units of “Free Men of Color,” which also included some Native Americans, were instrumental in the American victory at New Orleans.

The American Civil War (1861–1865) was another opportunity for Black Americans to join in military service. Many joined the Union forces fighting to end slavery. However, many of the Black individuals fighting at this time did so unofficially until President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, and Blacks were officially allowed to join the military. It is estimated that about 186,000 Black Americans served during the Civil War, including 94,000 who were formerly enslaved. Nearly 40,000 were killed in combat.

Black Americans—many of them veterans of the Civil War—continued to serve in a series of conflicts as settlers moved west across the country from 1876 to the 1890s. Many fought in all-Black units and served with distinction. Among the most famous of these units were the Buffalo Soldiers and the 10th Cavalry Regiment, who served alongside Theodore Roosevelt, prior to his presidency, and the famous Rough Riders. The 10th Cavalry, along with the 9th Cavalry and the 24th and 25th Infantry—each an all-Black unit—also served in the Spanish-American War in 1898.

Although they were active in military actions to protect America, Black Americans were still often discriminated against and experienced segregation. This was the case in the military as well. During World War I (1914–1918), all-Black units were often assigned to serve with French troops because White American troops were reluctant to fight alongside them. This included the Harlem Hellfighters, who lost a third of their men but yielded no ground during battle.

The situation was much the same in World War II (1939–1945), with Black troops facing segregation and fighting largely in all-Black units. Again, several of these units received recognition for their service, including the first Black armored division, the 78th Tank Battalion, as well as the 761st Tank Battalion and the Tuskegee Airmen.

These units fought despite some blatant discrimination in the years prior to World War II. American military leadership often claimed that Black people were less fit for service and as leaders. The war-time performance of Black Americans helped change minds, however, and as the war progressed, more Black individuals were placed in leadership roles and desegregated units became to appear. After the war in 1946, President Harry S. Truman signed an executive order that formally desegregated the American military. However, some all-Black units continued to exist until the early 1950s, when the last units were officially disbanded. The Korean War in the 1950s marked the first fully desegregated war for the American military.

Overview

With Truman’s signing of Executive Order 9981, Desegregation of the Armed Forces, on July 26, 1948, all Americans, including Black Americans, were guaranteed equal treatment and opportunity in the US military. Even at the height of World War II, when more than 1.2 million Black people were part of the American armed forces, the percentage of Black people serving fell short of the 10.6 percent of Black individuals in the overall American population. In the 2020s, however, when nearly 12.5 percent of the country’s population was Black, nearly 18 percent of all military personnel were Black.

Experts have offered several reasons for this. One is the potential for upward mobility for Black Americans who serve in the military. Some studies have indicated that joining the military increases a Black American’s chance of reaching the middle class by midlife by almost 10 percent (54 percent vs. 45 percent). Military service is associated with several other key aspects of economic prosperity and stability. Some of these are related to finances, such as being more likely to afford a home and less likely to need social service programs such as food assistance. Others are benefits of military service, such as access to health and dental care. Black veterans are also more likely to get married than non-veterans.

However, experts have also pointed out some disadvantages faced by Black military personnel. Studies have indicated that they are more likely than White veterans to suffer from some chronic health conditions, such as high blood pressure and anxiety. Some critics have also raised questions related to the equity of having Black service members face combat danger at a higher proportion than White service members when the overall population percentages are considered.

Bibliography

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“Black Americans in the US Army.” US Army, www.army.mil/blackamericans/timeline.html.Accessed 12 June 2023.

“Executive Order 9981: Desegregation of the Armed Forces (1948).” National Archives Milestone Documents, www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/executive-order-9981. Accessed 12 June 2023.

Napier, Walt. “A Short History of Integration in The US Armed Forces.” US Air Force, 1 July 2021, www.af.mil/News/Commentaries/Display/Article/2676311/a-short-history-of-integration-in-the-us-armed-forces/. Accessed 12 June 2023.

Piquado, Tepring et al. “Among Black Americans, Is Military Service Associated with Better Quality of Life?” RAND Corporation, 2022, www.rand.org/pubs/research‗reports/RRA1202-1.html.

Reeves, Richard V. and Sarah Nzau. “Black Americans Are Much More Likely to Serve the Nation in Military and Civilian Roles.” Brookings Institute, 27 Aug. 2020, www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2020/08/27/black-americans-are-much-more-likely-to-serve-the-nation-in-military-and-civilian-roles/. Accessed 12 June 2023.

Wilcox, Bradford W. et al. “Black Men Making It in America: The Engines of Economic Success for Black Men in America.” American Enterprise Institute, 2018, www.aei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/BlackMenMakingItInAmerica-Final‗062218.pdf. Accessed 12 June 2023.