Caden O’Farrell
October 17, 2020
History 110
Prof. Klann
Primary Source Analysis Post #2
1. I choose to do my primary source analysis on The Crisis magazine. The Crisis magazine was made by the NAACP. One of the reasons I chose this article is because I saw W.E.B Du Bois’s name, who I had recently read about on the class blog. Du Bois was a founder of the NAACP as well as an editor of The Crisis magazine. The specific article I chose in this publication focused on the treatment of black soldiers in World War One. Were African American soldiers treated equally in WWI? If not, to what extent were they discriminated against?
2. https://transcription.si.edu/view/22594/NMAAHC-2012_84_3_005
I chose an article in the The Crisis magazine linked above. The NAACP started the magazine in 1910 and it was published until 1923. The magazine was made in Baltimore, MD. The Crisis became a very popular magazine throughout the African American community all across America. It is also known as one of the oldest African American publications.
3. This issue of the magazine was released in July of 1919. This is directly after WWI had ended and after the Versaillies peace treaty was signed on June 28th 1919 by the allied and central powers. This publication also took place during the Segregation Era. The Ku Klux Klan was in full effect at this point in time, being operational in 27 states. African American service in WWI was controversial from many viewpoints. The Module 14 blog post states, “The army uniform that black veterans wore connoted authority, power, manliness, and respect—making it appealing for blacks and threatening for southern whites”. This well expresses some of the tension dynamics and rapid societal view changes that were caused by WWI.
4. This is a high valued piece of history because of the time period and subject matter. This article focused on the mistreatment of African Americans in WWI. The source being The Crisis magazine also increases the value of the piece because we know this article reached a large audience and had a strong influence. The time period of which is after WWI, but also in the midst of “Red Summer.” Red Summer was a series of racial riots and attacks by white supremisits that took place in 1919. These events created havoc across America with many lynchings, mobs and deaths. I think this article is an important part of history because it shows the time period from the perspective of the African American community and adds context to what was happening during the time.
5. Do you think African American soldiers were treated better in WWII than WWI, if so, what do you believe caused the change?
Hi Caden! This question is really interesting. I agree with the comments above. Overall, I would say that the treatment of Black soldiers improved in WWII. (Not to say that it was equal to whites, which it was not). But I do think that civil rights activists, building on a long tradition of which Du Bois and The Crisis was a critical piece, helped to push for notable advancements in WWII. For example, I think A. Philip Randolph's planned March on Washington was quite instrumental. And, as @peihong luo noted above, Black veterans themselves took their experiences and used them to advocate for the rights of all African Americans.
Yes, I think African American soldiers were treated better in WWII than WWI. They had been through the civil war which they acquired about the importance of civil rights. The development of the history at the point also made them difficult/ hard to be treated as badly as before.
I think African American soldiers were treated better in WWII than WWI. The war was an important turning point in their lives: they traveled across the country and around the world, met people from all walks of life, and learned new skills. The experience of African American soldiers after WW1 inspired many of them to advocate for civil rights when they returned to civilian life. Black soldiers hope that their military service can become a strong advocate of equal citizenship for African Americans.
I believe that in WWII, African Americans were treated better than their WWI fathers. A lot has changed in the 20 years between the two great conflicts, including ease of race tensions due to a more progressive/liberal political environment that FDR brought in. In WWI, the U.S. did not have a big stake in the war, at least it didn't majorly affect them. In WWII, the stakes were higher. It was total war, and the government needs all bodies it could get. In a twisted sense of utilitarianism, black soldiers got what they wanted, out of America's necessity for more soldiers. Nonetheless, post-WWII saw the better treatment of black veterans but not until the 1960s when the civil rights movement reached its peak.
I do believe that in some aspects, African Americans in WWII were treated better than in WWI thanks to their strive for equality after the war was over. A large number of the African American communities contributed a lot to the war, the president and the government couldn't simply ignore the calls of the African American since they were war heroes, and not honoring their own country's heroes will have a bad effect on the U.S. reputation. Women were also allowed to join the war, which showed off more of the African American strength. This made it difficult to treat them as badly as before since their people could take over any jobs in the war.