From Slavery to Freedom, Edition 9, CHAPTER 15 and Odyssey part- 7/A - Essay Example

From Slavery To Freedom, Chapter 15 Chapter 15 of John Hope Franklin’s ‘From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African Americans’ discusses the experiences of African American soldiers and civilians during and post World War I. By 1912, African Americans were accustomed to racial marginalization. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) endorsed Woodrow Wilson’s presidential candidacy in the same year believing that he would advocate for fair treatment of African Americans but he abandoned them once elected.

The World War I rallying cry, ‘100% American,’ awakened a sense of patriotism in both Black and White Americans. This nationalism had some adverse effects, mainly the rise of radical anti-black and anti-immigrant groups like the Red Scare and the Ku Klux Clan, who violently terrorized African Americans, Asians, Jews, Catholics and alleged communists.Racial violence continued well after the end of the War and ten Black soldiers were lynched upon returning home. Not even Black servicemen were exempt from this viciousness.

The NAACP loudly protested against violence perpetrated against the black community particularly lynching. Through their magazine ‘The Crisis’ edited by WEB Dubois, the NAACP spread its civil rights agenda. They also reported lynchings and other atrocities. Dubois also vehemently opposed Booker T. Washington’s acquiescing of Jim Crow laws in exchange for the provision of education and other social amenities for Blacks. The summer of 1919, infamously known as the ‘Red Summer,’ saw more than 26 urban race riots in different American cities.

In the same year, 23 Blacks and 15 Whites were killed in ‘The Chicago Race Riots.’ Scores more were injured but this did not stop other riots from erupting in places like Knoxville Tennessee, Tulsa Oklahoma and Rosewood Florida.The post World War I era also saw the rise of the Black Nationalist movement. This was brought about by the influx of Black immigrants from the Caribbean crossing into the United States after the collapse of the sugar industry in South America. Marcus Garvey, a notable Black Nationalist from Jamaica preached the superiority and exaltation of the black race.

Instead of fighting for equal rights in America, Garvey pushed for the repatriation of the black community back to Africa. He went so far as to solicit $10 million between 1919 and 1921 for the purchase of ships known as the “Black Star Line” that would transport millions of Blacks back to Africa. It was later discovered that the ships never existed and Garvey was arrested and convicted of mail fraud. Despite these scandals, Garvey is considered one of the most popular Black Nationalist leaders.

The Nationalist and civil rights movements forged on with the help of African American women who advocated for temperance within the black community and fought for universal suffrage and equal rights for African Americans.Odyssey, Part 1African American troops were eager to fight for their country in World War I but found that segregation and racial discrimination had followed them to the battlefront. Many able-bodied black men who were fit to fight were instead relegated to the provision of support services during the war.

Despite these challenges, the contribution of black soldiers towards the war was significant. Some black troops fought side-by-side with French soldiers on equal basis and 171 black soldiers were awarded the French Legion of Honor. By 1917, there were over 600 African American captains and first and second lieutenants.